Perth weathers Tornadoes

Perth weathers Tornadoes

September 23, 2007 - 8:06pm
Story by: Sportal
http://aru.rugby.com.au/news/perth_w.../section/50555


Perth Spirit has remained in firm contention for a finals berth with a come-from-behind 21-17 win over bottom-placed Ballymore Tornadoes in round seven of the Mazda Australian Rugby Championship in Brisbane.

With closest rivals the Rays and the Fleet both convincing victors, Perth succeeded in a match it had to win after surviving being reduced to 13 players before half-time.

The game contained snippets of entertaining rugby although was interrupted by a series of stoppages early with only replacement scrum-half James Stannard crossing for a try in the opening half-hour of play.

Stannard, starting ahead of Spirit captain Matt Henjak who was on the bench, finally found a gap to dart through after spirited Tornadoes defence had kept at bay the side which piled on 60 points against local rivals the Aces a week before.

The home side twice had possible tries chalked off for knock-ons before Leroy Houston's converted try gave the Tornadoes a 10-7 half-time lead.

Donovan Slade spilled an easy chance to score in the corner just six minutes into his Mazda ARC debut with referee Brett Bowden ruling a knock-on in the build-up while Houston also had his hands on the ball over the try-line before the referee again intervened.

However, Houston did cross six minutes before the interval while Perth was reduced to 13 men following two yellow cards in as many minutes to prop Gareth Hardy and wing Ed Jenkins.

Ill discipline has often cost the Tornadoes this season but this time the Spirit were the main offenders with Jenkins sinbinned for a professional foul after a stunning kick chase by speedster Blair Connor.

Connor would then have been a certainty to score his side's opener in the corner until Jenkins was found offside. Even though no penalty try was awarded the hosts still capitalised when Houston scored moments later.

Neither side added to the half-time score until lock Tom Hockings bundled over approaching the midway point of the second term to help the Spirit retake the lead.

Four minutes later, with the visitors enjoying their brightest spell, man-of-the-match Richard Brown broke away uncontested from halfway, slipped easily past Clinton Schifcofske and cantered home for Perth's third and decisive score.

No.8 Scott Higginbotham pulled one score back for the Tornadoes when he collected a pinpoint Schifcofske grubber kick but Ballymore, despite a late burst from captain Tom McVerry, couldn't find another.

The Spirit face league leaders the Western Sydney Rams in next week's crunch decider at Parramatta Stadium with a win necessary to guarantee a post season place.

Perth 21
Tries: Stannard, Hockings, Brown
Conversions: Daruda 3

Ballymore 17
Tries: Houston, Higginbotham
Penalty goals: Schifcofske
Conversions: Schifcofske 2

Well done team!!
A bit of ill-discipline but a finals berth remains on track for now!

Tornadoes fall short again
Posted 1 hour 8 minutes ago

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...23/2040960.htm


The Ballymore Tornadoes suffered their fifth consecutive loss of the Australian Rugby Championship season with a four-point loss to the Perth Spirit in Brisbane on Sunday.

Meanwhile in round seven's final fixture, the Sydney Fleet stormed to a resounding 40-7 win over the East Coast Aces at North Sydney Oval.

The Tornadoes let slip a three-point advantage at the half-time break, but tries from Tom Hockings and Richard Brown handed the Spirit a thrilling 21-17 victory.

Ballymore looked a strong chance to claw back into it in the 74th minute when Scott Higginbotham touched down, Queensland Reds full-back Clinton Schifcofske pulling the margin back to just four points.

Tom McVerry went close to a late winner for the Tornadoes but it was too little too late as they fell to their sixth loss from seven starts this season.

*phew* Good work, fellas!

ok seeing as I haven't watched any of the games - how well placed is and are our guys performing ???

2nd or 3rd on the ladder Happy.....had a lot of injuries last 2 matchs...win next week well and we could top the table....

Fava fired up for 'decider'
23/09/2007 10:13:39 PM Marc Fox

Perth Spirit captain Scott Fava is relishing the potential premiership decider with the Western Sydney Rams after squeezing past a determined Tornadoes outfit at Ballymore.

The Spirit, which will remain in the east ahead of the showdown at Parramatta Stadium, saw off the Tornadoes 21-17 but Fava was already looking ahead to the tussle with the table toppers.

"If you're worthy of playing finals rugby you should be able to beat a team like the Rams on their home ground," a confident Fava said.

"Throw the challenge out to them and the challenge out to the boys."
"If we're going to be up to standard lets beat these Rams, let's get the home final and let's take this competition."

Perth once again failed to register a bonus point despite an improved second-half showing although was perhaps thankful to escape being down to 13 men for eight minutes before half-time.

"That's something we've got to work on in this team - we've got to really finish teams off.," Fava admitted.

"It was only last week that we managed to get more than four tries. We're struggling in that area and we've got to find out reasons why."

"I thought we were going to get there in the end in that second-half but we just let it go a little bit."

Tornadoes coach Chris Roche was pleased at his side's steady progress with definite improvements shown over the past fortnight against the Rebels and the Spirit.

Roche saw plenty of positives in spite of the loss of Queensland Reds duo James Horwill (groin) and Peter Hynes (knee) before the match and being forced to switch wing Elia Tuqiri to flyhalf, the side's fifth No.10 of the season.

"I don't think Perth outclassed us in any way. It wasn't like that at all," Roche said. "Overall I thought our breakdown work was really good, I thought our defence was very good."

"We really caused them problems and they found it very difficult. I suspect they thought it was going to be a lot easier than what it was."

Fava agreed the Spirit would have to ensure preparations to face the Rams were less sloppy with the team enjoying a three-day training camp on the Gold Coast in midweek.

"We just didn't have the attitude. We got to sunny Brisbane and everybody relaxed a bit too much. I think we took that out on the field in that first-half," he conceded.

Now all we have to do is beat the Rams by 50 points in order to be minor premiers....

Sorry made a mistake there, only a 21 point win needed. That's probably a bit more do-able.

Well Done Spirit boyz.

woo thats what we want to see,
if we get home finals i will have to go. work comes second!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by James

Now all we have to do is beat the Rams by 50 points in order to be minor premiers....

Sorry made a mistake there, only a 21 point win needed. That's probably a bit more do-able.

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Not even - what goes on our points difference comes off the Rams, so 11 points would do it. Depends on what the Rays do too though, as it also has to be no worse than them plus 3 on any win of theirs over the Fleet.

Ohh I didn't think of that one. Haha I'm a bit of an idiot.