Cross Country Chess Soccer Rugby

one sub and high humidity in Sydney, fatigue and fitness were going to be important. The boys started well and followed the instructions of putting the opponents under pressure. Tyler and Josh at full back chased their wingers tirelessly and prevented many attacks from succeeding. Ruben was wall-like in goal in the first half. Iliya, Asher and Ashton were relentless in midfield. We are still trying to learn our positions and we were occasionally caught out by our inexperience. Pius had several very skilful and tall players who proved too much for us to handle, but pleasingly their goals were created by their skill not by our mistakes. It was also good to see us create some chances in their penalty area after some good pressure for Asher and Ashton. Their defence was vulnerable. With Ruben swapping positions with Toby at half time, we continued to doggedly fight. Bill ran himself to a standstill and retained the composure to pass accurately when he got the ball. Justin, Noah and Seb worked hard and tackled well in midfield and Tennerson hounded their defence. It was a just reward when Iliya played through in our own half and sprinted towards their goal before finishing with a nice shot. Our first goal in the competition. Whilst we lost, I was so proud of the attitude of the players, the support for the others and the effort that they displayed. Bring on Pats.

Rugby

Team: Stannies 1st XV

Coach: Mr Shane Thurston Opponent: Barker College 1st XV Date: 24 April 2021 Result: Loss 45 – 5 Best Back: Garang Diing Best Forward: Jacob Smith Barker again provided us with a very tough fixture on Saturday. Unfortunately, the final scoreboard does not reflect how close the contest was, on the field, or how well the team played. The first half was very close with both teams having almost an equal amount of possession. We managed to control the ball well throughout the early stages of the half but unfortunately were unable to build enough pressure to put Barker in any real trouble. As a team, we will need to improve our ability to get across the advantage line and not give away silly penalties. Unfortunately, it was our mistakes in the first half that led to Barker’s two tries. An overthrown lineout and a scrum win against the feed allowed Barker to lead 12 nil at half time. The second half started in much the same fashion as the first. I was very pleased with how the players defended, maintained possession and scrambled when Barker made a break and played for each other. It was fantastic to see the defensive pressure we were applying, force a mistake that allowed Garang to toe the ball through, recover, beat two defenders and score under the posts seven minutes into the half. With just over 15 minutes remaining in the game, we were right in the contest at 17 – 5. Despite the final scoreline, there were still many positives to come out of the game. The ball movement in the forwards between Hayden Maher, Jacob Smith and Dylan Challita. The defensive efforts of Jack Dawson, Angus Butcher and Emmett Miller. The ball carries by Jack Morrison, the attacking speed of Harvey Thurston and Bede Smeallie and the elusiveness of Garang Diing. I am sure that the players will be better for the experience and we will look to move forward from this result.

Team: Stannies 2nd XV

Coach: Mr Simon Anderson Opponent: Barker College 3rd’s Date: 24 April 2021 Result: 20-5 Best Back: Jimmy Newman Best Forward: Tyler Sharwood The game was played at a high tempo and both teams changed possession in the first quarter. A small error during this period allowed Barker to score a try and the 2nds were on the back foot. The team needed to work hard to re-establish themselves and kept resilient under pressure. They absorbed the pressure from a good attacking onslaught made by Barker. Eventually, the Stannies team managed to get a breakthrough and Will Brown scored. Other tries followed by Harrison Corke, Tyler Sharwood and Paddy Lowe. The team showed patience during the game when defending and most of these tries were team tries. The opposition opted for uncontested scrums, which meant some of the scrummaging and the physicality was reduced. Overall the team played well and the next few games will be exciting to see how they develop.

Team: Stannies 3rd XV

Coach: Mr Paul McDonald Opponent: Barker 5th XV Date: 24 April 2021 Best Forward: Ewen Wilkinson Best Back: Cooper Brien Score: Win 33 - 5 Try Scorers: Jesse Whitfeld, Ethan Comerford, Hamish Lang, Cooper Brien, Ethan Smith. Goals: Will Poole 4/5 The boys played extremely well this week and will continue to improve when they believe in their ability and not be tentative when getting involved. Improvement will also come with match fitness and extra work at training as when the player’s fatigue they move away from the plan and the errors creep in. This is what we need to work on as a team. Everything else about our game is extremely positive. The forwards played with width and supported each other well. With basic movements, the backline line was fluid and advanced well up the field keeping the opposition under pressure. The players are progressing well and I’m confident we are moving in the right direction in this trial period in preparation for the start of the ISA trial competition.

