Round 17 Wrap-up

The image may be from the last time we played at the Pigeon’s Nest, but what can I say? i just loving looking at it…

The Club enters Round 17 in Premier Grade on the back of a pair of frustrating losses looking to arrest the momentum shift away to Cottesloe at Harvey Field. In typical Cottesloe style, the Coastal Pigeons have flexed their chequebook, bringing a number of new players into their squad including recent Western Force discard Brynard Stander.  In other games our Third Grade boys look to keep their season alive in a must-win encounter with Cottesloe’s Third Reserve Grade, whilst our Reserves take on Cott’s Reserves Thirds (although I’m sure all sides were picked purely on merit and not with an eye on keeping their Third Grade season alive by stacking Third Grade… 😐).  Away from the Pigeon’s Nest our girls are lining up for their final hit-out of the year vs Southern Lions, in an ATA Community Grade carnival at Palmyra, and it is here where we will pick up the action.

The final game of the season saw our Baysie Ladies take on Southern Lions at the ATA woman’s carnival in Palmyra. A wet and windy day meant the forwards used 110% of their strength and ability to carry the ball. With Naomi and Eve each taking massive hits. The fast offloads and amazing fends enabled Bridget to score a hattrick! It was a close and highly entertaining game; with both teams going try for try until the final minutes. Unfortunately, Southern Lions pulled away at the death running out winners 24-15. Player of the Day was shared by Bridget and Tia. This season saw the re-formation of a women’s team at Baysie, after an absence of many years. Over the course of the year, we grew from individuals who couldn’t even catch a ball, to a united team who support and play for each other. The ladies spent an enormous amount of time focusing on their pod structure and game plays, which really showed on the field in the latter half of the season. We cannot wait to see them all out on the field next year! Special mention and a thank you to the club president, Darrell for the ongoing support not only at the games but throughout the year. To the club, thank you for providing us the platform to succeed and the uniform that was the talk of the town! Shout out to momager Andrea, coach Drew, and assistant coaches Badger and Rob for putting up with the gossip, tears, and drama throughout the season, on and off the field. To Number 23, our mascot Breanna, thank you for running our water, sharing our lollies, and getting stuck in at training. We will miss you all in the off season. We look forward to the celebration of ladies day and the return of the Baysie Ladies including the crocs next season💕

In Premier Grade, our boys turned out at Harvey Field braving the torrential rain, gale-force winds and a mud pit that would give Nedlands and Soaks a run for their money for “worst surface in the comp”. Despite the gloomy skies our boys started brightly, with an early penalty providing us the opportunity to find touch 5m out from Cottesloe’s line. A sneaky low throw to Joe at the front with no lift caught the Pigeons off-guard and we were able to control the maul and drive over the line for a 3^rd minute Dante Tatafu try.  Unfortunately, just as Otu commenced his approach for the conversion the ball was blown off the tee, forcing him to try and regather and fire off a quick drop-kick from out wide under pressure. He made poor contact and the conversion was missed, 5-0 to Baysie. Poor handling and poor discipline invited Cottesloe into our half and provided them an opportunity to hit back and they did so in the 15^th minute through Centre Gregory Jackson on the back of a rolling maul close to the line. The missed conversion leaving the scores tied at 5-5.  We were going try-for-try, and true to the pattern we were next to score, the opportunity again coming from a penalty allowing us to advance up field and apply some pressure inside Cottesloe’s 22m. With clean ruck ball in front of the posts 10m out Victor’s quick movement to the left put him outside Scrum Half Phoenix Hunt’s outside shoulder, and a nice ball out in front from Issak allowed him to hit the gap at pace and scythe over for the try. With the wind still wreaking havoc for goal kickers, Otu was unable to add the extras, 10-5 with 24 minutes played. Cottesloe levelled the scores in the 40^th minute, again capitalizing on our ill-discipline. Despite the half being all but over, we did find ourselves under serious pressure once more before it was time for oranges. Otu’s re-start was caught by the wind and carried over the sideline on the full. From the resulting scrum on halfway Cottesloe worked the ball to the 22m, with the referee then spotting a seat-belt high tackle near the touch-line. From the resulting penalty and lineout Cottesloe looked to drive over, but their drive was stifled, illegally by Niko joining from the side in the eyes of the referee. Cottesloe go to the line out again, and again penalize us (free kick only this time??) for Nuku joining from the side, but issues him a yellow card. From the free kick Cottesloe call for a scrum, and then earn another penalty for Niko not pushing straight. They call for another scrum and win the penalty again. After calling for a third scrum the ball comes out and the halfback is told to use it, under pressure form Matt and Issak he loses the ball forward, and it finally brings the half to a close at 10-10.

