News

6 June 2010

The occasion of the Hundred Years of Perth Rugby celebration weekend proved too much for the rebuilding Perth-Bayswater team, and they were humiliated 71-12 by competition leaders Nedlands after several weeks of close and creditable losses to some of the competition's better teams.

Perth-Bayswater attacked with vigour to open the game but knocked on after five minutes over the half way line. Neddies attacked, spinning the ball wide where their fullback kicked ahead and regathered a helpful bounce to score close to the posts. Neddies converted for an early 7-0 lead. Neddies stayed on attack and landed the second of two angled penalties for offside after 12 minutes to go ahead 10-0. Nedlands camped in Perth's half, ruling the scrums and kicking for the corner for attacking lineouts, but suffered from ordinary hands in the face of desperate Perth defence. The pressure had to tell but it wasn't until the 32nd minute that Neddies' forwards mauled up from a lineout and then sent the ball wide to score on an overlap. They converted and the visitors went ahead 17-0. Perth-Bayswater made a rare foray into enemy territory as the half wound down and kicked for a corner lineout. The ball sped scross the field for a try in the corner to wing Nick Wybrow.

Wing Nick Wybrow scores

The sideline conversion missed but any hopes of revival faded as Neddies replied immediately when they caught high ball from a wayward clearing kick and ran up, handing out to the fullback for his second try, close to the posts. It was converted and Neddies went straight back on attack from the kick off, shooting through indifferent defence to score beside the posts. The conversion took the visitors to a 31-5 lead at half time.

Perth-Bayswater worked hard to open the second spell and put in ten minutes of solid but uninspiring attack before Neddies kicked clear, stole Perth's lineout and swept across field to break down the blindside from a wide ruck and score in the corner. The try was converted from the sideline and Neddies took a 38-5 lead after 12 minutes. Minutes later Nedlands were in again, pushing downfield from a penalty and swinging the ball wide for a 30 metre sideline sprint. A perfect sideline conversion followed as all of Perth's hard work of recent weeks was swallowed by a horribly familiar Royal Blue avalanche at 45-5. Worse was to come as Perth lost captain and lock Kereopa Pirikahu to the sin bin after taking out a player in the air, and the Nedlands fullback grabbed his hat trick try when he scored in the same corner from another enterprising attack. Neddies slotted another sideline conversion to hit the half century after 20 minutes. Perth kept battling away to stem the tide but with little joy in the set pieces and limited penetration in attack they were forced to scramble and scrap for every bit of ball. Neddies ran from everywhere and broke through confused defence over the half way line to draw the last defender and hand on for a try under the bar. They converted the sitter to lead 59-5 with ten minutes to play.

Nedlands were relentless and finished off another wave of attack that had the defence grasping at air, touching down beside the posts. They added the extras as the score mounted towards the embarrasing at 64-5. Returned to the field, Pirikahu read his troops the riot act behind the goal line and they responded by tearing into the kick off and charging for the corner where experienced reserve prop Ash Murphy claimed the try. Reserve flyhalf Ethan Reed converted from out wide for a speck of respectability at 64-12 with five minutes on the clock. Perth forged back on attack and thumped away at Neddies' line but Neddies kicked clear and moved play back downfield for a final try beside the posts, and converted the sitter for a 71-12 win as the ref blew full time several movements later.

In other games the news was little better. Seconds lost to Nedlands 61-5, thirds lost to Nedlands 51-7, fourths lost to Nedlands 29-15, under 20s lost to Nedlands 29-20 and under 18s had the bye.