Team: Stannies 3rd XV

Coach: Mr Paul McDonald Opponent: Sydney Grammar School Date: 1 May 2021 Result: Win 21-7 Best Forward: Bill Statham Best Back: Jack Lynch Try Scorers: Hamish Lang, Jack Lynch, James Champion Goals: Will Poole 3/3. The 3rds continue to show enthusiasm each week and this, plus some individual efforts, got the team a solid victory this weekend. The scramble defence nearly kept a bigger opposition scoreless with Grammar scoring their only try in the dying minutes. Our backline continues to cause trouble for the opposition and it is pleasing to see the patience they have in letting the forwards do their job and then taking advantage of the situation. With the team’s fitness improving I am sure that the boys will continue to improve in the coming weeks.

Team: Stannies 16A

Coaches: Mr Mark Elliott, Mr Brendan Kleinschafer, Mr Shane Thurston Opponent: Sydney Grammar School 16As Date: 1 May 2021 Result: Win Best Back: Dylan Thurston Best Forward: Will Grant Report by student: James Pucci After a string of unlucky losses, the 16As were looking to bounce back against the strong 16As Sydney Grammar outfit. Stannies won the toss and elected to kick off. The first 15 minutes were spent in Grammar’s 22 and after coming away with no points it was clear that Grammar was well-coached by ex-Waratah and Wallaby superstar Tatafu PolotaNau. Poor discipline and repeated errors let Grammar off the hook and they marched their way down the field. A wayward kick from Stannies late in the half found the Grammar winger who streaked away 60m downfield for the first score of the match. Sydney Grammar had all the momentum and found themselves camped in Stannies half. On the stroke of halftime, the Stannies men were spent and following

a number of pick and drive phases the Stannies defensive wall was cracked and Grammar plunged over for their second try of the match. A spray from the coaches and encouragement from senior students at half time was just what the team needed. Stannies came out firing and just as Grammar did in the first half, marched their way down the field through the barnstorming runs of Ethan Dawson, Will Taylor and Manny Achmar. Controlled instructions from James Pucci and eyes-up play as always from Angus Smith led to Stannies first try of the match through hard running and robust outside centre Dylan Thurston. A perfectly struck sideline drop goal from Will Grant saw the cheers from the Stannies faithful in the crowd lift but the best from Will was yet to come. Throughout the second half, Isaac Barrett was a pest in defence and Charlie Ferguson made sure no tackles were left missed while Cohan Lorusso provided slick hands and deathly touches in attack. In addition, Connor Wilkin was at his clinical best through his exceptional breakdown work and never give up attitude. Grammar once more gained some momentum but was shut down through Arthur Locke’s and Hunter Carter’s bone-rattling tackles. Sam Clark showed why size doesn’t matter through his continuous tackle busting, lethal step and brick wall defence. Hard running and drawing of defence saw Nelson Dusan set up Stannies next try in the corner. Will Grant once again stepped up to take the conversion and he was cool calm and collected as he split the uprights in two. With the scores tied at 14 all and eight minutes remaining on the clock Stannies were on the attack. After a few fatigued Grammar players gave away multiple penalties, Stannies found themselves right in Grammar’s territory with only four minutes to play. Another silly penalty five in from touch gave Stannies an opportunity to grab their first win of the season. Shouts from the crowd urged Stannies to take the three but Stannies looked to their well-rehearsed lineout set play - the driving maul. A clean throw and catch brought the maul to life and as the ball made its way to the back it found Stannies new recruit Jack Farrow who dived over the line to give Stannies the lead with two minutes remaining. The game wasn’t over yet but Stannies fitness prevailed and held on through their lastditch defence to keep Grammar scoreless in the second half and clinch their first win of the 2021 season.

