Former Young Cherry Picker Trent Casey used his experience out of Dummy Half to help the Brahmans get the biscuits against the UC Grizzlies.
The Jersey Girls had it all in front of them after their narrow loss to the Roverettes last Saturday, however the girls are performing with a little more confidence, in fact a lot more confidence. Nevertheless the girls were to take on the UC Grissleys who were two places above them on the ladder last Saturday and Leish Stephens set the tone for the game with a try next to the sticks in the first 90 seconds. Hannah Phillis added the extras for the 6-0 lead.
Cherrae Smith led her girls admirably and the Jersey Girls repelled every attack for the next 20 minutes. Marnie Pack again provided fabulous direction throughout with her passing game and some stoic defence. Cara Phillis was back from a bad knee injury and added some starch to the girl’s attack but they repelled raid after raid and when it was their turn they took themselves right up to the UC line. So the girls went for oranges leading 6-0 after great performances by Cherrae Smith and Leish Stephens and a very, very tight defence through the first half. Normally this type of defence brings on a lot of penalties but they only lost the count 5/4 against in this game.
The Jersey Girls took the field again for the final stanza and their defence was telling with silly mistakes by the opposition. In the eighth minute Georgia Kelleher made them pay with another try for Binalong, Phillis narrowly missed the conversion but the girls were up 10-0. Lucy Hammond led the charge on many drives by the girls and Coco Adam was always in support.
Disaster struck with a quarter of the game to go when UC scored and converted to trail 10-6. But the girls kept up their tight defence and great running by Coco Adam, Cara Phillis and sister Taylah for the Jersey girls first 2019 win 10-6. Jersey Girls Captain Cherrae Smith led her girls to the first win of 2019. Nevertheless, The Brahmans were in a better position on the ladder in fifth place with a differential of -22 against the UC at -122 and Boorowa having to face off with the North Canberra Bears, maybe a chance to edge up towards Boorowa on the leader board?
The men started their match against UC in less than ideal fashion by allowing a converted try in the eighth minute to trail 0-6. A poor start for certain, and to add insult to injury with the Brahmans pressing home an attack, a Grisslie centre took an intercept wide on the right and sprinted 70 metres towards the Brahman’s try line, only to be rounded-up by a very gallant Jake Arabin who had a stellar game throughout. A few wild passes were hurting the Waldren Construction Brahmans but prop Dylan Downey was righting the ship with his trademark runs. Anyway it was winger Kobi Bradshaw who got Binalong on the board with an edge try, which he failed to convert, it was a bad day for the usually accurate Bradshaw who missed all his conversions.
The Brahman’s team composition is now very good with lock Boyton, Lloyd Lucas at half, Adam in the number 6 and Lalliard at the back in the number 1. In the closing stages of the half, Pete Adam crossed with minutes to go without conversion and almost immediately Lloyd Lucas followed with his unconverted try and the boys went for the break leading 12-6. With a very mild easterly breeze in their faces and a more pleasant 15 deg C climate, the Brahmans took the ball from the restart. And it took just seven minutes for James Blair to slash his way through defenders to cross the chalk for the 16-6 lead. The home side were now well in control of the match when Jeff Brown outnumbered the opposition’s left defence and grabbed a try.
At this point Bradshaw relinquished the kicking duties to Pete Adam who also failed to convert the Brown try. However, with 20-6 lead the bench introduced a new dummy half in Tim Crellin and with immediate impact. Crellin scored in the 18th minute from dummy-half and Pete Adam converted for a lead of 26-6. However the visitors responded with a try of their own to trail 26-12 with eight minutes remaining and that’s largely how the game closed down. A very encouraging win and a break for the long week end and an away game at Bungendore on Saturday 15th June.
The following Saturday the Brahmans play Harden Hawks at home. Out of six tries scored only one was converted which robbed the hosts of a possible ten extras. The penalties wen heavily against Binalong by 7-10. Binalong 26 def UC Grissleys 12. Tries: Bradshaw, Adam, Lucas, Blair, Brown and Crellin. Goals: P.Adam (1). bos Indicus.
