EASTERN
SUBURBS TIGERS 24
Tries: Brooke Martin 2,
Scott Thorburn, Scott Neilson, John Wilshere
Goals: John Wilshere
Team: 1. Paul Hubbard,
2. Gavin Allan, 3. David Baildon, 4.
Brook Martin, 5. John Wilshere, 6. Scott
Thorburn, 7. Brett McPherson, 16. John
Edmonds, 9. George Gatis, 10. Graham
Cotter, 11. Jeff Doyle (c),
12. Chris Nahi, 13. Daniel Frame Int: 14.
Scott Sipple, 15. Scott Neilson, 8. Matt
Bickerstaff, 17. Wade Liddell. Coach:
Graham Herlihy.
defeated TOOWOOMBA
CLYDESDALES 18
Tries: Chris Walker,
Ashley Harrison, Kirk Reynoldsen
Goals: Jace Van Dijk 3
Team: 1. Adam Warwick,
2. Craig Frawley, 3. Brent Tate, 4. Chris
Walker, 14. Damien Quinn, 6. Dennis
White, 7. Jace Van Dijk, 8. Harvey
Howard, 9. Kerrod Walters, 10. Damon
Keating (c), 11. Carl
Webb, 12. Darren Mapp, 13. Ashley
Harrison Int: 15. Corey Parker, 16. Kirk
Reynoldson, 17. Darren Ingram, 18. Neale
Wyatt. Coach: Ivan
Henjak.
Venue: Langlands Park
Date: Saturday March 4
Referee: Tony Maksoud
Half-time: 12-12 all
The first televised Bundy Gold Cup game
of the year was played at the newly
revamped Langlands Park. Easts have done
a great job on the ground with the out
field looking luscious and green. The
whole ground has been shifted north and a
580 seat grandstand has been erected on
the western side of the playing field.
A great crowd turned out watch the match
between two of the top sides, Easts and
Toowoomba, in the Bundy Gold Cup. Easts
scored a great win against Burleigh, last
week, after having been upset by Central
Qld in the first week. Toowoomba have
been in great nick with an imposing win
over Burleigh and a dealt out a thrashing
to Wests. So, it set up the scene for a
potential close and good game.
Easts got off to a great start with a try
after 4 minutes. Matt Bickerstaff flicked
a ball back to hooker, George Gatis, who
passed the ball to Scott Thorburn, who in
turn fired it to young centre, Brooke
Martin and he ran through a gaping hole
in the Clydesdales' defence to score the
try. John Wilshere failed to convert the
try and Easts led 4-0.
Toowoomba hit back immediately. Toowoomba
received two straight penalties and put
them in great position to attack the
Tigers' line. Promising lock and Broncos
colt, Ashley Harrison, showed great
skills to ran through and put the ball
down over the line. Jace Van Dijk added
the extras and the Clydesdales had
snatched a 6-4 lead.
The Clydesdales scored again minutes
later when 7 try hero from last week,
Chris Walker scored out wide. Ashley
Harrison put a bomb up high and Tigers'
fullback, Paul Hubbard, lost the ball
forcing a line drop out. The forwards
making good inroads into the Tigers' defence. Five metres out from the line,
Toowoomba's Craig Frawley lost the ball
backwards, according to the ref, and the
Clydesdales passed the ball out to Walker
and he scored the try. Try not converted
and Toowoomba skipped out to a 10-4 lead.
The Clydesdales continued to dominate
proceedings but were not able to
capitalize on some great breaks due to
costly errors. Easts received two
straight penalties and John Wilshere
kicked a penalty goal for Easts, after
Toowoomba skipper, Damon Keating, was
ruled to be in a offside position.
Toowoomba 10-6.The two sides had agreed to
a drinks break after 20 minutes, before
the start of the game. The break proved
good for Easts and they came out better
for it.
Easts
eventually grabbed the lead back off
Toowoomba with a second try to Brooke
Martin. The Tigers' won a ball against
the feed, after Wilshere knocked the ball
on at the try line, and Martin scored an
easy try by wrong footing the Clydesdales defence. Wilshere added the extras and
Easts had regained the lead, 12-10.
Toowoomba scored a penalty goal to Van
Dijk due to a infringement in the play the
ball and tied up the score, 12-12. It
stayed that score up til half-time.
Toowoomba had the best of the first 15
minutes in the second half but it was
Easts who scored next. The Tigers
received a penalty and found themselves
in the Clydesdales' half. Several plays
later, Scott Thorburn went through a big gap and touched down to score. Try not
converted but Easts were back in front,
16-12.
Scott Neilson scored the next try for the
Tigers. A Clydesdales error saw the
Tigers gain vital attacking position.
They made good yardage and Neilson forced
his way through the lack lustre defence and scored a try. Wilshere, again, missed
the conversion and the Tigers are seemly
on the way to victory, leading 18-12. The
Clydesdales have had their chances to
score but a ferocious defensive line from
the Tigers forced them into errors.
Easts scored again, minutes later. John
Wilshere broke through and ran away to
score the try in the corner. He didn't
convert the try but Easts had seemly
wrapped up the game with a 12 point lead.
With 10 minutes to go, Toowoomba would
have to score three tries to win the game
or two converted ones to draw the game, a
difficult task to do so. Or was it??
Toowoomba
decided to up the tempo. With the help of
a few friendly penalties, the Clydesdales
piled pressure on the Tigers line. They
eventually cracked the line and Kirk
Reynoldsen scored the try. Jace Van Dijk
scored the goal and Toowoomba were only 6
points away from a miraculous draw. Easts
24-18.
However, the Tigers were not going to be denied a well deserved victory and held
out the Clydesdales in the remaining
minutes of the game. Full time sounded
and Easts had scored a 6 point win at
their newly renovated ground. The
Clydesdales had their chances but were
not able capitalize on them. But, one's
things for sure, both sides are going to
figure in finals calculations, come
August.
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