Team: Stannies 16B

Coach: Mr Joe Pucci Opponent: Barker College 16Bs Date: 24 April 2021 Result: Win Best Forward: Jonothan Bartlett Best Back: Sam Clark The Mighty 16Bs took to the field for the first time as a team for 2021 with much enthusiasm and nervousness. The team were dominant from the start applying great ruck work and line speed in defence. The forwards were well led by Jono Bartlett who played the entire game and dominated the line outs. Mitchell Sullivan, Josh Dargin-Carr, Josh Whitley and Iggy Adamson were the complete package in the middle of the ground taking control of the defence and laying a great platform for the backline to attack. Liam Cain played an outstanding game at hooker and was well supported by the experience of Jack Nunan in the front row. Jack Farrow played his first game for the College and slotted straight into the fold. Brody Patterson and Trevor Martin played in the Stannies hoops for the first time and despite some early nerves did not look out of place. The backline was well instructed under Captain Angus Lang who provided a clean ball to fly-half, Tom Gray. Angus and Tom proved to be a valuable combination for the Mighty 16Bs and Barker had no reply. Hunter Carter and Sam Clark utilised their rugby league background and combined well to put on a classy display of ball skill and legs tackles. Thomas Collins proved that there is more than one “Lithgow Flash” to hail from out of the bottom of the mountains. His pace to chase down a kick through led to a great try. Will Patterson and Jack Heffernan were clinical in their positional work out the back with great supporting runs that were the icing on the cake for the attacking plays. The Mighty 16Bs ran out with the win in the end and are looking forward to their next opponent, Sydney Grammar School.

Team: Stannies 16B

Coach: Mr Joe Pucci Opposition: Sydney Grammar School 16Bs Date: 1 May 2021 Result: Win Best Forward: Liam Cain Best Back: Will Patterson The Mighty 16Bs walked onto the “green carpet” of the Sydney Grammar School paddock a little light on troops, with only 14 men to go into battle. The backline had the challenge of defending with one less player in the line and one less in the attack. A positional switch saw Mitchell Sullivan line up at outside centre and it proved to be the difference early on. Mitchell was very vocal in calling the shots out wide and his slick ball skills set up the first try for the blue and white hoops. Trevor Martin played well on the wing and his defensive presence led to many mistakes from his opposite number. Tom Gray and Angus Lang are building a great combination. Both were instrumental in taking on the line and switching play to keep the Grammar side guessing. Will Patterson was outstanding at fullback. His attack was continuous and he proved the difference on many occasions as our last line of the defence. Will has great game awareness and is always in the right place at the right time. The “Lithgow Flash” was at it again, Tom Collins brought his dancing feet to Grammar and stepped his way through their backline to keep the score ticking over. The forward pack was down on personnel this week too and the men had to play long minutes. Josh Dargin-Carr was impressive in the defensive line and his offloading skills were mesmerising. Unfortunately, an injury early in the second half had him sidelined for the rest of the game. Jonothan Bartlett, Jack Farrow, Josh Whitley and Charlie Ferguson were the go forward all day for the blue and white hoops. In hot and humid conditions, the Tuesday fitness sessions are proving beneficial with the forwards finishing much stronger than the opposition. Jarvis Ullrich and Brody Patterson were outstanding in the front row. Both these young men are new to the game and have stepped right up! They continue to impress with their positive mindset and commitment to understanding their role, which is now showing on the field. Liam Cain took on the leadership role in the front row with the missing troops. Liam worked tirelessly all day and did not give up and proved the difference between the two sides and the scoreboard. The Mighty 16Bs continue to grow as a unit and their attitude to be there for each other defines our rugby history and the sense of pride in the hoops, which Stannies has embraced for over a century. Go the Mighty 16Bs.

Team: Stannies 15A

Coach: Mr Darren Culnane Opponent: Barker College 15A Date: 24 April 2021 Result: Win 14 - 10 Best Backs: Valin Kennedy, Angus Tremain, Carter Langfield Best Forwards: Josh Chalker, Hamish Scott, Jonah Tulevu Try Scorers: Valin Kennedy (2) Goals: Carter Langfield (2) This week’s game against Barker was a close and tough match highlighted by effective defence and some great attacking play from our outside backs. Our forwards started the game well with a number of strong runs through the centre channel by Josh Chalker, Tom Martin, Jacob Hill and Hamish Scott. Jonah Tulevu, Mitch England, Fletcher Kelly and Rory Sullivan led the way with some copy-book front on tackling. The back-line showed some great attacking skills and were unlucky not to score on several occasions in the first 10 minutes. Riley Whitfeld, Kohta Mara and Cooper Watters provided great service with their smart attacking play. Angus Tremain, Carter Langfield, Jack O’Hara and Aiden Thurston showed grit and determination in attack and defence throughout the whole game. Our ‘five-star performance’ this week came from Valin Kennedy, who scored two exceptional lengths of the field tries from intercepts. Valin’s excellent anticipation allowed him to score both of his tries untouched under the goalposts. Great work

Valin and to the rest of our squad on this great first-up victory. We now all look forward to our next game against Sydney Grammar School.

