Wentworthville Magpies side

1. Scott Schulte

2. Bureta Faraimo

3. Vai Toutai

4. John Folau

5. Honeti Tuha

6. Mitch Cornish

18. Zach Nichols

8. Danny Wicks

9. Isaac De Gois

10. Rory O’Brien

11. Kelepi Tanginoa

12. Cody Nelson (c)

20. David Gower

Interchange:

14. Cameron King

15. Matt Woods

16. Andrew Pearn

17. Nick Kassis

 

Two changes for the Magpies today as Zach Nichols and David Gower come into the team for Luke Kelly and Kaysa Pritchard who played first grade on Thursday. Wyong feature plenty of talent given their affiliation with the Roosters so this should be a cracking game.

 

First Half

 

The Magpies will receive the ball to start the game. Cornish fields the kick and sends O’Brien into the line. Wicks has the second charge, good powerful effort there.  Gower and O’Brien round out the set, O’Brien’s second charge is excellent as he carries defenders for a 15m gain. Cornish finds the grass in the red zone and a good kick chase pins the Roos near their line. Very good set first up.

 

Wyong make it out to their 40m line in return and Faraimo takes their kick on the full. Wenty ahead in the initial stages of the territorial arm wrestle. Lovely ball from Kelepi there! Puts Folau into space and the big centre strides back in-field and then offloads back to Tanginoa who takes the tackle. We have the ball right on the goal line and look for a cheeky play from dummy half as De Gois bullets the ball to Honeti Tuha but the newcomer gets the ball knocked loose from a desperation tackle.

 

Another simple set for Wyong, Schulte cleans the kick up this game. Solid return as well. Wicks look to get involved once again and looks to have chalked up another strong carry but loses control of the ball and play comes up.

 

Good defence from Wenty as the Roos drive the ball into the goal line. Vai Toutai had a belter of a tackle late in the count there as he dominated his opposite number. Still, the Roos earn a repeat set as their crossfield bomb is taken in the field of play by Folau and he gets driven back in-goals. Wenty then concede an early penalty.

 

Try saver from Schulte now! Terrific tackle on the line as he takes on the #10 for the visitors and forces the ball loose.

 

Schulte involved again as we work it out, plays off the hip of Cornish and fights for some impressive metres after contact. The Magpies pick up a six again call late in the count when an offload from Gower is touched and recovered.

 

And from no where, John Folau bursts to life! Takes a tidy ball from Cornish and blasts through the line from 30m out! The Wyong fullback is positioned terribly and Folau easily outstrides him to the line. First blood goes the way of the Magpies.

 

Try scored by Folau. Conversion successful by Cornish.

 

Wenty lead 6-0

 

O’Brien with the kickoff return. Tremendous carry from Schulte there! Gets into the ruck and puts the defence immediately on the back foot. Cornish is the one to prosper on the next play as he catches the defenders offside. Loving the early touches from our new fullback.

 

Tanginoa takes the first charge but comical scenes bring play to a halt as the sprinklers on the field are turned on for god knows what reason!

 

After a length delay we are back and so are Wenty! They waste no time as Cody Nelson storms over a defender on the right-edge. Good line and good short ball from Zach Nichols as well.

 

Try scored by Nelson. Conversion unsuccessful by Cornish.

 

Wenty lead 10-0

 

Good work from Tanginoa and Gower on the kickoff set here as Wenty continue to roll with the momentum. Clinical kick from Cornish there to finish off the set as the chase pours through. Isaac De Gois undoes the good work when he takes exception to the Wyong runner and gives him an almighty shove as he gets up to play the ball. Penalty correctly call there.

 

Zach Nichols goes down after putting his head in the wrong place. Wenty defend capably with the 12 man line and it takes an age for Casey Badger to blow time off. Wenty actually get a chance for a counter punch when Gower charges the ball down but he knocks on trying to regather the ball.

 

Good hustle from Kelepi in defence as he pushes hard from the inside to make a cover tackle for Folau and Tuha. Wenty really aiming up here. They finish off a great set of defence as Faraimo defuses the cross field bomb in goals. He races out and gets 20m from the restart as well. Great footy.

 

Ah shit, Tuha muffs it up when get gets up all fired up from a tackle and shoves the marker. Penalty to Wyong. Oh man, this has fired Wenty up, Folau absolutely cuts a man in half there. Brutal shot. The line speed and intensity eventually get to the Roos as they lose the ball in the face of rushing defence. Top stuff.

 

Wenty work it out to halfway before an error comes from Gower. Looked to be trying to free the arms for an offload there as he drops it.

 

The error probes costly as the Roos get on the board. Simple shift down their left-edge. Vai looked to shoot up but he gets the read wrong and has to adjust laterally. The damage is done as the misread creates the 2-on-1 and the Roos cross outwide and actually centre the ball a bit.

