Asalamu Alaykum Cobbers
Welcome to the truncated match review of a bit of Rd7, as played out on Saturday 6th June 2024, when the Red Men did send but one solitary team north, up the Pacific Highway, down Roseville Chase, and then back up the hill to Melwood Avenue in Forestville. Given the rain had managed to take out most of Sydney side rugby that day, all lower grades were gifted an unexpected day off. And so whilst others headed for parts unknown, it was only our gallant First Grade Kentwell Cup side, with a few resilient supporters, that did sally forth to meet the Jolly Green Giants of Forest.
The previous weekends 22-7 win over Mosman had landed the Red Kenty’s in 4th spot on the ladder, with 3 wins from 6 starts and 14pts. Against that, Forest were thrashing about in 7th (or 2nd last depending on your preference) with 1 win from 5 starts and 6pts and clearly desperate for a win to try and get their season back on track. So, whilst another much needed 5 competition point win was on the cards for the Red Machine, if they could harness themselves accordingly, the green men were certainly not about to let them have it all their own way in the muck and the mire.
In what transpired to be the Forest own Sponsors Day, it was a raucous crowd that greeted the combatants as they took the field. And the Jolly Greens took heart from such support as they promptly skipped out to a 12-0 lead off the back of penalty-enabled field position and possession. However with visions of the recent Lindfield calamity swimming into view, the Red Kenty’s were confident that if they heeded the Refs directions and played as they had trained, things would swing their way. And so it eventually did, with a barnstorming try to the flying Fijian winger Simeli (Max) Salabogi, that unfortunately went unsauced. Soon after though, this was added to by the ever-versatile Zechariah Browden, bagging a pie just to the left of the posts. Ben Halmarick converted the 2nd pie and ‘it was on’ at 12-all at oranges.
For the 2nd half, the plan had been to play in the opposition half, where the ground was wettest. However Forest had other ideas and scored a pie first. But from there they started to implode via 2 yellow cards for repeated backchat. With that sort of invitation, Reuban Brock was happy to accommodate and took Route 1 over a couple of opponents to earn a pie, but again we weren’t having it our own way as the Green Giants shortly took a pie of their own back.
However, in a day ripe for scrummage, cometh the hour and cometh the lads, and so did Botting, Richardson and Vanezi begin to turn the screws upfront and slowly squeeze the life out of the green machine. In-front of an increasingly vocal Red contingent, and despite three tries being apparently ‘held up’ (perhaps those Forest lads displeasure with the Ref had some basis after all?), Alex Wilmore finally smashed over for a pie to himself and Halmarick levelled the scores off the tee. From there Forest did manage to hit back again, for they weren’t taking this lying down, but that seemed only to spur the until-now somewhat dormant Red backline into action, and via a 75metre play that saw Zechariah Browden split through the centres to then find Max out on the wing, that last pie took the wind from the Forest sails. The conversion hit the post, but it mattered not, and the full time whistle sounded for a 29-24 win to the Dirty Reds.
Points went with 1pt split between Alex Wilmore and Max ‘Pieman’ Salabogi, 2pts to Tommy Botting and 3pts to Zech Browden.
Believe it or not, the win lifts the Red Kenty’s to 2nd on table with 4 wins from 7 starts for 19pts. To be realistic, that’s still a long way off 1st placed Blue Mountains who are 7 from 7 on 33pts, and we must appreciate that there a re a lot of games in-hand among other clubs due to rain interruption. However the table is as it is and our mob are no2, so congratulations for that. All that said, the coming weekend is traditionally one of our toughest all year – Colleagues at Colleagues. The Blue Giants (really?) went down to Lindfield 16-0 last week and are having a shocker of a season with 1 win from 5 starts for 5pts. But again, it’s Colleagues at Colleagues. So this will be no easy match. And thus it’s boots on, mouthguards in, and heads on straight to do what must be done.
For the rest of us, well now we have a make-up game to play, just like everyone else.
Boire le vin.
Nutta.