Once more, the Eels junior rep teams are on the road in round 2, with the girls close to home at Kenthurst, and the boys heading to Mascot.

As far as the girls are concerned, their opponents this week are the North Sydney Bears. The Bears lost to the powerful Bulldogs outfits in both grades last week, whereas the Eels opened with a pin impressive clean sweep over the Raiders.

It’s a new venue for me today. Hills Grammar School is now the home ground of the Bears. Not sure what to expect as far as facilities are concerned, but I do expect Eels wins in both grades.

First game kicks off at 10am.

Lovely venue – the field is literally right against the stand – arguably a bit too close. I don’t think you could play open age football with the proximity of the sideline.

Small new covered stand. Parking looked plentiful but I grabbed one of the last spots and it’s not a huge crowd. Maybe there’s something happening at the school. Also don’t forget your wallet as there’s an admission charge of $10.

 

Lisa Fiola Cup Team List

 

1	Irae Savea
2	Sienna Bonello
3	Cody Tuimaseve
4	Hine Rikiti
5	Freedom Crichton Ropati
6	Sharon Latapu
7	Temieke Withers
8	Leonia Vei
9	Bailey Ma-Chong
10	Isabella Bell
11	Kaizen Morgan-Pritchard
12	Mitszy Cairns
13	Catea Duff
14	Rylee Cash
15	Mere Sivo
16	Olivia Saba
17	Evelyn Kuwendu
19	Georgia Wansey

Match Updates

 

First Half

Eels kicking off.

Solid first set completion from the Bears who get to their kick. The Eels shift right mid set and it looks like Rikiti who’s split the defence and is brought down about 35 out. The ball is lost next play. The ball back with Parra now after a Bears error and they’re in the Bears Red zone. A high tackle is missed by the ref and Parra knock on but it’s rightly adjudged to feature a Bears hand.

More loose play from Parra off the scrum and the Bears will feed this scrum.

Charge down from Parra in the last tackle kick but they can’t retrieve the ball cleanly.

Last tackle kick from the Bears and Bonello fields a tough kick on the line, beats the chasers and she’s off for the prize! Length of the field try as she grounds the ball just left of the posts. Ma Chong converts.

Eels 6 lead Bears nil after 9 minutes

Parra drive down the middle following the kick off. Huge charge from Vei gets them positioned in front of the posts. Look out – Ma Chong has them bamboozled out of dummy half and crosses beside the posts. She converts her own try.

Eels 12 lead Bears nil after 12 minutes.

Back to the Bears red zone but there’s a loose pass and the Bears get possession from the scrum. Parra get a penalty from their next possession but fail to find touch. Now the Bears get a penalty and hit the Eels quarter. Another penalty a metre out. A Bears error gets the benefit of the doubt but not a second error. Eels in possession and finish with another error.

Bears pinned in their quarter now and a big hit from Parra forces an error. Play moves right and then Ma Ching does her thing. She sees her chance from inside the ten a weaves a passage back towards the posts diving over virtually untouched. Once more she converts her own try.

Eels 18 lead Bears nil with five minutes temainining this half

Parra drive downfield again after the kick off. Rugby league 101 here as the pack put the Bears on the back foot and then the ball goes right through Latapu to Rikita who surges to the line, crossing out wide.

Big conversion from Ma Chong

Eels 24 lead Bears nil. Three minutes remaining.

It’s hard to keep up here as hot hands to the left from the kick off has the Eels right back in the Bears quarter. Their defence is now dishevelled and Parra go back to the right and this time the ball goes all the way to right winger Ropati. Try time!

Ma Chong just misses the sideline conversion.

Half time – Eels 28 lead Bears nil

Second half

The Eels make meal of the kick off so it’s a Bears scrum. Great defence from Parra but they are penalised for offside on the last. The Bears go cross field on the last tackle kick and

Tuimaseve catches it suberbly.

Perfect set now from Parra with a last tackle grubber to the left corner. Bears penalty follows but then so does their error soon after. Parra back on the attack. Cash goes in to dummy half in front of the posts and feeds the ball to a rampaging Saba who plants it just to the left of the sticks. Withers converts.

Eels 34 Bears nil seven minutes gone.

Parra are pinged for a forward pass after the kick off. They’ve invited the Bears into their quarter once too often with errors in possession and this time the home team takes full advantage crossing on the left edge.

Conversion unsuccessful

Eels 34 Bears 4 after 11 minutes

what a play – Withers swoops on a Bears dropped ball near halfway and toes it ahead. She toes it a second time with the  Bears cover chasing hard. She wins the chase to dive on the ball under the posts but the ref rules she’s shoved the Bears player in the contest.

Parra back on the attack in the Bears quarter and in a helter skelter last tackle play a pass finds a Bears player. Six again. Down the left now and it looks like Vei who’s smashed her way over. Wide conversion from Withers sails between the posts.

Eels 40 Bears 4 with 15 to go.

It’s all Parra now as they tear the Bears to shreds. I’m still typing up the last try as they again get to the Bears quarter. Through hot hands to the right and Rikiti gets another!

Ma Chong misses the conversion

Eels 44 Bears 4 with ten to go.

Again I’m still in catch up mode as Parra again launch from the kick off set and drive left into the Bears quarter. Right again to Latapu who grubbers ahead for the chasing Morgan Pritchard who regathers and scores!

Eels 48 lead Bears 4 with 6 minutes remaining.