Team: Stannies 15B

Coach: Mr Tom Siejka Opponent: Barker College 15C Date: 24 April 2021 Result: Win 48 - 0 Best Backs: Miles Barrett, Seth Norris, Harry Mulligan Best Forwards: Clayton Allen, Thomas Condon, Archer Fish, Jedd Dowling Our game this week against Barker highlighted some great SSC attacking play, power running and ball control. Harry Thorpe set the tone for the match with a strong catch and return straight into the centre of the Barker defence. From this point, our forwards and backs started to dominate and control all facets of the game. Clayton Allen, Tom Condon, Archer Fish and Jedd Dowling all performed well with power runs in the mid-field. Well done to Clayton (five tries) and Tom (two tries). Tom Lynch, Jack Clayton, Tom Best and Jett Robinson were outstanding with their defence. Miles Barrett, Kohta Mara and Seth Norris provided great service with their passing and running plays. This game was a great start to the season for our team. Keep up the great work at training during the week and we can look forward to a repeat of this excellent result.

Team: Stannies 15B

Coach: Mr Tom Siejka Opponent: Sydney Grammar School 15B Date: 1 May 2021 Result: Win 34-12 Best Backs: Miles Barrett, Harry Mulligan, Wil Blatch Best Forwards: Jedd Dowling, Jett Robinson The SSC 15Bs had a hard fought win over a strong Sydney Grammar B team. An early try to Riley Whitfeld got our side on the front foot, using a crafty piece of deception to score from the ruck. Sydney Grammar not long after answered back until Thomas Lynch got on the score sheet with a strong run to crash through the defence and give us a solid lead heading into the half. The boys were outstanding in the second half, holding out a barrage of attack with excellent defence and scoring points on a tired opposition. With little substitutes on the bench, many of the boys played out of their usual position and each handled this challenge remarkably well. Stand outs in an excellent team performance were Miles Barrett, Jedd Dowling, Jett Robinson, Harry Mulligan and Wil Blatch.

Team: Stannies 14A

Coach: Mr Ben O’Mally Opponent: Barker College Date: 24 April 2021 Result: Loss 14-19 Best Back: Daniel Vaotangi Best Forward: Ryan Maher The opening game for the season saw the U14s travel to St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown to play Barker College. The opening half provided some quite structured rugby with the forward pack showing domination around the ruck. Will Ringland displayed consistency within his role of lineout thrower and getting down and dirty with defence. Ryan Maher performed very strongly in the lineout and through general play, whilst David Noonan and Jack Garlick provided sound support for the forward pack. Captain Hugo O’Mally was influential with his solid defence, as was No 8 Baxter Cook. Front rowers Sam Patterson and Riley Williams provided the punch to get over the advantage line to set the platform for the backs. Ned Jaimeson was sound at halfback, providing some clean ball to his 5/8th James McIntosh. Riley Williams crossed over for the first try of the season in the 18th minute with a 40m dash down the blindside to beat a couple of cover defence. Charlie Culnane converted for a 7-0 lead. Barker soon hit back in the 22nd minute through the poor defence in the backline on the right-hand edge. Daniel Vaotangi, the best of the backs, pulled off a desperate cover tackle but the attacking opponent just got to the line, score 7-7. With some positional changes for the second half, the emphasis of the half time break was the importance of keeping our structure, following the game plan of field possession and making one on one tackles. The opening stanza of the second half was quite positive. Daniel Vaotangi, unfortunately, had to leave the field through injury. He was up to that point, exceptional in every aspect of his game. Gilby Glawson found an opportunity at halfback to put up a box kick from half-back to which Zac Shannon followed through on the chase to claim the ball and cross over untouched. Culnane converted the try for 14-7. Disappointingly, Barker hit back two minutes later from a simple error, to tie the game up at 14-14. Zac Johns and Ben Noonan will be better for the run, gaining some valuable experience against a quality side. Max McGregor and Knox Gibson were solid in defence when given the opportunities. Unforced errors, missed tackles and a little lost continuity due to the positional changes saw Barker capitalise their field position to score again with the final result 14-19 Barkers way. Congratulations to all of the boys involved. Daniel Vaotangi was voted Players Player and Best and Fairest.

