Score OBU 78 Avalon 5
This was a difficult game to report on as the scoring action was thick and fast so some of the action may not be as precise as we’d like!
Conditions
There was a strong crosswind blowing from the new clubrooms across the field to the North. There was the usual low-sun for this time of year to contend with for both teams. OBU played from right to left as we viewed from the clubrooms side.
A couple of changes to the run-on team announced on the Club Rugby website. Taine Plumtree was out with a minor injury. Same Godwin gets a start. Josh Thomas, in his premier debut, was wearing the 22 Jersey and Tiaki Fabish switched to 21 pushing Matt Sleith to 20 (I think).
Notable Performances
- Shamus can’t seem to keep his name off the scoresheet this season. Another 3 tries for him taking him to joint top of the try-scoring leader board in Wellington club rugby!
- Sam Reid had another solid game at centre and picked up a brace of tries.
- The Waimea wanderer, Caleb Delaney, notched a couple of tries and was a powerhouse around the field in the set-piece and loose play.
- Matt Fowler played a full match and claimed to be even more shattered than he looked at the end. Nevertheless, he was into everything from sniping runs around the phase plays to mighty defensive covering tackles.
- The whole front row was on fire especially with the ball in hand, Kenan Gillson taking the reward of a try on behalf of the engine room.
- Special mention for late replacement Sam Godwin who started in Taine’s place and got on the scoreboard early on with a well-taken try. A typically abrasive performance from Sam!
How the Game Unfolded
| Minute | What happened | Score |
| 1 Min | OBU run it back strongly from the kickoff but get penalised for holding on | |
| 5 Mins | OBU worked into the Avalon 22 but get penalised for offside in the backs. Avalon takes the quick tap and hit it up with one-off ball runners. But the OBU defence is strong and they don’t really go anywhere eventually knocking it on for an OBU scrum. | |
| 7 Mins | Shamus takes it off the back of a solid scrum. There is some great inter-passing between the forwards and inside backs. Eventually, it is turned over and kicked out. | |
| 9 Mins | From the lineout, it is taken up the middle. Reece crashes in through the centres. Avalon is penalised for offside. OBU elect to take the scrum. | |
| 10 Mins | Shamus makes another strong run off the back of the scrum and is under extreme pressure but somehow manages to keep going forward. Avalon infringes at the ruck. | |
| 12 Mins | Callum crashes over about 8m from the left-hand touch. The conversion just misses floating directly over the top of the right hand upright. Unlucky! | OBU 5-0 |
| 18 Mins | There is a series of pick and go’s at the try line by OBU. Eventually, Sam Godwin breaks the deadlock to score it near the sticks. Conversion is successful. | OBU 12-0 |
| 23 Mins | After 6 or so phases near the Avalon line, Shamus takes the ball back around to the left and scores it. Conversion is successful. | OBU 19-0 |
| 29 Mins | Some nice play by the OBU backs. Dale drops a little inside pass to Sam Reid who crashes over the top in the tackle to score. | OBU 26-0 |
| 34 Mins | Disallowed try after a foot in touch! It started from a great run inside the OBU 22. Olly got the pass from Reece to run it in, but out! | |
| 39 Mins | There is a long-range try finished off by Shamus. Conversion misses. | OBU 31-0 |
| Halftime | ||
| 41 Mins | Starts off with OBU on a long period of attack with Avalon holding on well. Eventually, the pressure becomes too much and Shamus sneaks it in under the sticks. Conversion is successful. | OBU 38-0 |
| 44 Mins | There is a series of great offloads in the centre of the pitch has the Avalon defence at 6s and 7s. Ty Poe gets the try under the sticks. The conversion is successful. | OBU 45-0 |
| 47 Mins | OBU forwards mount a drive at the line which is then spun to the left. Sam Reid crashes over the line. Conversion is successful. | OBU 52-0 |
| 48 Mins | Josh Thomas takes the field along with Izzy Foai for his premier debut. Congratulations Josh. | |
| 55 Mins | Kenan Gillson carries the ball strongly into the 22 and it is then recycled a few times from the ruck. Eventually, Kenan takes the reward for his endeavours to score in the corner. Dale lands a tough kick back upwind to register the conversion. | OBU 59-0 |
| 56 Mins | Fui, Kenan and Shamus are subbed off. | |
| 60 Mins | Caleb Delaney gets a well-deserved try after the ball is moved into open spaces in the middle of the pitch | OBU 66-0 |
| 65 Mins | A few changes and a lapse in concentration allows Avalon to crash over in a pick and go on the OBU line. Conversion misses. | OBU 66-5 |
| 70 Mins | There is a lineout drive and OBU score the try. I couldn’t see who scored it but by subtraction, it must have been Caleb Delaney again(Waimea College forever)! The conversion was successful. | OBU 73-5 |
| 79 Mins | Reece juggles the pass initially but gets it off to Tiaki Fabish who scores it. The conversion was unsuccessful! That’s the final score! | OBU 78-5 |