Georgie's Match Report - Rnd 17

Georgie McHugh's Match Report - Round 17

Hands down the best conditions of the season provided the backdrop for the second instalment of the Battle of the North. The fans from both clubs turned out in force to see who would hold the Baxter-Mortlock Cup at the end of season 2024.

With Gordon having won all fixtures in Grade and Colts before the top grade took the field, the home team were even more motivated to secure victory for a rare clean sweep of their fierce local rivals. A win would also see the men in tartan leapfrog Norths on the table.

Like the previous week, the Highlanders started fast. With one of the first plays of the game Ben Pollack, starting at fullback, lasered a kick from his own side of halfway into touch two metres from Norths’ line. With a fast-moving maul from the line, forcing their opposition onto the back foot in defence, Harry Emery, released a well worked backline movement to have Pollack throw the last pass to Brandon Quinn on the wing, who still had work to do to, to beat his opposite number and find his way to the line. With Pat Pellegrini successfully converting from the eastern touchline, the home team led 7 – 0 within four minutes.

In the next 25 minutes Gordon created numerous chances, particularly through the fast feet and hands of  Pellegrini. However, it was Norths that added twelve points in that period. The pleasing thing for the home team was that they mostly contained their opposition until they were the beneficiaries of numerous 50/50 decisions that allowed them to defend their line escape from their own end.

After Jude Gibbs kicked the second of Norths’ penalty goals for the away team to go up 13 – 7, the Highlanders needed to hit back. And they did immediately from the restart as Oli Arcus flew high and threw out a hand to steal the ball out of the lifted receiver’s clutches 25 metres from the line. He managed to hold the ball and carry
beyond the 22 metre line before throwing a no-look, backhanded cut out pass to find Joey Walton charging onto the ball twelve metres out. Walton turned the ball inside to Milan Basson, five metres from the line and the inspirational skipper finished off one of the most entertaining tries of the season.

Both teams had further good opportunities to add points in the closing stages of the first half; however, the teams went to the break with the southern neighbours up 13 –12. The first forty minute was an intense battle, befitting a fierce local rivalry that has lasted nearly 90 years.

The teams continued in the same vein in the first 17 minutes of the second half, as they each threatened their opponent’s line. The Highlanders received a penalty ten metres on their own side of half way for a ruck infringement, which saw Pellegrini pump the ball to seven metres of the line. After several hard-running phases from the Gordon forwards, Basson crashed over for his second for the afternoon, to regain the lead 17 – 13.

With twenty minutes remaining, Conrad Cade replaced Liam Usher and Thomas Maka, who was making his first appearance in tartan for the year, replaced Jay Fonofalaki. Norths were a stronger pack than when the sides first met, but it appeared that at least one of Gordon’s front rowers picked up an early knock in this game that disrupted what has been a very dominant pack. Whatever the reason, the inclusion of the replacement front rowers coincided with dominance shifting in favour of the Highlander’s pack, as they won up a number penalties.

After a scrum was packed in the 67 th minute, with the officials unable to tell whether Walton grounded the ball under the posts from a chip kick, Gordon again had penalty advantage five metres out in centre field. Making the most of the advantage, replacement halfback Joe Snow swept the ball right to Pellegrini, who threw a
beautiful cutout ball on to the chest of an unmarked Arcus, who crossed untouched.

The try was the Highlanders’ fourth of the afternoon, and a bonus point. Gordon extended their lead with a penalty goal and with less than five minutes remaining, the Highlanders enjoyed a 27 – 13 lead. It was surely enough to take away five points and leave the close rivals on the table with none. However, it was at that time that Norths came to life, as desperate teams are forced to do with the clock quickly counting down. In the final minute of regular time, Norths scored their “consolation” try. But, it was all to no avail … surely, it had to be to no avail.

Gordon kicked long from the restart, Norths were forced to expansively play out from their own line. With the freedom of having nothing to lose and the assistance of several penalties, Norths scored on nearly the last blade of grass before the sideline, four minutes after time had expired to take the score to 27 – 25 with a kick to come.

Your correspondent has a confession. Unable to stomach the heart-breaking prospect of seeing the game-tying conversion sail through the posts, he had retired to the toilets at the northern end, waiting for the cheers of the crowd to tell the result.

The huge cheer exploding from the proximity of the Trumper Stand told the story. With the unsuccessful conversion attempt, Norths fell short of would have been an amazing comeback for an unlikely draw. It gave Gordon a cherished clean sweep of all Grade and Colts fixtures and the biggest song for many seasons belted from the dressing room, with the significant assistance from the rest of the grades and what seemed like a full legion of ball boys.

With a couple of upsets that went in Gordon’s favour, the teams ranked second to fourth are separated by a solitary point. Gordon hosts Western Sydney Two Blues for the final round of the season and the home team will be desperate to go into the finals series with a win and to avenge a loss in round 1. Get down to Chatswood for
an encounter that will be crucial to determining the finals games.

Until the next time we meet, make mine a Grants. Up Gordon!
Georgie McHugh