The team had trained really well throughout the week and there was a great vibe throughout the team after another week off. Running with the wind in the first half, we were able to dominate territory and possession. Some smart tactical kicking from fly half and Captain Luke Fletcher kept Mosman on the back foot and deep in their own territory before Centre Phil Loyden opened the scoring with a penalty.

Some good attacking raids unfortunately didn’t amount to points as the Mosman defence held firm. Flanker Tom Pashley was unluckily injured in a heavy tackle and had to be replaced. Some poor first up tackles and a bit of ill-discipline allowed Mosman to level the scores after kicking a penalty of their own, taking the half time score to 3-3.

Despite running into the wind in the second half, Mosman didn’t really make much head way and the game opened up with winger Tom D’Arbon finishing off a try that started in our own half.  Full back Pat Long was next to touch down for a converted try.

Mosman fought back and kicked two penalties to get within six points, however the desperate, scrambling defence from the team held them out, despite being under a huge amount of pressure in the final moments of the match. The final score of 15-9 was a good reflection on the match and it was really satisfying to beat a team in the top four.

There were some really good individual performances, including scrum half Gavin Taylor, who tested the Mosman defence from close to the ruck. Pat Long was outstanding, making plenty of metres with every run. Number eight Joe Skeet sucked in 3 or 4 defenders every time he touched the ball and regularly got the team over the gain line. Phil Loyden had his best game in a red jersey this year, making metres with every run and tackling hard all day.

We’re taking on Colleagues this Saturday, who are the top of the table, so it will be a big challenge. We are very confident that we are building a really strong team that wants to play for each other and look forward to the challenge of travelling to Rose Bay to take on one of the powerhouse clubs.

Best & Fairest

3 – Phil Loyden #12

2 – Joe Skeet #8

1 – Patrick Long #15