11 July 2009
 Flyhalf Toby Hohapata moves the ball on |
Perth-Bayswater played a slow, lethargic game to lose 32-8 to Cottesloe at Pat O'Hara Reserve today to slip two games adrift of the top four in the WA club rugby competition.
Cottesloe made the most of their opportunities in a fairly even first half to lead 14-0 at the break, and resisted a spirited Perth-Bayswater revival early in the second spell. The home team had plenty of opportunities but were laboured and predictable in execution, while the Seagulls flew away with the game with a late scoring spree.
After an early flurry of kicking with Cottesloe enjoying slightly more territory, the Seagulls opened the scoring with an angled penalty goal for a high tackle after 11 minutes.
Cottesloe crossed the line out wide after 20 minutes on advantage but referee Matt O’Brien called them back for a forward pass and awarded the penalty, and their flyhalf kicked his second goal for a 6-0 lead to the visitors.
 Wing Mark Gaskin powers through the tackle Pic by Dave Whitnell |
Perth-Bayswater had a prime opportunity after 26 minutes with a five metre scrum on Cottesloe's line but the Seagulls wheeled the scrum and turned over possession. A tight game continued with little to choose between the teams in the set pieces or the loose, but with the Seagulls making more of the play.
Cottesloe's wing weaved through the defence to dive under the posts on the half hour but was held up over the line, but two rucks later a prop plunged over beside the posts for the try and the visitors forged ahead 11-0. Cott added a point blank penalty for offside three minutes later as Perth-Bayswater started to lose touch.
However the home side lifted and spent the last five minutes hard on attack on Cott's line with a series of lineouts and penalties but were slow and predictable, the Seagulls holding them out solidly until half time.
Perth-Bayswater opened the second half stronger and flyhalf Toby Hohapata kicked a handy penalty goal after six minutes but four minutes later Cottesloe nullified it with a more difficult penalty kick to lead 17-3.
 Wing Nathan Hunt supported by fullback Gareth Cossey |
Undismayed, the black team drove downfield and the forwards mauled up in the corner, wing Nathan Hunt nipping in on the blind for a try to gain a little ground at 17-8.
The sideline conversion missed but Perth-Bayswater started to dominate territory and possession and their scrum had the Seagulls' eight in trouble, despite the occasional objection from referee O'Brien.
But Cottesloe defended capably and waited for their opportunities, kicking another moderate penalty goal after 22 minutes to keep the score well beyond Perth-Bayswater's reach at 20-8.
Then from a lineout five metres out following a long kick taken into touch by Perth, the Seagulls did everything that Perth failed to do in the same position -- quick ball, an incisive option and instant support as the forwards drove over for a try in a lineout set move. They missed the sideline conversion but the Seagulls went ahead 25-8 on the half hour.
Minutes later Cott was in again, Perth misfielding a long kick and the Seagulls forwards pounced, the ball spinning wide for a try a converted try out wide, the Seagulls shooting clear at 32-8.
Perth-Bayswater dominated the closing stages but it was for pride only and Cott defended ably until full time.
In other grades at Pat O'Hara Reserve, seconds lost to Cottesloe 45-0, thirds went down to Joondalup 29-19, fourths/fifths got up over Joondalup 45-5, Under 20s went down to Cottesloe 41-13, Under 18s defeated Joondalup 25-0 and the women's team defeated arch-rivals Cottesloe 36-0.
Fifth Grade finally got back on track after three loses in a row when they defeated Joondalup 45-5 at home on Saturday. On a fine day with a very sparse crowd in attendance (most of the wives and girlfriends were probably in the Ladies Day tent getting legless), the men in black were first to score when "Nurse Chris" was on hand to score under the sticks after a sustained period of attack finally created a hole for the medical man to slip through. This was converted by Barr Fridge and it was 7-0. Joondalup sprung into life and used their very large forwards to muscle their way over the line not long after for their only points of the match. They seemed very happy with their try which they celebrated with high fives, whoops of joy and hugs all round. Good forbid if they had scored again! The celebration would have rivalled a roman orgy with that amount of male-to-male contact. Anyway, saving us from seeing something so revolting, Shane "Barr Fridge" decided to cut short their moment of joy and from a scrum about thirty metres out took the opportunity to shoot down the blindside when his opposite number was pinged for offside. Shane outstripped the remaining defence to score a wonderful individual try which he then converted for a half time score of 14-5.
The second half started with a bit more urgency and Perth began to exploit holes in Joondalup's defence. First the Copper smashed his way over for our third try, which was followed by Shane's second for the day after going blind from a scrum on half way. Then Toots picked up the ball from number 8 and moved it to Shane, and the Barr Fridge popped a pass to his larger namesake the Fridge, who made his own space down the right wing and then passed the ball back into Shane who zipped over the line for a great team try. Now with the bonus point in the bag it was time to look for a percentage boost. First unleash Darren "Copper" Horne onto your opposition. Allow him to smash, bash, bulldoze and stampede over most of the defenders so they are totally shell-shocked. Then, while you have them stunned, wheel out "Tony Peperoni" to totally bamboozle them with his mixture of pace off the mark, elusive side-steps and the blinding reflection of the sun off his totally bald head. So stunned and blinded where the lads from Iluka that Peperoni ran in three carbon copy tries in ten minutes. With buxom blonde missus Roxy cheering on her man from the sideline it was the Peperoni show both on and off the field. It's just a shame that Peperoni can't throw the ball into the lineout as well as he can score tries. Most went in not-straight or nowhere near the jumper that they were supposed to. Apart from this minor flaw, the team put in a good display for the day. Other good performances came from Dale "The Kid" Freeman, and Roger and Barney Rubble in the forwards, while Dallas "The Star" was steady at fullback all day. Tries were scored by Peperoni (3), Barr Fridge (2), Copper and Nurse Chris; while Shane managed to fluke over five conversions to go with his double.