An absolute game of contrasts this round with Royals struggling to get and maintain possession of the pill through the first half, while the Eagles racked up points with almost every visit to the southern end of the field. And in all fairness Nicholls enclosed ovals were somewhat of a hostile environment for the blue baggers, with the Eagles faithful entrenched at the Royals defensive end enjoying a few coldies for their Old Boys round and in good voice. The Eagles players were feeding on the atmosphere, playing good footy and in the Royals faces at every opportunity and with a half-time score of 26-7 in their favour, they had good reason to feel confident.
But rugby’s sometimes a funny game, and the momentum shifted noticeably in the second stanza. Possession shifted in Royals favour, and with it came opportunities and points. The game plan our coaches had developed could finally be applied- and it was working. The only question seemed to be whether Royals had the time needed to claw back the Gungahlin lead.
With 15 minutes remaining in the match it felt inevitable that Royals would eventually overtake the Eagles. But then the unthinkable occurred. Klayton Thorn picked off a Royals pass and sprinted away to score, extending the Gungahlin lead. As the minutes drained away, Royals responded with some line bending hit ups by Oscar Waite, Rory Scott and Sefo Kautai in the mid-field opening space for Zac Ross and Andrew Muirhead to progress play out wider. Indeed, Andy’s vision in snapping a penalty kick deep into Eagles territory was a critical act in this match- stealing meters that would otherwise have been hard to find, turning the Eagles around and giving us the opportunity needed to score late in the game, not once but twice. But our star this week was Pedro, who was again masterful, and it was fitting that he had the opportunity to kick the penalty that set Royals in the lead 3 minutes before half time. A lead we held into until the end winning 34-33.
Next week we head out to Taylor Park in Queanbeyan. The Whites have been building over recent weeks and getting over them on their home patch will be no simple feat. We hope to see you there.