Team: Stannies 14A

Coach: Mr Ben O’Mally Opponent: Sydney Grammar School Date: 1 May 2021 Result: Win 60-0 Best Back: Zac Shannon Best Forward: Riley Williams An early morning rise again with a trip to Grammar in the heart of the city. Arriving at the grounds around 10.30am allowed the boys to watch some rugby, relax and mentally prepare themselves for their dual against the Under 14 Grammar side. A beautiful day for rugby with some ‘kick’ in the sun, it was important that we increased our fluid intake, went through a lighter warm-up period and switched the light on. Hugo O’Mally as Captain introduced himself to the Referee. To our disappointment, the Ref proceeded to announce no-contest scrums. The first half commenced with a miraculous catch from Knox Gibson to secure possession. The opening stanza displayed a willingness from the forward pack to set the benchmark for the game which allowed the backs to capitalise on the space created out wide. Rowan Kemp converted this great start with a try on the left flank out wide through simple hands, draw and pass, 5-0. Seven minutes later, flanker Jack Garlick was rewarded with a try after his hard work in defence and security around the ruck, moving to 10-0. Further tries came to Charlie Culnane, Zac Johns and Zac Shannon through the backline in the 15th, 17th and 23rd minutes respectively. This was due to the forwards penetrating the advantage line, securing the ball for continual reload of phase ball which created space and overlaps for the backs. Riley Williams was a wrecking ball through the middle, gaining a good 20 metres plus, every touch. Sam Patterson was devilish in his attack and defence. Will Ringland was very precise with his lineout throws and tight work amongst the pack. Second rowers Baxter Cook and Ryan Maher continued to impress in their role as locks with Maher excellent at heights in the lineout. Flankers, Knox Gibson and Jack Garlick, were terriers on the ball with Captain Hugo providing direction and leadership in order to get his team in a commanding position at half time, with a score of 39-0. The half time break applauded the efforts in both attack and defence and emphasised the importance of ball security, body height and defence. Some errors in the first half were on the back of poorer body height to which we needed to be conscious of. The second half produced very similar patterns of play. Sticking to the game plan with energy and commitment, Stannies ran in another five tries at the 3rd, 12th, 16th, 18th and 25th minute. Max McGregor was solid in his defence on the right flank but did not see many attacking opportunities come his way. Patterson was well rewarded with his try, belting the defence through the middle. James McIntosh supported his Captain off a scrum move to cross over the line. Centres, Culnane and Johns, crossed for their double with fullback Zac Shannon very

pretty to watch in full flight, counter-attacking to get his double also. Mercy Rule was enforced by the Referee once Stannies hit 50 which resulted in an early rest for Riley Williams. Culnane had an unusual day with the conversion, kicking 3/7 with Cook and O’Mally successful with 1/1 conversion each. Massive raps to halfback Gilby Glawson who was persistent in his service to the backs whilst always looking for his opportunities to take the advantage to sneak through the defence. What looked like a try to Gilby was disallowed due to a cover tackle from the defending team to knock the ball loose as Gilby dove over the try line. A very satisfying result of 60-0. In particular due to the fact that we implemented, through our preparation, what we wanted to achieve. Next week the team plays The Scots College Sydney, who we believe will provide a stronger defensive and attacking unit... we must be prepared!

Team: Stannies 14B

Coach: Mr James King Opponent: Sydney Grammar School 14B Date: 1 May 2021 Result: Loss 20 – 5 We arrived at the Weigall Sports Ground at Rushcutters Bay with a single goal – to execute our plays with structure. Our previous fixture against Barker College had revealed weaknesses in our ruck and we worked hard during training to develop a sense of urgency around the breakdown. The Grammar side was significantly physically bigger with several players exceeding six foot and this proved to be the distraction that cost us the game. Within the first 10 minutes, the score had blown out to three tries before our SSC boys rallied and started to believe in themselves. With crunching tackles and raw enthusiasm, they contained the forwards of Grammar and started the roll towards their first try of the match with Tom O’Shannessy penetrating the line with a strong burst and running 40m to score under the posts. SSC started the second half the way they ended the first – ON FIRE! The powerhouse efforts of the forwards Corey Vuki, Tully Reimers, Ben Noonan, David Noonan, Andrew Booth and Bailey Lockery saw brutal punishment unleashed on the Grammar forwards, who never recovered their composure. SSC spent 85 per cent of the second half in SGS territory with over 65% possession and a string of close scoring attempts. Kaleb Cummins had the ball kicked from his hand only centimetres from a try in the corner and Harry Collins, Ned Jamieson, Corey Vuki all held back only inches from the line. Try saving tackles from Peter Felicio, Eric Felicio, Jamie McGuire, Nick Newman and Beau Dunn combined with fantastic communication and leadership around the ruck from Ned Jamieson, James Hewitt and Riley Tait – by far our best performance yet. The intensity with which SSC played the game was evident in the bumps and bruises with zero reserves left at full time. In a true display of the Stannies spirit, George Grover put his hand up to return to the field and play the last 10 minutes with a bruised ankle – true grit! I have a good feeling about the next game against The Scots College, Sydney

