ROUND 5 GPS FOOTY,  06/06/2009

BSHS 47 df TSS 13

NC 31 df BBC 7

ACGS 59 df IGS 5

TGS 50?? df BGS 0??

Quite surprised on my arrival at the coast to find there had been heaps of overnight rain,  turning the outer fields into swamplands and the main arena into a sponge.  We were hardly dressed for these oppressive conditions,  with one counterpart in his grandpa slippers,  complete with holes,  the other in pristine white joggers and me in just a really nice,  sloppy,  dressing down pair of joggers with plenty of holes in them,  well my main set,  actually my only set.  We struggled a bit with getting around and had to stick to concrete where we could.

I have to admit I had some concerns about the spectacle we were hoping for at 3:05 becoming a slug fest on the slop heap,  but we weren't disappointed.

Caught some of the 15A clash and was most impressed with Nelson Patchett's game in the wet,  plenty of intelligent box kicking and long raking kicks into space.  Out of half back we don't see that much in Australia and what we do see is poor in relation to our South African and Kiwi brothers.  It looked like half the BSHS team had missed the early bus,  with a lot of changing going on during the second half.

Moved across to the next swamp to catch a bit of 16A action,  it was good to see Nick Oui at fullback with a bit of room,  and he made one nice incision into the line and gave a nice pass,  in a movement that resulted in a try.  Big Lousii Taliauli put a couple of telling hits together in what was a close match,  won in the end 15 to 12 by State High I believe.

The seconds was an entertaining affair,  with plenty of nice touches from both sides,  and not too much damage done to the sponge.

TSS went into the 3:05 pm game as deserved favourites,  having beaten Churchie in similar conditions two weeks previous,  and the week before completely shutting Nudgee out of the game.  Also a home ground advantage,  they had bragging rights,  and the right to be favourites.

Certainly the match started well for State High,  kicking off executed a turnover and patiently built a try.  However,  they let that advantage slip quickly,  with TSS doing the same,  even though in front of me I would have bet my real estate portfolio on there being at least one knock on in the effort.  It doesn't matter though,  5 points were awarded,  followed by a penalty,  and all of a sudden TSS were in front,  and on the front foot.  If they could have pressed the accelerator pedal a little more here,  things may well have been different.

However,  match defining moments come and go at times,  and a biggy was about to occur,  well I thought it was one anyway.  A massive hit on Alec Jones,  the TSS inside centre from Ben Mallee,  and a subsequent yellow card to Mallee,  I assume for no arms,  saw the TSS backline start looking apprehensive,  and the BSHS outfit lift a notch or two.  In fact in Mallee's absence,  BSHS put on 14 or 21 points in a sizzling 8 minutes into the break,  one of the tries from young Chris Sautia,  an absolute gem,  running into two defenders,  he put on an innocuous little chip,  a burst of speed,  gathered the pill to his side going away from him,  and dived over for a try.  Doesn't seem as good in writing as it did live,  it was a ripper,  and the half time score was either 21 or 28 to 8.  TSS did have the first chance after the send off though,  had numbers,  possession and territory,  and I am unsure how State High found the resolve to hold them out and recover the ball and some ground,  and then some more ground,  to eventually be the next to score.  A TSS score first here and we could have been on the way to a different result.

I think I could almost repeat what was said in the State High huddle at the orange break,  something like this :" I want you to be much more abrasive at the tackle,  breakdown area,  and the halfback would have been asked to move back into underplaying his hand and running less."  These are the two things that seemed to happen,  with a long drive of pick and go,  potent,  fast paced stuff from the forwards resulting in a try,  another patient try to BSHS.  When they get this roll on they are very hard to stop as they continually and quickly smash over your advantage line and belt all comers out of the way with aggressive cleanouts.

TSS lost a man,  their 7,  early in half 2 to a yellow card,  and scored themselves while down a man,  and looked like they may stage a comeback.  Another try was thwarted,  what seemed like a certain try,  but the ball was dislodged in a late tackle over the line.  I have just been informed that the tackle was made by Sautia,  from across the other side.  There was consternation in the 15man camp as to who it was,  two of us thought Sautia,  and our sideline expert thought Garland.  However,  from right in front of it,  we learn it was Sautia,  and that on his way across has summed up the situation,  and gone at the ball rather than trying to make a tackle,  dislodging it and getting a no try ruling.

BSHS just continued to strike at regular intervals then,  to complete the scoreline of 47 to 13.  Rowan Saifoloi had a dream day with the boot,  kicking them from everywhere,  but it was his general game that really did him proud.  He could feel rightly disappointed if he is not named the GPS 1 flyhalf in a week or so,  and is clearly the form flyhalf of the GPS competition.

It was a reasonably comprehensive performance,  but I thought the game was on a knife edge for a fair bit.  TSS's defence, particularly wide was excellent,  but against an attack like this eventually you run out of numbers or your shape gets bent.  State High really are a blistering speed machine,  but they can't do what they do with out a rock solid forward pack,  and they are delivering up front,  ably lead by ironman Jordan Tuapou,  just unstoppable,  Paul Alo Emile with plenty of carries and just great scrummaging,  and Matty Ika playing quite well at number 8.  Joe Lalagavesi was smoking (an assessment from one of my counterparts just out of bed) at the back,  had a great game,  Rowan Saifoloi was great at 10,  Sam Caslick had a great game at 9,  the two centres,  hard to see anything better than Ben Mallee and the imposing form of Joel Faulkner anywhere on the horizon,  Mallee is a gem,  offloads,  strong on his feet and in the tackle,  smart,  can throw a long ball,  and hits like a fast moving truck.

Garland and Sautia on the wings were also great,  they had pill kicked to them all day and positionally they were pretty good and hardly spilled any at all.  Sautia is without doubt a freak athlete,  and it would be great to see him get more ball in hand.  A key is he also defended well yesterday.  As he grows he will figure out how to get more ball in one on ones,  and then it is goodnight nurse.

TSS 12 and 13 were good,  they defend really well in there,  as was Conrad Brown in 11.  TSS have good defensive structure and it takes a while to wear it down.  Morahan is pretty classy at the back,  and almost lost his ribs a few times to Mallee hits,  just checked and moved at the right times to make arm tackles from Mallee.  The lineout performed well and they play well off 6 ball,  have some good options,  but I would like to see that 6 ball with less loop,  it is up there for a long time and gives the opposition plenty of time to move.  I would like to see their 10 play a little bit at the line,  seems to play deep and early  all the time,  which is obviously working for them,  but sets up alot of space to be taken easily with a rushing defence.

Best on field though for mine was  15 year old kid,  again.  Curtis Browning was again outstanding at the set piece,  and in general play.  At 15 is showing phenomenal poise,  maturity and toughness,  and will be very hard to deal with in a couple of years.  I also like what he has happening with his hair,  a couple of nice gold ear rings would set it off nicely.  Seriously,  and the talk is about Curtis being the form lock of the competition,  and this maybe so,  but my advice would be to let him develop,  not step him up and have him killed.  The next level gets a bit harsher and a bit harder,  there is a need to be very careful in how he is developed.