Two sides making their finals debut is always an exciting affair. The excitement normally attributed to finals is added to be the nervous energy, the stage-fright, and the awe that players feel as they take the field in front of a big crowd.
Fairfield have had an outstanding debut year, and the fans showed out in big numbers to show their support. Tamworth City, in their third year of competition, had finally given the Tamworth locals a side worth supporting. To add to that, Titans’ management had given free bus tickets to fans willing to make the journey.
Fairfield Stallions Tamworth City Titans
1 Graham Mackay 1 Francis Cummins
2 Phillipe Bernat-Salles 2 Justin Ryder ©
3 Steve Bell 3 Brian O'Discroll
4 Danny Bampton 4 Mtombe Msabo
5 Rupeni Caucaunibuca 5 Kurt Gidley
6 Matt Crowther 6 Casey Macguire
7 Martin Crompton 7 Byron Kelleher
8 Matt Kennedy 8 Joel Clinton
9 Darrell Trindall 9 Shayne Dunley
10 Shayne McMenemy 10 Tony Tatupu
11 Tony Price © 11 Justin Harrison
12 Jarod O'Doherty 12 Adam Peek
13 Scott Magro 13 Toutai Kefu
++Interchange
14 Danny Sculthorpe 14 Justin McKay
15 Laurent Carrasco 15 Keiran Kerr
16 Aaron Raper 16 John Wilson
17 Martin Wood 17 Trent Wright
It was as expected of the two sides, neither really asserting themselves early on. Whilst the likes of Clinton, Kennedy, and even Msabo wound up for some big hits- none really connected, and the comedy of errors continued as both sides made rookie errors with the ball in hand.
Shayne Dunley, who has been by far Tamworth City’s best this year, made the first break of the game- a thirty metre dash from dummy half showing that Fairfield’s defence could be cracked. This seemed to lift the younger players, and the Titans enjoyed one of the finest periods of their short footballing life.
When South African sensation, Mtombe Msabo collected a towering Kelleher bomb and scored past Phillipe Bernat-Salles, the look on his face said it all. He couldn’t speak many words in English, but the big centre’s expression spoke volumes, and as Cummins hit the difficult conversion and gave his side a 6-0 lead, the Tamworth fans roared.
The Stallions didn’t let the set-back bother them, and showed plenty of professionalism even when captain Tony Price was stretchered from the field with a suspected fracture to his jaw after a brutal hit from young Joel Clinton. Promising English junior, Danny Sculthorpe, took Price’s place on the field. His combination with fellow Englishman, Danny Bampton, proved vital to Fairfield’s chances- and the pair continually found holes in the Titans’ line. The Tamworth side had the class to win it, but did its young roster have the ability to play patient football?
Ironically, it was Fairfield who showed signs of cracking under pressure, Matt Crowther dropping a ball which would have put him in the clear with only thirty metres to the Titans’ line. The Titans showed their maturity with a routine set, and Shayne Dunley scored their second when he collected Casey McGuire’s grubber- which rebounded off the post and confused Fairfield fullback, Grahem Mackay. Cummins wasn’t able to convert, but Tamworth City were shock 10-0 leaders after twenty minutes.
The role reversal continued. Whilst Fairfield’s experienced players made stupid errors, the young guns at Tamworth City were showcasing skills that even their coach wouldn’t have expected. Captain Justin Ryder continually stood up to Rupeni Caucaunibuca- whilst Casey McGuire clearly wasn’t phased by the pressure of a quarter final.
Fifteen intense minutes of football passed, with Michael Magro turning to his interchange bench for a possible solution to his side’s attacking problems. They didn’t have any trouble repelling determined Titans’ attack, but even the injection of French star, Laurent Carassco, couldn’t make a dent in the Titans’ desperation defence. Things just weren’t going right for Fairfield in any facet of the game, Graham Mackay taken from the field after a tough hit from Brian O’Driscroll looked to have broken the veteran’s arm.
Fairfield showed plenty of class and grit however, and toughed it out despite having two veteran players out of the side. Rupeni Caucaunibuca showed why he is some of the hottest talents in league at the moment, his eighty metre run eluding half of the Titans’ line before he threw it inside for Scott Magro. It was a stirring run from the stand-in captain, and whilst Magro couldn’t land the kick, the scoreline of 10-4 flattered Fairfield after they were out-enthused and outplayed by the Titans.
HALFTIME: Fairfield 4 trail Tamworth City 10
Whatever was said at halftime, Fairfield came out full of fire. This was added to when Tony Tatupu made a clean-break from the kick off. The Stallions’ composure broke, and a brawl broke out. Kurt Gidley and Caucaunibuca were given a ‘rest’ in the bin, whilst Cummins knocked over a simple penalty to put his side up by eight at 12-4.
Tatupu didn’t let a few punches deter him, and made another strong break only minutes lately, the PNG international menacing the Fairfield forwards like he was Ben Kennedy amongst under eights. The return of Caucaunibuca signalled a boom period for Fairfield in terms of possession and field position- but the Stallions just couldn’t crack the Titans. Whenever someone made a half break, a plucky youngster would drag them down with sheer determination. It seemed impossible, but the Stallions were being out-underdogged by someone when they’d been doing it all season.
Another fifteen minutes elapsed, with both sides messy, but both full of determination. Where more well-drilled units would have played safety first football, these two young sides tossed it around. The absence of level heads like Mackay and Price hurt Fairfield, and when Caucaunibuca received a caution for a dangerous spear tackle on Cummins- Ryder stepped up and made it 12-4. Discipline seemed to be all that separated the two sides.
The Stallions became increasingly messy in the final five, and finally threw in the towel when Matt Crowther was somehow dragged down from behind by Justin Ryder in the 78th. The game may have been wrapped up at the time, but nothing could cross that line, and the full-time siren went with Tamworth City surprise 14-4 winners.
FULLTIME
Tamworth City 14
Shayne Dunley
Mtombe Msabo
Cummins 2/3
Ryder 1/1
def.
Fairfield 4
Scott Magro
Magro 0/1
PoM Points
Tony Tatupu 3
Brian O’Driscroll 2
Adam Peek 1