Team: Stannies 13A

Coach: Mr Jack English Opponent: Sydney Grammar School 13A Date: 1 May 2021 Result: Win 62-0 Best Back: Harrison O’Rourke Best Forward: Jackson Rodwell The 13As made the trip to Rushcutters Bay on Saturday to take on Sydney Grammar School. The fixture was a new one to our rotation and we knew little of our opponents. We had decided to focus on three things for the match; to get past the ball at the breakdown, to take the ball up with support for ball retention and to maintain our running lines ‘nice and straight’. From the kick off we began to do all of the above, this resulted in 27 phases consecutively prior to the scoring of a try by Jack Mulligan. The conversion was successful and we were off to the perfect start. This continued right through the first half, as we stuck to our structure and this saw us take a half time lead of 38-0. Having now produced six unanswered tries, we were both enjoying and excelling at our rugby and the boys were on a high. The half time mood was great and the discussion hinged around continuing with our game plan and going on with the match. The boys did themselves and the College proud with fantastic solo tries to Harrison O’Rourke and Jackson Rodwell, in addition to a number of well constructed team tries. With a total of 10 tries and six conversions the final score came to 62-0. Tries on the day went to: Jackson Rodwell (5), Jack Mulligan (2), Marlon Hiney (1), Harrison O’Rourke (1) and Darcy Woodham (1). Conversions 6/10 Ethan Kovac. Well done to the 13As on their first of many wins during their time at Stannies! Next week we look forward to taking on the always strong 13As from The Scots College, Bellevue Hill and look forward to another physical hit out.

Team: Stannies 13B

Coach: Miss Isabella Jacobson / Mr David Burke Opponent: Knox Grammar School 13B Date: 24 April 2021 Result: Loss Best Back: Hamish Mitchell Best Forward: Jack Power On a warm Saturday morning the Stannies men took on the might of Knox Grammar 13B team. After a good warm up and some clear instructions the Stannies men took to the field to dip their toes into the frenzy that is Rugby at Stannies. A great support crowd turned up to cheer on the men. Unfortunately, our performance may have not been the most clinical however, it provided plenty of topics to address at training for the week. Control of the ball was our focus and I am certain we will be better in that department next week. Tackling will be another focus area for us as we move forward. The team showed improvement just in the time the match was played for and I have no doubt we will continue to be on a steep but achievable learning curve as we progress over the season. Hamish Mitchell scored a wonderful 20, 30, 40 metre try to open our season’s account and Jack Power was power by name and power by nature, with a very strong performance that saw him named Player’s Player as voted by the boys post match. Thanks to Ms Farrugia and the parents who came along to support the lads.

Team: Stannies 13B

Coach: Miss Isabella Jacobson Opponent: Sydney Grammar School 13B Date: 1 May 2021 Result: Win 57-10 Best Back: Luca Maccullagh Best Forward: Zac Palma The mist cleared as we rolled out of Bathurst for our game on the steamy grounds at Sydney Grammar school. We played 10 a side, giving our Bs boys plenty of room to spread out and show their skills. Luca Maccullagh set the precedent, scoring the first try in the first four minutes of the game. That, along with several instances of notable performance, saw him named Player’s Player. The efforts put in at training proved fruitful as we put into practice the strategic defence tactics that ultimately brought us to victory. I’m confident that as the season goes on we will continue to improve in this area, whilst strengthening our attacking side; hopefully, this is the first of many victories for our mighty Bs side. We had several players prove their athletic abilities, including Zac Palma and Oli New, who contributed favourably to our score and Drew Langfield and Toby Hutchinson who both scored tries and hardly missed a conversion. I am so proud of the efforts and sportsmanship of all of the boys and their willingness to be flexible in their positions. A huge thanks to Mr Burke, the parents and other students for their support.