From The Sideline - It's Grand Final Time.....Go 2nd Grade.
The preliminary (elimination) finals in all five competitions of Far North Coast Rugby were successfully completed at Ballina Seagulls last Saturday in perfect spring conditions. Our girls took on Lismore with the winners progressing to next week’s grand final and the losers to drown their sorrows over a few schooners. Lismore had recorded two last gasp victories over our girls during the preliminary rounds.
The first half featured fast attacking rugby by both teams, matched by solid and at times desperate defence. Lismore scored in the third minute after two crisp backline forays, and Ballina responded from a quick tap penalty, with Jadha King showing change of pace, a great step and juggling skills to open up the Lismore defence scoring under the sticks. The conversion gave Ballina a 7-5 lead. Promising attack from both sides was halted by good defence until Lismore finally broke through in the shadows of half time, going to the break ahead 10-7.
Ballina took advantage of a tap penalty with great teamwork and pace from try scorer Illarah Roberts, giving Ballina a 12-10 lead in the fourth minute of the second half. In the eighth minute Lismore were in after nine phases, the try converted from wide out and again in a seesawing match took a 17-12 lead. Our defensive effort took toll, allowing Lismore to run in two late tries for a deserved 27-12 victory. Rob Walker who hasn’t aged a day in 30 years of FNC refereeing and as head of Woodburn Evans Head K-12 had an excellent game in charge, helping the match to flow freely with his constructive and educational attitude.
I scrolled through the first grade match on Clutch won convincingly by Wollongbar and noted the strength of both the Range and Casuarina packs in the reserve grade match which resulted in a narrow 20-18 victory to Richmond Range. They come up against our lads in the grand final next week in a match I feel will be as close as a coin landing on it’s edge after being tossed. I’ll tune in at 5am from Camelot Castle Tintagel for what will be a torrid affair………Get out to Seagulls and get the boys home!
I headed off to the Oval for the first day’s play in the test yesterday……….the Poms having much the better of the day in a match reduced to three days due to rain and respect to the passing of ER II. Today’s highlight Crystal Palace v Man U at Selhurst Park also postponed as the nation comes to terms with it’s loss.
Check out Shawrie’s snaps on tour.
