If someone had told you that Eastwood would be playing Newcastle in a minor semi final this season, you'd have laughed at them and asked for a puff of whatever it was they were smoking. Eastwood have been outstanding all season, and their opposition has ridden into the finals on a wave of crowd support and the underdog tag. Last week Newcastle stunned Port Moresby, could they continue on their winning way and make a miraculous grand final qualifier appearance?
Eastwood Pumas Newcastle Fear
1 Rowland Rokachelli 1 Stuart Reardon
2 Sam Murphy 2 Eric Grothe Jr.
3 Anthony Wotnough 3 Brad Commins
4 Francis Maloney 4 Gareth Ellis
5 Tom O'Shea 5 Leon Pryce
6 Cedric Desbrosse 6 Thomas Leullai
7 Rob Burrow 7 Nathan Fien
8 David Furner 8 Joe Vagana
9 Jason Smith 9 Sean Rudder ©
10 Jason King © 10 Willie Mason
11 Matt Adamson 11 Jamie Feeney
12 Daniel Vickerman 12 Kirk Reynoldson
13 Aurelion Cologni 13 Bill Narwan
++Interchange
14 Xander Travis 14 Rob Parker
15 Damien Doust 15 Darren Mason
16 Dean Treister 16 Craig Hall
17 Phil Morwood 17 Richard Moore
Newcastle started the game with the same intensity and enthusiasm that carried them to a 20-6 victory over Port Moresby last week- their first two sets of six making big metres on the back of some promising breaks. Indeed, the Fear dominated the early passages of play. The entire Fear side seemed intent on running away with the game before halftime, and their linebreak tally certainly indicated they'd be a good chance. The 12th minute saw Gareth Ellis pluck a towering Nathan Fien bomb from the air and ground it for an apparent try, but the video referee disallowed it after it was shown Ellis had failed to apply downward pressure.
While the try was disallowed, the Fear were given the honour of first points when Nathan Fien converted a penalty for a high tackle into two points. It was the lowest scoring opening quarter of any final thus far- the Fear leading 2-0 as the game ticked over the twenty minute mark.
Newcastle were again denied by the video referee in the 23rd minute when Darren Mason dragged two defenders across the line and claimed a powerful try. This time he was penalised for a double movement, and the resulting penalty put the Pumas in Newcastle's half for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. In one of fate's cruel twists of fate, the Pumas scored off of their first tackle- Phil Morwood crashing over out wide despite the attention of Brad Commins. David Furner failed to convert, but the Eastwood Pumas held a 4-2 lead against the run of play.
The try sapped Newcastle's enthusiasm, and their offense and defence suffered as a result. Where earlier the Fear had dominated the ruck, they now found themselves being outplayed by the likes of Cologni and Smith. Willie Mason tried to inspire his side with some big defence, but this backfired as well, the big forward cautioned after he lifted Rob Burrow in a tackle. The resulting penalty again gave the Pumas some territory, and Phil Morwood muscled his way across the line for his second try of the match. Furner was able to convert this time, and the Fear looked shell-shocked at 10-2 down only ten out from halftime.
The injection of Richard Moore and Craig Hall into the Fear lineup lifted their spirits, and the Fear began to defend more effeciently. This added sting in defence seemed to surprise Eastwood, who began to make rudamentary errors in the face of extra pressure. When Jason Smith stupidly conceded a penalty after Newcastle had made only five metres from five tackles, the Fear capitalised immediately- Sean Rudder sliding into the backline and running over the top of Francis Maloney to score Newcastle's first try of the match. Nathan Fien hit the difficult conversion sweetly, and the Fear were back in the game at 10-8.
Eastwood hit back shortly before halftime, however, Xander Travis barging over from a quick tap to score his side's third try. Furner was again able to convert, and the Fear would go into the break 16-8 down.
HALFTIME: Eastwood Pumas 16 lead Newcastle Fear 8
Eastwood got an early flurry of possession, and looked to turn the extra ball into a potentially match winning try. When Xander Travis grubbered ahead for Tom O'Shea to score a soft try- it looked as good as over for the Fear, who were already hanging their heads behind the posts. A call from the touch judge gave the Fear a new lease on life- ruling that O'Shea had been slightly in front of the kicker.
The luck stayed on Newcastle's side for the next twenty minutes, but even the bounce of the ball and the favour of the referee couldn't get the Fear across the line. Desperate defence kept Eastwood from putting the game to bed, but no amount of trying could seem to push the Fear across the line and back within striking distance. The video referee denied two tries, one to each side, in the run to the final ten- before Stuart Reardon finished off a thrilling Newcastle maneuver to score a crucial try in the 70th minute. The ball travelled through almost ever set of Fear hands on the way to the line, Reardon still having to evade Rowland Rockachelli on his way to the line. Nathan Fien quickly knocked the conversion over to make it 16-14 with nine remaining.
A close game brings out the worst in some sides, and both Eastwood and Newcastle were guilty of playing stupid football as they sought the all important try that would most likely decide the result of the game. The Fear's defence was astounding at times, but then they would throw it all away with stupid last tackle options. Thomas Leullai was particularly guilty, continually frittering away possession with over-ambitious grubbers and dangerous passes.
As the crowd counted down the final thirty seconds, Eric Grothe Jr stopped hearts with a powerful linebreak that saw him screaming down the sideline with O'Shea and Rockachelli in hot pursuit. Support came up on both sides, and it seemed he'd butchered a try when he passed it to Rudder on the outside rather than an unmarked Pryce on the inside. Rudder showed plenty of maturity, grubbering back in field once he'd lured in Rockachelli, and all that Pryce would need to do was pick up the ball. It seems so simple, but it came unstuck, Pryce fumbling the ball with the line open and the Fear fans riding him home. The fulltime siren sounded before a scrum could pack, and Eastwood would progress to the major semi final at the expense of a heartbroken Newcastle side.
FULLTIME
Eastwood Pumas 16
Xander Travis
Phil Morwood 2
Furner 2/4
defeated
Newcastle Fear 14
Stuart Reardon
Sean Rudder
Fien 3/3
PoM Points
Nathan Fien................3
Phil Morwood..............2
Joe Vagana.................1
