Round 3 vs Easts Match Report
by Ben Mitchell
Round 3: GPS vs Easts Saturday, April 24th, Bottomley Park Oval
The GPS men will be eyeing off an impressive 3-0 start as they come to Bottomly Park to match up with a formidable Easts Tigers side. The reigning champions on their home field will prove to be a tough matchup for the Gallopers as the Tigers will be looking to put the winning streak to an end.
GPS looked dangerous in the early stages of this match. The backs were running great routes receiving the ball, making positive metres each time they attacked the Tigers line. Identical to last week, the forwards were having their way at scrum time, forcing Easts to crack under the pressure and concede a penalty right in front of the posts. Jason Hofmeyr took a short glance at the uprights, knowing he could kick it with his eyes closed, and guided it over for the first score of the match. The Gallopers were up 3-0 after 8 minutes of play.
GPS did not take their foot off the gas pedal as they stuck to their game plan and continually drove the ball downfield with seamless set plays and determined runs by the backs. Several linebreaks came from the Gallopers backs as they were vying for the first try of the match. Josh Collins demonstrated tremendous pace on multiple occasions in the first half, as one of his offloads almost sent Teti Tela over for a corner try in the 20th minute. Easts conceded an offside penalty only moments later, and Hofmeyr kicked the simple penalty, the score ticking over to 6-0.
The Tigers bounced back quickly, converting on their first real attacking opportunity in the 23rd minute. A rolling maul from the lineout drove Easts down close to the try line, and after a few pick and drive attempts, number eight Henry Olsen found a crease in the GPS defence and barged his way over for a try. Jack Frampton missed the ensuing conversion, but a warning shot was sent to the Gallopers, as Easts moved the scoreboard 6-5.
From here the score remained 6-5 till halftime. Easts were fortunate to not be down by more as GPS showcased impressive linebreaks and dominant scrums throughout the half. The only detriment to the Gallopers attack being the several handling errors on the end of their runs, letting the Tigers narrowly escape an onslaught of tries.
GPS came out the aggressor to start the second half, as a massive territory gainer from Jason Hofmeyr, and ferocious pick and drives from the Gallopers forward almost set up a 44th minute try for the Blue and Green, but some courageous defence from the Tigers held them up at the line. Easts then won the penalty from scrum time on their own 5-metre line, releasing the pressure of a promising GPS stampede.
Minutes later, Tigers winger Max Baker broke away down the left sideline to put his team within 5 metres of the line. Before GPS could recover, lock Mitchell Schneider snatched the ball from the ruck and used his size to reach over for a try. This play swung the momentum of the game, as Easts took the lead for the first time, 6-12, in the 49th minute.
A whole new front row was inserted into the game for the Gallopers following the Tigers try, looking to revitalise the dominance of the scrum and take back control of the game. This tactic implemented by coach Shane Arnold worked to perfection as GPS forced Easts to concede penalties on the next two scrums occasions, setting them up for a lineout deep in Tiger territory. The rolling maul crashed over the line for GPS, as lock Daniel Byrne came up with the try, regaining the lead for the Gallopers 13-12 with 19 minutes to play.
GPS were not content with their narrow lead and were eager to put more points on the board to seal the win. The scrum again would prove to be the best weapon for the Gallopers as they turned the ball over twice from Easts in back to back minutes, pushing them closer to the line. After a flurry of fast-paced pick and drives from GPS, replacement hooker Matthew Mafi scratched and clawed his way over three Tigers defenders for a try, notching the score to a 20-12 buffer with just 11 minutes remaining.
The Gallopers were looking poised to come away with the victory from here with Easts needing two scores to retake the lead. However, disaster would strike for GPS in the 73rd minute, as Jason Hofmeyr sees yellow for deliberately knocking down a pass on an Easts attacking opportunity. To make matters worse, he was the last defender in play for the Gallopers, meaning if the ball had been left unimpeded it would have been a certain try for Easts winger Mika Tela. For this reason, referee Aaron Pook awarded a penalty try to the Tigers, moving them within one point of GPS, 20-19 and setting up a nail-biting finish.
Despite the extra man disadvantage, and the East supporters firing up to back their side, the Gallopers men dug deep to defend their lead. Once again, the scrum would prove to be the saving grace for GPS as they bullied Easts into conceding another penalty, alleviating some late-game pressure. From here, the Gallopers were able to drive down the field and set up a rolling maul opportunity close to the Easts try line. GPS sent all 14 men out on the field into that maul and bulldozed their way over for another try, as replacement prop Jethro Felemi came up with the ball, claiming honours. The score sealed the win for the Gallopers as they were able to withstand the late fight of the Easts Tigers and come out victorious, 25-19.
In a similar fashion as last week, special mention must go to the entire GPS forward pack for their utter dominance at scrum time, winning six penalties and two turnovers during the course of the match. Alongside them, the centre pairing of Teti Tela and Chris Kuridrani, accompanied by winger Josh Collins, devastated the Tigers defence as they broke the advantage line multiple times, all coming close to scoring tries of their own.
The Gallopers join University of Queensland and Bond University as the only teams to start the season 3-0. They’ll be looking to push their streak to 4 as they return to Ashgrove Sports Ground to take on the Sunnybank Dragons at home. The GPS men will appreciate the support after two hard-fought victories on the road, so come down to Yoku Road and barrack for your Gallopers!