West's Subiaco Win 4 in a Row

Wests Subiaco has come from fourth place in the home-and-away series to claim its fourth consecutive Home Building Society First Grade title in a nail-biting grand final showdown with Minor Premiers, Nedlands.

With little more than a minute of time remaining, Nedlands had the chance to snatch a last-gasp victory with a conversion from the sideline but the kick went wide, and Wests hung on to triumph 15-14.

Wests captain Greg Plimmer, who scored the first of his team’s two tries with a battering run off the back of a 5m scrum in the 37th minute, was named man of the match.

When Elliot Kuehlmann-Hall scored Wests’ second try in the 57th minute, the reigning premiers stretched their lead to 12-6, with Nedlands’ points having come from the boot of flyhalf Gareth Cooks.

In the 77th minute, Wests seemed to the have sealed the result with a penalty from flyhalf Aaron Broughton, taking the score to 15-9.

But in a tense and exciting finish before a crowd of 3,000 at Rugby Park, Nedlands fullback Greg McKenzie crossed the line in the corner, leaving Cooks the difficult job of slotting the sideline conversion for victory.

In a triple blow to the Emirates Western Force’s hopes in the Australian Provincial Championships, squad members Pek Cowan (ankle), Luke Holmes (leg) and Garth Ziegler (elbow) – all playing for Nedlands – left the field with injuries.

FULL TIME: Wests Subiaco 15 Nedlands 14

Wests Subiaco 15 (Tries: Greg Plimmer, Elliot Kuehlmann-Hall Conv: Mike Taberer Pen: Aaron Broughton)

Nedlands 14 (Try: Greg McKenzie Pen: Gareth Cooks 3)