Always a tough assignment Colleagues on their home patch. Those of you who know this ground understand it’s a nightmare to warm up, having two games being played in the background and minimal space to even swing a cat, never mind practising a lineout, which tends to be a challenge for switching onto the upcoming task at hand. However as Dirty Reds we knuckle down and work through the challenges put in front of us week after week .

Typical first 20 minutes of rugby with each team trying to sort each other out, of which I believe we had the better as we were getting on top of the opposition. However time and time again, we turned ball over with basic handling errors, some poor option taking on attack, and two tries went begging or screaming in the case of Bears on the side line, when players are not looking and taking the correct options by passing to a player in a better scoring position than themselves.

This has now become the trend of 1st grade where we like to make things difficult for ourselves, perhaps we are trying to set new records within the game of rugby to consistently win games with 20% possession: handling and option taking needs to improve if we are to challenge this competition. Subsequently we were down 13-3 at half time. With Colleagues thinking we were back in the deep south of England, with pouring rain and the need to trudge from one set phase to another wanting lineout practise all day, the boys were very fresh at half time and understood what needed to be achieved in order to win the game from our half time position.

The second half started like one perhaps likes to finish a night with early points and a steady flow of 3 points to bring the team within 4 points with 20 minutes to go. Slowly, we started to dominate across the field, and a string of planned substitutes at the 60 minute mark, showed the Drummoyne coaching staff were a point up against its opposition, similar to Graeme Henry out thinking Dingo Deans for what seemed like two decades.

However our inability to take the right options again kept Colleagues in front with a buffer, gifting them a simple try next to the posts, leaving the score at 20-9 with 18 minutes to play. Ticking over the score board when down in enemy territory, with penalties taken from the school book of Sean Fitzpatrick gave the team a chance to challenge late in the game.

A well worked try to Luke Maybank in the corner dragging two defenders over, one of them Cronan who transferred from Drummoyne to Colleagues in the off season, and putting the ball down one handed like the ever silky smooth Richard Loe, left the boys with 7 minutes on the clock needing a converted try to once again continue to copy Robin Hood and steal the game with limited possession.

Wouldn’t you know it,  a great effort to hold on to the ball ( yes hold onto it ) for a number of phases opened up the post X Y, or like a former coach of the club likes to phrase it “ the 10 20 30”,  and bingo we score next to the posts – convert the try – T.R.Y, catch the kick off,  put the ball into touch,  and again this time like spider man – steal the game with 19.5% possession.

Special mention to all the reserves who came on – this win would not have been achieved without your efforts and dedication to the club.

Best & Fairest

3 – Shaun Dixon #7

2 – Tom Carruthers #6

1 – Bradley Cross #13