Parra get a penalty after the kick off.

Back to the quarter but Ma Chong is pinged for obstruction.

The Bears get another penalty for a high shot and work play towards Parra’s posts. A last tackle grubber and the Bears chaser looks like they’ve lost the ball as they ground it. The ref looks like he agrees but then has a last minute change of mind and awards a try between the posts.

Conversion successful

Eels 48 Bears 10 last minute.

Full time sounds and the ref has found another Bears penalty for a strip. Only one more play now and the whistle blows.

Full time Eels 48 defeat Bears 10

 

Tarsha Gale Cup Team List

 

1	Dallis Graham-Withell
2	Nelly Thomas
3	Jessamine Aloalii
4	Mariah Fasavalu-Faamausili
5	Alleya Scrivens
6	Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai
19	Anahera Paekau
8	Armarni-Lea Auvae
9	Rory Muller
13	Ryvrr-Lee Alo
11	Fontayne Tufuga
12	Matoisha Kalepo
15	Khyliah Gray
14	Ava Jones
10	Tess McWilliamS
16	Taylah Falaniko
17	Alana O’Loughlin
18 19	Shire Thocolich

 

Match Updates

 

First Half

Some late changes. I’ll try to work them out.

Having some technical difficulties but I’ll press on. Parra force a line drop out first set and they’re back on the attack. Left now through hands and it’s try time to Scrivens!

Conversion unsuccessful

Eels 4 Bears nil 4 minutes gone

More possession in this kick off set with a penalty and the Eels drive through the middle. Oh it’s too easy with a simple hit up from Gray getting the try beside the posts.
Conversion successful from Scrivens

Eels 10 Norths nil

Norths final defend a set in their red zone but are struggling to make any ground when the error comes. A couple of crash balls at the line and there’s huge space if they go left. Yep that’s where they’re heading as it goes through the hands to Scrivens who scores.

She just misses the conversion of her own try.

Eels 14 Bears nil after 13 minutes.

Bears in possession and they get piggy backed into Parra’s quarter via a penalty. They go left and wide. The winger looks covered but somehow evades the Eels defence to cross in the corner.

Conversion unsuccessful

Eels 14 lead Beats 4. Ten minutes to go first half.

Set completion from the Bears but look out. A Terrific 30 metre run from Scrivens sets up the next Eels attack by advancing the ball to the quarter. Two tackles later Alo crashes over beside the posts.
Conversion from Scrivens is successful.

Eels 20 lead Bears 4 seven to go this half.

Full marks to the Bears here. That get possession following an Eels error in the kick off set. Play advances towards Parra’s quarter and a big shift to the Bears right winger who has space and beats the Eels cover to the corner.

Conversion unsuccessful

Eels 20 lead Bears 8 with two minutes remaining first half

Bears gaining in confidence and they explore their left wing in the kick off set but Nell Thomas drags their winger into touch 40 out from Parra’s line. Parra now return to the Bears quarter but they again turn over the ball.

The Bears make a half break on their left as the siren sounds but Parra shuts it down.

Half time Eels 20 lead Bears 8

Second Half

The ref has penalised Parra for being in front of the kicker at the kick off. Bears help Parra out by dropping the ball midway through the set.

Its an early mistake-athon as the Eels return the favour with a forward pass midway through their set!

The Bears left back rower splits the Eels to advance play to the quarter. Now a kick earns a line drop out. The Eels do well to hold on before an ambitious crash play from Norths sees the ball shoot free and Parra clean it up on their line.

The Eels forwards link nicely through the middle before Parra hit the left edge. Tufuga makes a half break as they run it on the last and she finds Scrivens in support but the Bears defence shuts it down about 20 out.

Parra back on the attack again and play moves centre of the quarter. Big drive now as Jones finds McWilliams who gets the Bears defence back pedalling. Left now to Alo who is just too powerful for the defence, plunging over beside the posts.

Conversion from Scrivens

Eels 26 lead Bears 8. Twenty minutes remaining.

The Eels power running and support play is too much for the Bears who are lucky to survive the kick off set with Alo just losing the ball as she charged towards the sticks.

Here comes trouble for the Bears as Parra are back in possession in the red zone. The play is centred and now it goes right to Gunn-Tauaiwho slices through to score.

Conversion from Scrivens

Eels 32 Bears 8 with 16 minutes remaining.

Back to back Eels penalties following the kick off. A Jones dart out of dummy half gets the Bears on the back foot ten out. Now an offload and quick hands to Thomas who plants the ball in the corner.

Eels 36 Bears 8 with 12 minutes remaining.

what a try! Following the kick off,  Alo charges through the middle of the ruck around halfway. She offloads to Graham-Withell who had done as all good fullbacks do in supporting through the ruck and she sprints 50 metres to touch down between the posts.

Scrivens converts

Eels 42 lead Bears 8 with 9 minutes remaining. Will the battery last on this device?

Great attacking footy from the Eels as they attack right then left in the Bears quarter. Graham-Withell is tackled just short of the line and the Bears defence is concerned about another shift. The ball comes to Gray who notes the panic, dummies and strolls over.
Scrivens converts

Eels 48 lead Bears 8 with three minutes to go.

The Eels defend a Bears attack late in the game but hold on. They have the last play in possession and it’s full time.

Eels 48 defeat Bears 8

 

 

 

Eels forever!

 

Sixties