Unfortunately, this week our famed second half finish did not eventuate. In past rounds (including our prior encounter with Cottesloe at this very ground), we would steamroll over teams late, through our better conditioning and work rate. However, running against the wind, on a sodden track, and having to play 90% of the second half in our half of the field without the ball, we just didn’t have enough left in the tank this week. When we did finally get our hands on the ball all too often we would make a mistake and hand it back. When we did get some field position our discipline would see them piggy-backed up field with a penalty. We did manage to hit the lead in the 49^th minute when Aidan managed to pop up in the right place at the right time and snaffle an intercept and run it in unopposed from just inside the Cottesloe 22m. Aidan’s try cancelled out Thomas Hume’s 47^th minute try for Cottesloe to open the scoring for the half, and Otu’s conversion put us 17-15 ahead. We held this lead until around the hour mark, when the Coastal Pigeon’s scored their 3^rd try of the afternoon off a rolling maul (they may as well have played the 80 minutes with the ball up their jumper…). Gio Leituala added the extras to give Cottesloe a 5-point lead, 17-22. The Pigeons sealed the result with their final try of the game with around 10 minutes left to play. Rugby can be a cruel game sometimes. Just when it looked like we might finally have some momentum, on the back of a solid scrum win, and a line break from Otu taking the ball from the 22m to the 10m line, we find ourselves defending out line again… After Otu is tackled Issak tries to play a low box kick to the corner to get us some field position, only to see his kick charged down by giant Pigeon Hugh Huppatz, who appeared to be well in front of the last feet and in an offside position, what did I say about it being a cruel game… The Coastal Pigeons are straight onto the loose ball like a discarded hot chip, and we are under pressure again in our 22m. A few phases later Western Force discard Brynard Stander crashes over next to the posts… Darkness 29, the Light 17.

In the final stages we mount one final charge, trying to find the try that will rescue us two very handy Bonus Points, but it’s just not meant to be today. We have a penalty advantage, but we kick the ball away recklessly whilst on attack in the 22m. We come all the way back to the 10m line for the penalty. However, the penalty never comes… Matty has been injured in a ruck cleanout and has a suspected spinal injury (he is OK now, for anyone worried), and the game is unfotunately (but necessarily) abandoned as we wait for an ambulance to arrive. Like Wests the week before it is a game that we deserved to get something out of and didn’t. The effort was there from the boys for the whole 80 minutes, but we let ourselves down in a few key areas and today it was our undoing.

I said in the lead-up that I believed that if we turned up and played our best rugby that we would beat them, and I stand by that call 100%. We weren’t off by much, but it was enough to miss out today. On the flip side, and frustratingly, I didn’t see anything from those bloody Pigeons today to suggest they are a better side than us, So if we face them again come finals I still have supreme faith that we will beat them.

Sometimes it’s hard to swallow when the bounce of the ball doesn’t go our way, we get a few dodgy calls, or inexplicitly the “bad guys” get one over the “good guys”. Evidentally good doesn’t always win over evil but that’s OK, because if it did it wouldn’t mean as much. Winning the big games always tastes sweeter when you can remember the bitter losses. So it is with that bitter taste in you mouth boys that I ask you to go out there on Saturday and give it all you have to triumph over ‘Soaks, and we’ll do our best on the sidelines to cheer you on home! BAYSIE HARD!!

In other results, Third Grade’s finals aspirations come to a grinding halt against a stacked Cottesloe Reserve Third Grade. In a tight contest in atrocious conditions, it was the luck of a bouncing oval ball that gave Cottesloe the only try of the match and with it an underserved 3-13 victory. Whilst in Reserve Grade, our boys played one of their finest games of the season running out dominant and very deserving winners 15-0. Paula Folau had his finest game in a Baysie jersey controlling the game and mastering the conditions with his cannon of a boot and scoring a well-deserved! Great game boys!!

For anyone that can make it down to the game on Saturday at the Numbat Burrow at Pat O’Hara, make sure you’re there to show your appreciation to Thirds and Reserves for their efforts this year, and to cheer our Premier Grade boys onto a famous victory and a place in the FMG Premier Grade Semi Finals. If you can’t make it in person tune into the live Stan Sport broadcast.

Lessgo Black!!!