RAMPANT BULLS KEEP FINALS HOPES ALIVE
Kalamunda ripped through Nedlands 35-8 in a supercharged, bonus point assault on the finals today at Hartfield in the RugbyWA club competition, sponsored by KWIK Transport and Crane Hire.
Motivation was clearly a major factor with Kalamunda desperate in their push at making the four while the Royal Blues should be safely on course for a place in the major semi-final, with its vital second life for the losing team.
Kalamunda dominated most facets in the game, controlling the majority of territory and possession and launching creative attacks from all parts of the ground. Nedlands had opportunities but lacked passion and ruined their chances with repeated errors.
Kalamunda led 22-3 at half time after scoring three sparkling tries.
Nedlands opened with quickfire phases up the centre of the field and flyhalf Mike Denton missed a 40 metre penalty for offside after three minutes. Kalamunda surged downfield and wing Shaun Skiba slotted an angled 30 metre penalty, also for offside, three minutes later.
Denton missed a similar penalty opportunity after seven minutes but found his range with a slightly straighter kick after 13 minutes, offside again, to tie the scores at 3-3.
Skiba missed a penalty kick to touch and Neddies counter-attacked after 22 minutes but the Bulls turned over and Skiba atoned by dancing through the Royal Blues' defence to run away with a surprise try under the bar. The conversion of his try was a formality and Kalamunda took a 10-3 lead.
Kalamunda started to dominate territory and used the width of the field with sparkling attack, fullback Tane Puki a constant threat with jinking runs. Then on the half hour, the Bulls gained a lineout on Neddies' line and the forwards powered forward to drive prop Aliitaeao Asiata over the line for the try. Skiba converted from a narrow angle and the Bulls were well in control at 17-3.
Neddies worked hard to reply but knocked on two promising movements, while wing Alvin Lau lacked support when he made a telling break. Instead Kalamunda ripped downfield, spun the ball from touchline to touchline twice and number eight Cruze Ah Nau finished off with a punishing run for a try out wide. The sideline conversion missed but the Bulls took a 22-3 lead into the break.
Nedlands made more headway as the second spell opened and centre Juan Pretorius seemed to have the line at his mercy with a strong run after three minutes but the ball was knocked from his hands by the last defender.
Neddies continued attacking for a lengthy period but Kalamunda broke free and raced downfield to turn the pressure back on the visitors. But the Bulls helter-skelter attack couldn't finish this time and had to wait until a lineout penalty gave them position. The ball shot along the back line to wing Conrad Gillingham, who wrestled through desperate Nedlands defenders for a try out wide. The sideline conversion missed but at 27-3 with ten minutes to play it wasn't an issue.
Neddies stormed back to hammer Kalamunda's line but it was all too late. A crooked lineout throw returned possession to the Bulls and when Neddies scrum overturned Kalamunda ball, a tight forward knocked on and killed the attack.
By contrast, everything Kalamunda touched turned to gold. They kicked the loose ball ahead, followed up, and when Neddies' defenders made a mess of the clean up, Gillingham scooped up gift possession for a 20 metre sprint to the try in the corner.
The sideline conversion missed and with five minutes to play and a stunning 32-3 in arrears, Nedlands mounted a final series of attacks and Kalamunda lost reserve Brad Bell to the sin bin for repeated team infringements in defence of their line. Nedlands’ desperate late efforts were rewarded when young centre Eds Tauhinu was driven over for a try but Kalamunda immediately worked back and Puki kicked a last minute penalty goal for the 35-8 win.
In other games, University thumped Rockingham 55-16 at Lark Hill, fourth-placed Palmyra struggled home 34-29 over Wanneroo at Kingsway, premiers Cottesloe accounted for Subiaco 35-15 at Park and third-placed Associates defeated Perth-Bayswater 30-18 at Pat O'Hara Reserve.
With Kalamunda and Palmyra both scoring bonus point wins, the Bulls remain in fifth place five points adrift of the top four; but importantly today’s scores mean that Kalamunda is seven percent ahead of Paly’s for and against totals.
The composition of the four finalists remains open into the final round next week, when Kalamunda must defeat Wests-Subiaco with a bonus point and hope that Palmyra lose to Cottesloe by more than seven points.
The minor premiership also hangs in the balance, Nedlands on 63 points and Cottesloe on 64. The Seagulls game against Palmyra next week is less likely to yield a bonus point than Nedlands' match against wooden spooners Perth-Bayswater, but none of the teams can afford to take anything for granted.
by Rick Boyd | RugbyWA
