Last week the Central Coast Falcons stirred up a hornet’s nest when they controversially loaned and rested players in what many believe to have been a ploy to avoid injury leading into the finals. This week a full strength side would take the field against a North Sydney outfit missing Ben Ikin and Ashley Harrison. Could the famous North Sydney spirit lift the visitors, or would the biggest shock in Premier League history continue to surprise fans and experts?
Central Coast Falcons North Sydney Newbloods
1 Robbie O'Davis © 1 Matthew Burke
2 Matt Utai 2 Nathan McAvoy
3 Brad Commins 3 Michael De Vere
4 Nigel Vagana 4 Chev Walker
5 Hazem El Masri 5 Jonah Lomu
6 Braith Anasta 6 Akido Li
7 Jason Bell 7 Mark Muggleton ©
8 Steven Price 8 Vila Mautatia
9 Gunter Franz 9 Keith Wood
10 Michael Vella 10 Jason Stevens
11 Terry O'Connor 11 Matt Rua
12 Dean Walker 12 Evan Mears
13 Jason Hetherington 13 Nathan Wood
++Interchange
14 Darren Britt 14 Lars Ojanssen
15 Craig Emmerton 15 Paul Bowman
16 Sebastian Azema 16 Jeff Wilson
17 Brian Tabuli 17 David McElroy
Braith Anasta got the game underway, and the fans went up as Steven Price put a ripper of a hit on Jason Stevens. The first hit set the tempo, with both sides clearly heeding their coaches’ words to ‘bash the bastards’. The first points came after only two minutes, Matthew Burke’s boot putting the visitors up 2-0 courtesy of some early marker defence from the Falcons.
The Falconites got reason to cheer when, from the kick-off, veteran Keith Wood made an uncharacteristic error and let it go into touch. The drop-out put CCF on the offensive, Terry O’Connor winding up and running over the top of inexperienced Japanese star, Akido Li. His run laid the platform, Jason Bell emulating Andrew Johns to score from ten out. El Masri somehow missed the conversion, and it stood at 4-2.
Some frenetic play followed, both sides making errors under the pressure of some in your face defence. In particular it was Steven Price for CCF and ‘the silent assassin’, Akido Li for North Sydney who made the ball-carrier pay. Bench player come starting lock, Nathan Wood, made a clean bust from dummy-half which gave the Newbloods some good field position. Big Vila Mautatia monstered his way through the feeble attempted tackle from Nigel Vagana, and Burke’s conversion gave Norths an 8-4 lead.
The crowd chanted Tabuli’s name as he came on, the local hero having plyed his trade at Fairfield for several weeks. However the talented five eighth couldn’t provide any answers for the home side, and when Jason Bell knocked on from a scrum the Newbloods again looked to deliver a telling blow. Once again Nathan Wood was the go to man, cutting through Anasta’s tackle and finding an unmarked Burke to set up Norths’ next try. Burke converted his own effort, the visitors shock 14-4 leaders.
Referee Tim Mander gave the Falcons the most help he could, some fifty/fifty calls going their way and giving them three sets on North Sydney’s line. The Falcons steadfastly refused to shoot for goal, and must have rued the decision after the Newbloods whethered everything they threw at them. David McElroy, fresh off the bench, added salt to the wound when he made a clean break with his first touch. The Newbloods played out a routine set, before Li off-loaded in a tackle to send Lomu down the sideline. The big Kiwi winger shoved Utai aside, and scored North Sydney’s third. Burke again converted, and the Falcons’ season looked grim at 20-4 down after half an hour of play.
The Falcons compounded their woes by being off-side from the kick off, and Burke’s kick bit off thirty metres to again put the Newbloods in excellent field position. Lomu received the ball from the tap, menaced Utai with his big fend, and then passed it short to DeVere, who out-muscled Vagana to score. Burke again converted, and things looked embarassing at 26-4.
The Falcons were on-side from the kick off, but Utai’s nightmare continued, Lomu again finding his defence wanting and embarking on a forty metre run down-field. The Kiwi show-cased his speed and strength, running over the top of O’Davis’ attempted tackle and scoring beneath the sticks. The shell-shocked crowd watched in shock as Burke kicked the goal, set up a 32-4 scoreline, and then celebrated with his team-mates.
The next ten minutes of the half were more of the same, with French bad-boy Sebastian Azema coming on to relieve Utai of his nightmare night. Azema’s presence seemed to contain Lomu a little better, with the giant virtually silent for the last few minutes of the half. The Falcons had an excellent chance on the stroke of half-time, Anasta putting up a magnificent bomb that Azema positioned himself under. Lomu continued to show his class however, timing his run perfectly to hit the Frenchman and bundle him into touch before he could get it down. The half-time siren went, and a disheartened Falcons squad left the field. Many claimed they weren’t the real deal, and after forty minutes of football, the former Division Two giants definately didn’t look like it.
HALFTIME: Central Coast 4 trail North Sydney 32
The Falcons returned to the field needing a football miracle to salvage a win. An early penalty gave them an ideal platform, but North Sydney seemed grimly determined to hold the Falcons’ out, repelling the assault and then hitting back with one of their own. Nathan Wood added to his already impressive list of quarter final achievements, another clean bust, a perfect dummy, and a try of his own. Burke converted, and the Falcons knew it was over at 38-4. The only question was- how bad could it get for the third placed Falcons?
Twenty minutes of football ensued in excellent fashion, with the Newbloods throwing it around in an attempt to further embarass the Falcons, and the Falcons finally finding the kind of gutsy defence that saw them take out the Division Two minor premiership and grand final last year. It may have been too late, but fans lifted with their side, the first ‘Falcons’ chant ringing through the stadium as Craig Emmerton came to the field. The former soccer star had a noticeably positive effect on Central Coast’s game, and his strategic kicking continually agitated the likes of Burke and Lomu.
The fans finally got something to cheer about in the 71st, when Azema finally scored a victory over the Lomu by bustling the big winger into touch. The Falcons lifted some more, veteran lock Jason Hetherington crashing over from dummy half. El Masri wasn’t able to convert, but the fans had been given a glimmer of hope, their side down 38-8. However, the last twenty minutes had been promising, the Falcons vastly improved once the pressure of their first Premier League final had been eliminated.
North Sydney looked to have the last laugh right on full-time, when Akido Li tossed it out wide and found the visitors had a three on one overlap. Lomu went over for his third, Azema around his ankles, and it was shown on replay that the Frenchman had put one of Lomu’s feet out. The siren went, and the Falcons had saved a little face.
FULLTIME
North Sydney 38
Matthew Burke
Jonah Lomu 2
Michael DeVere
Nathan Wood
Vila Mautatia
Burke 7/7
def.
Central Coast 8
Jason Bell
Jason Hetherington
El Masri 0/2
PoM Points
Nathan Wood 3
Jonah Lomu 2
Akido Li 1
