| Senior Boys Rugby Brentwood XV - 46, SMU XV - 14 Match Report by Tom Dickens (Grade 12) |
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For the first ten minutes of the game, the two sides looked dead even. SMU exerted considerable pressure through their Team Canada fly half Andrew Cavin. Brentwood defended well, however, and was the first to score. The try was scored when Tyler Sicleoff miss passed the ball to Kraig Vale who straightened and passed to Julian Schleicher. 5-0 Sam Beswick missed the conversion. SMU responded to the try with heart as they attacked with intent. They scored when the backs reversed their line and went down the blind side of a scrum. A player then chipped the ball over the Brentwood defense. Recovering the ball, SMU then spread the ball wide down the field. A couple of missed tackles and the score was made. 5-7 After this try Brentwood began to play with the disappointing form that was evident when playing against Oak Bay. Although the line-outs and scrums were good, Brentwood kept continuously knocking the ball on and ignoring the hot ball. It was inevitable that SMU was going to take the upper hand. The SMU fullback took a wide ball on the blind side. With the defense drifting over, the fullback cut inside and hit a gap. A few missed tackles, and the fullback was through. 5-14 Julian Snellgrove ended the blip and put Brentwood’s heads back into the game. From a line-out, Snellgrove did what he does best by stealing the ball. Snellgrove then ran the ball and scored in SMU’s corner. 10-14 Sam Beswick was unable to knock the ball over the posts. After the try, the ball began rolling for Brentwood. SMU began attacking the blind side but were shut down consistently by the ferocious tackling of blind side flanker Logan Phillips. Michael David Wright won a penalty at the halfway line. Sam Beswick kicked for touch and Brentwood had a line out on the 30m line. From the line-out, the powerful Brentwood forwards formed a maul and drove the ball 15 meters. Kraig Vale picked the ball and ran it, tackled by the Saint Michaels defence. “Kama” Kauri Thornton ploughed over the ball, producing a perfect ball for scrum half Fletcher Evans. Evans spread the ball to Steve Pointon who hit a half gap and passed the ball off to Tom Dickens. Dickens straightened and gave to Garret Graeme. The big man ploughed over the try line to put five more on the score board. 15-14 Sam Beswick unfortunately could not convert. Julian Schleicher scored a very cunning try from center field to up the ante for Brentwood. A ruck was formed on the left side of the field. The ball popped out of the ruck and Schleicher picked it up. With the SMU defense caught completely off guard, Schleicher ran the try in and scored. 20-14 Sam Beswick converted the try. 22-14 The most amazing try of the day was scored basically from the solo effort of Kraig Vale. The ball was on Brentwood’s try zone. Brentwood managed to steal the ball, but with little time to arrange the line, there was no kicker to throw to. The ball was passed and landed in the hands of Kraig Vale. A wise man once said, “There is a first time for everything”, and this was the first time that I have ever seen a number 8 kick the ball out of danger. Kraig Vale pounded the ball with his massive legs, sending the ball across the whole length of the field! Kraig Vale then chased the ball all the way across the field. As the SMU fullback picked up the ball, outside center Steve Pointon tackled the fullback and knocked the ball right out of his hands. Kraig then picked up the ball and scored. 27-14 Sam Beswick missed the conversion. The next Brentwood try was scored from a series of pick and goes from the forwards. All the way from the half the forwards drove the ball over to the try line. With the backs screaming a hot ball, the forwards continued to drive. Fortunately, Alex Milligan drove the ball over the line and scored. 32-14 Sam Beswick converted the try. Magician Fletcher Evans engineered the next try: throwing a dummy, Fletcher hit a gap and ran the ball to the 22m line. Sam Beswick came in at an angle and Fletcher passed it to him. Beswick ran the ball in and scored. 39-14 Sam Beswick then converted his own try. 41-14 The final try was scored by the combination of Kraig Vale and Julian Snellgrove. Kraig ran a pick and go. Julian ran a pick and go. Brentwood had 5 more points. 46-14 After a rather disastrous start to the game, Brentwood came out on top with a satisfactory result. Tries Julian Schleicher (2), Julian Snellgrove (2), Garret Graeme, Kraig Vale, Alex Milligan, Sam Beswick Conversions |