2
One of the choice match up’s at the start of the season was Arks hosting the Kalamunda Bulls, one of the real local derbies and an expectation of quite the battle. Well, credit to both clubs for playing rugby and getting on with gaining some much needed points on the table.
The Bulls started the game playing downhill with their intentions set out from the off, in pinning Arks inside their 22 by continuous phases of one and two out carriers whom, on taking it into contact very much did so. Physical yes but nothing else and that inertia gave support runners and clearers some simple tasks for clear and quick ball.
All too inevitably Kala went ahead with a couple of a scores in the bottom corner, by stretching the home defence and drawing them into contact. Contact made all the more physical with their consistent and ineffective upper body tackles, a lesson not learnt throughout the game.
When Arks did get some possession, borne out of some rare errors by the Bulls, they fought hard and struggled with any kind of exit plays, a struggle made all the more difficult when there’s no intention of clearing their lines by the boot. This made for some heavy legs on the runners tasked with carrying that scarce possession into the effective and fairly blunt defence. A fairly obvious reason that by the time scrums arrived, the Bulls demolished the home pack on almost every engagement.
An Arks uphill success did arrive in the last play before the break with a midfield break, mainly due to the repeated inside pass now dummied and the field opened up. Avoiding breakdowns and phase play, the home backline made it through the traffic to score one back.
The home side turned around after the break and took the Bulls by the horns so to speak, by maintaining some continuity heading down towards the bottom corner to scramble over in a replica of the opening try.
What then didn’t help was the home side’s captain failing to field two kick off receipts, handing Kala possession without the effort of getting up the hill. Several scrums, penalties taken as scrums and back row required to push no less, were followed by the obvious pick up at the base and the bonus point being reasonably simply collected.
Arks really struggled to compete heading into the last quarter with what little possession in the game being telegraphed, with repeated inside passes being the play. When countering Kala’s now introduced kicking game, the back three insisted on cutting inside every time with no exception. By taking it wider they did stretch the defence and passing interplays were positive but as they cut back, strangely enough they found the defence every time.
A few innovative plays from the Kala first receiver kept everyone on their toes as the home defence were only set to deal with the carries, but with both sides getting tired in the last 15, structure went by the wayside and another midfield break downhill saw the home side score the last points whilst already a BP down.
Both teams appear to have missed a few line out training sessions, but I believe Arks may miss a few more whilst working out how to deal with their scrummaging. Final score 43 – 26.