 

Try scored by Reardon. Conversion successful by Lussick.

 

Wyong trail 6-10

 

Very solid set after points for the visitors. They ruck it up to halfway and find touch 10m out from the Wenty goal line. Tuha possibly a tad too shallow there for the kick. Oh dear, Tuha’s name comes up again for the wrong reasons as he drops the ball from the scrum win. Pressure has swung right back against Wenty.

 

Rapid changes of possession here as Toutai and Faraimo drive the ball runner from the scrum win into touch. Good show of strength there as the runner went very close to grounding himself but they kept him up.

 

Faraimo with the first hit up now and he manages to offload to Schulte to pinch a few more metres. A good charge from Wicks takes us to half way as Gower gets us over the midway mark. Cornish rounds out the set with a midfield bomb. Wenty chase through and pin the catcher as he comes to the ground.

 

Soft set from Wyong now. Not many metres there and Schulte eats up the kick and gets 20m on the return. Wicks and Folau are powerful up the middle and from the time and space created by those two the Magpies go hard and fast down their right-edge. Lovely ball from Cameron King -playing at right half- to Toutai who then gets the ball to Faraimo in the 2-on-1. Faraimo flies to the try line and just beats the defence. Try time.

 

Try scored by Faraimo. Conversion unsuccessful by Cornish.

 

Wenty lead 14-6

 

Big minutes from the starting props here. O’Brien churns out 28min and Wicks is still on.

 

And HOT DAMN, Kelepi Tanginoa has deadset murdered someone on that kick return. The thud echoed around Ringrose. The defender gets up groggy but isn’t checked for concussion. Cornish looks to rifle off an early kick but it just can’t break to the sideline in time and rolls dead 1m deep into the in-goals. Bad luck.

 

The Roos get into our red zone via the seven tackle set but can’t make the most of the chance as Faraimo cleans up their grubber and then fends someone to the ground as he gets back into the field of play. Wenty just roll it up the middle and King keeps his wits on him and he stabs it into touch from 30m out to set up a scrum for Wyong on their 10m line.

 

Again, not much doing for Wyong as the end up bombing from midfield on the last. Good take from Schulte and he goes close to busting the line open but is just brought down. Both teams just playing the territory game here as Wenty complete a simple set in return.

 

The Roos look to work the ball from dummy half this set and nearly open us up were it not for an excellent cover tackle in the line by Wicks, who is still on in the shade of half time. The big splash plays in defence keep coming as pressure from Tanginoa on the last sees the kick sail out on the full.

 

Poor pass from Nelson there brings a premature end to what should be Wenty’s last attacking set of the half and Wyong fail to do anything in return as the siren rings out.

 

Half Time

 

Wentworthville Magpies 14 lead Wyong Roos 6

 

Second Half

 

Danny Wicks gets the Magpies off to a great start as a good shot from him forces the ball loose 10m. Huge game so far from Wicks. Matt Woods is pulled up just short on a nice overs line after a good all from Cornish but the kick from Mitch on the last isn’t the greatest and is pulled down in the field of play by the visitors. Isaac De Gois is having none of it though and he mimics Wicks and forces the ball loose in a scything tackle. Unfortunately Wenty can’t do anything with it as Badger is content with the ball popping loose from Folau’s grip in the following set despite three defenders having their hands all over it.

 

Wyong technically complete their set but it is done with a kick out on the full. Wenty reply with an error of their own though. Bloody mistakeathon at the moment.

 

The Roos are the first team to hold onto the pill and strangely enough, they score because of it. Bit soft from Wenty to be honest. The Roos work the ball across the face of our posts and we fall off a tackle to let them score under the posts.

 

Try scored by #21 (?). Conversion successful by Lussick.

 

Wyong trail 12-14

 

Penalty to Wyong now, looked the runner dropped it but Badger sees otherwise.

 

As a sidenote, Tanginoa has pushed into lock ever since Gower came off.

 

Second penalty comes the way of the visitors, this time for a high shot. Wyong to start their set just outside our red zone now.

 

Much better effort defensively this set. They repel the Roos but have to play at a grubber on the last and a friendly deflection for Wyong gives them six again. Wenty lift again to hold the visitors out but another repeat set is earned by the Roos as their grubber is grounded in-goals. The changes ring through for Wenty as both Wicks and Tanginoa get breathers.

 

Pearn and Kassis are on for the two starters and as I type that yet another penalty goes the way of Wyong. Hands on the ball is the ruling here.

 

The Roos gesture towards the posts, they will take a crack at the two points.

 

Penalty conversion attempt unsuccessful by Lussick.

 

Shout out to Cameron and his vuvuzela there. Put the mockers on Lussick.

 

The rare 20m line drop out occurs as a result.

