Monday's Musings

(Credit, John Richardson)

Warriors Answer the Call

CW Premiers started in a lively fashion on Saturday.  The Pride responded with a hefty “Garryowen” which was mishandled and so, it was ten minutes of “Even-Steven” that ensued.  Consecutive touch finders from Bowd ended with a good lineout drive at seven minutes and Kehoe(?) opened the scoring for CW.  CW got themselves in hot water with referee, Turner, incurring three penalties at the ruck.  It was from a subsequent ruck that the Pride’s #9, Buie broke and offered a cheeky dummy to go over untouched at fourteen minutes, 7 – 5 Visitors.  Next it was CW’s Hager who threatened and after five recycles the Tricolor was “held up”. The Pride accepted this let-off and, aided by CW penalties and a raking touch-finder, put the Hosts under the cosh.  At the quarter mark CW was carded for repetitive infringements or was it an elbow that Turner motioned?

This could have been a turning point, in that the defensive resolve stiffened.  Hager pegged three deep punts, the last of which found touch and it was Pyke who burst out of the drive to put CW ahead 12 – 7.  Ne’er-the-less, good incursions by the Pride eventually saw the ball moved wide through the hands and a break from Roy, a “miss” pass to winger, Blundell, who cut inside, evaded a tackle and the lead was regained, 14 – 12 at twenty-seven minutes.  This man looked to repeat however he was beaten by a fortuitous bounce for CW and a 22m restart resulted.  CW seemed buoyed and a sixty-meter foray with McKenzie, Nott and Hager prominant threatened, however no reward resulted.  From a subsequent penalty and a superior scrum shunt which splintered the Pride, Nott (#8), picked up for the tally and 19 – 14 half-time lead.  Hats off to Hager who replaced the transgressor, and his long gainers allowed no advantage from the card.

The Pride opened the second half with gusto, scoring off a lineout drive which followed a good passing sequence and catching CW asleep at four minutes and thus a 21 – 19 lead.  At nine minutes CW responded with some effective ruck play, stealing the ball, six recycles, a nifty break by Bowd, finished by Tait(?) out wide, and the lead regained, 24 – 21.  CW worked hard on both ends of the ball and it was Nott who notched his brace after yet another solid scrum and a determined run from the pickup and ten-point breathing room, 31 – 21.  The Pride as opined pre-game, remained threatening with multiple wide-ball thrusts, initially stalled but eventually another wide pass from #10, Hodgkins saw the line crossed and a 31 – 28 read on the scoreboard.

Heroics from substitute, Gammage, saw a desperate cross-cover tackle which was a defining moment and further hard-nosed determination, and sure tackles from the Hosts, sealed the deal.  Gammage led the parade of six from the Pines and his sharp passing set the attack on the front foot, one such saw the ball go from Tait to Easson, and Hager crossed for a 38 – 28 scoreline.  The weather quickly, and bitterly changed, and the snow flew horizontally!  CW infringed when being forced to defend and a second yellow was issued.  It was simply too much from too many and the Pride almost breached the bonus point differential, but it was not to be, and the score read 38 – 33 with no time left.