 

The Roos venture down our left edge initially but are nearly forced into touch. They barely stay in play and then swing the ball to the other edge and look for an early kick in behind but some sharp work from Toutai traps the ball in the line and Wenty survive the copious amounts of pressure.

 

Wenty get through their set, aided by a good carry and offload from Toutai. Cornish opts for the midfield bomb but the Roos are equal to it. They echo Wenty’s efforts as the just roll it up and bomb it behind halfway. Schulte loses it backwards and falls on the pill to secure possession for Wenty.

 

Small break for Folau there but he stumbles after breaking the line, foot got caught up there. Cornish the man behind the line break there. The recruit from the nation’s capital is at it again on the following tackle as he forces a line drop out. Quality work.

 

Dang nabbit. Woods comes up with an error in the play-the-ball two tackles into our repeat set. Huge let off for Wyong.

 

Scratch that! The Roos have lost it immediately in reply.

 

Finally a penalty comes the way off the Magpies. Goodness, that was a long time coming. Hilariously, a second penalty quickly follows as Badger looks to erase the margin it would seem.

 

Cornish is the man at the centre of all the good play for Wenty as he uses Toutai on a crash line. Flat ball from Mitch, good hands from Toutai, try time for Wenty. Rock solid footy right there.

 

Try scored by Toutai. Conversion successful by Cornish.

 

Wenty lead 20-12

 

Good carry from Pearn on the first run of the set. Bit of second phase play gets Cornish some running metres as Wenty rumble over halfway. Cornish dabs it into the corner to complete an outstanding set after points. Much better from Wenty.

 

Some razzle dazzle stuff from Wyong as they run it on the last but they come up with an error after trying to field the banana kick from their winger.

 

Six again comes for Wenty on the last tackle in the following set. Cornish wants to drill it into touch but one of the Wyong boys plays at it and Cornish cleans it up. Next tackle Badger blows a penalty in favour of the home team and the Magpies surprisingly opt for the shot at goals. Hmmm, ten point lead worth that much?

 

Penalty conversion attempt successful by Cornish.

 

Wenty lead 22-12

 

Cornish playing lights out here. Guides Wenty down field and then finds the in-goals with a pinpoint grubber. Outstanding half play from the young man and another repeat set for Wenty.

 

Speaking of lights out! Barnstorming run from Kelepi. He just blasts through the defensive line and flattens the fullback en route to the try line! What an excellent individual try. That was a good 25m carry there over 3 or 4 defenders.

 

Try scored by Tanginoa. Conversion successful by Cornish.

 

Wenty lead 28-12

 

The flow of penalties continues for Wenty, the missive must have reached the ears of Badger!

 

Good runs from Tanginoa and O’Brien this set as we hammer the goal line. Cornish wants to run it on the last and throws it flat to Folau down the left-edge short side but Wyong aim up to stem the bleeding for at least a moment.

 

Some more interesting play from Wyong. They spin it down their left edge and much like before their winger utilises a banana kick back to the midfield but the Magpies show great hustle to kill the ball.

 

Wyong now getting hammered by Badger. That looked like a torpedo/prowler or whatever it goes by these days. A caution also comes the way of the Roos.

 

Nelson and Pearn have first runs as we settle the ball towards the posts. Cornish goes down the left and uses Folau on the unders line, thought he should have out the back there.

 

Two tackles later Folau is held up over the line after quick hands from Tanginoa. Good effort from John but the defence was also very good. Time is blown off as Folau gets a cramp in his left leg.

 

That was the penultimate tackle so Cornish bombs it towards Faraimo on the last. The ball pops up forwards from a Wyong defender and is then played at by another Roo from an offside position. Phew, AND another penalty…surely we are talking bin now?

 

O’Brien with the tap restart. Cornish runs it on the second, nice step off his right foot but he is pulled down by the cover defence. We swing right on the third where Toutai flick offloads to Faraimo who comes back in field and is stopped just shy of the try line. Cornish kicks it cross field early to Tuha and a great take sees the Roos with a 20m restart.

 

Ohhh would you look at that? Following on a false start on the 20m tap restart the Roos look to use to optional restart component of the seven tackle set and drop kick it downfield and successfully find touch. Some rarely seen happenings today!

 

Wenty defend well throughout the five regulation tackles on their goal line but on the last there is a burrow over attempt and the Magpies can’t keep the rake from scoring. Soft way to finish the game but it was an excellent second stanza from the boys in black and white.

 

Try scored by Wyong. Conversion successful by Lussick.

 

Wyong trail 18-28

 

Cornish ensures there isn’t time for one last kick off as he makes some overly careful adjustments to the ball on the tee. Chuckles ring out from the crowd.

 

Full Time

 

Wentworthville Magpies 28 DEF Wyong Roos 18