Hat-trick Hero: Rays no.8 Sam Ward slides in for the second of his three tries
Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

by Paul Cook –

He’s known for his savage hits and brutal work rate but Sam Ward became a try-scoring hero last nght as his hat-trick helped the North Harbour Rays overcome Perth Spirit, 32-29, in a thrilling encounter at Brookvale Oval.

A positive start from the Rays saw an early Harry Bergelin try give them the lead but Perth had played their way in by the end of the first quarter and two tries of their own looked to have earned them a half-time advantage until Ward came to the party for his first of the evening.

16-all at the break, a second from Ward saw the home side hold sway until Spirit rallied once more, Dillyn Leyd’s fifth try of the season putting them back out to a 29-24 lead and on the way to their third win of the season. However, Ward had other ideas and his hat-trick score just under 10 minutes from time left the Rays to defend manfully until the final whistle to claim back-to-back wins and a jump up to sixth spot on the NRC ladder.

Rays fullback Dave Feltscheer was pleased his side came away with the victory but admitted they weren’t at their best. “It definitely wasn’t a great performance,” he told Rugby News. “We came out firing in the first 10 minutes and got some really good front foot ball and given that Perth have had three or four away games in a row and spent a long time in the air, we figured that if we could ground them out in the first 10, we may put them in a position where they just didn’t want to be there. But after that good start, we were a bit ill disciplined and tried to push the pass a bit too much in the attacking zone and that cost us some momentum.”

Feltscheer was also elated for his Rays and Warringah Rats team mate, Sam Ward. “Three tries, he says he doesn’t think he’s ever done that before and he’s just had an awesome NRC season so far,” he said. “Taking the ball forward, knocking blokes out with some big shots and having someone like that in the back row gives you so much momentum and front foot ball, it’s something that you can’t really replicate. He was everywhere tonight.”

Zack Attack: Flyhalf Zack Holmes scored 14pts in defeat for Perth Spirit – Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

Perth Spirit coach Kevin Foote was happy with his team’s attacking threats but conceded that they have to aim up defensively if they are to make a mark on this competition. “We scored some nice tries but conceded some soft tries and were caught on the wrong side of the law on occasions,” he said. “Our guys always show a lot of coverage to come back and score tries but we put in so much hard work for those tries and then concede easily so that’s something we will work on this week.

“I thought our forwards did particularly well today at the set piece,” Foote continued. “We were really firing in the beginning and we were scrumming very well but then we lost our focus a bit and then didn’t manage the game as well as we should have but we will improve on that going forward.”

The Rays had set the tone from the off, a pack of power and mobility that has caused every side they’ve met a few problems, continued in that vein, a lineout drive pushing flanker Harry Bergelin over for his first try in the NRC and an 8-0 lead.

But the score only served to fire up the visitors, Spirit using the kicking nous of flyhalf Zack Holmes to pin the Rays inside their own half, while flooding the breakdown and sending it wide at every opportunity.

Their intent paid off when they kicked a penalty to touch for a lineout on the 22 and found the Rays defence napping. The ball was sent infield from the throw and when Luke Burton drifted past a soft tackle from Brian Sefanaia, centre partner Ammon Matuauto was on his inside to run in behind the posts.

Both sides had chances as the game entered the second quarter but it was Spirit who were showing the better rhythm with ball in hand and more invention inside the red zone. A neat set play off a scrum saw the ball go two passes infield and two decoy runners bemuse the Rays line for Zack Holmes to slice through and slide home for a 16-8 advantage.

Back came the Rays and, despite the array of attacking weapons in their backline locker, it was a case of ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ as they mirrored their opening try with another perfectly executed lineout drive to put Ward over for his first contribution to the scoreboard. The reliable Hamish Angus added the extras to send both sides to the sheds with plenty to think about for the second half.

After the break, ‘The Sam Ward Show’ kicked up a notch as he scooped up from the back of a scrum and took advantage of some non-existent defence from Perth to scoot 30 metres down the blindside and dive over for his second. A terrific sideline conversion from Angus restored their early 8pt advantage but there was still a long way to go.

A yellow card to Rays debutant Boyd Killingworth on 52 minutes opened the door for the visitors to strike back and they didn’t need a second invitation. Camped on the Rays tryline, they eventually sucked in enough home defenders to create the overlap out wide for a grateful Matuauto to cross for his second of the evening. Zack Holmes’ missed conversion would ultimately prove costly by the final whistle but when Spirit suffered their own 10 minute dismissal, winger Va’a Mailei the recipient, they had more immediate concerns.

First Blood: Harry Bergelin opened the Rays account for the evening with his first try in the NRC
Photo: Carl Peterson

Sniffing blood in the water, the Rays ramped up the pressure and a host of replacements, including the introduction of Josh Holmes and Scott Daruda to form a new 9, 10, 12 combination with Angus, saw them refreshed and ready to strike for home as the game entered its final quarter.

However, with the tide firmly against them, it was Perth who scored next and again, it was Burton who was the creator. Receiving the ball on the edge of the Rays’ 10 metre line, the 20-year-old showed a clean pair of heels to slice between Mali Hingano and Cam Crawford before reversing a pass into the hands of the onrushing Dillyn Leyds, the fullback running in for his 5th try of the season.

Holmes added the extras this time and with 15 minutes on the clock, the visitors had assembled a 29-24 lead. But, as evidenced by last week’s last minute triumph against Queensland Country, you’ve got to play for the full 80 minutes to beat this Rays side and it took only five minutes for them to find another five pointer to turn the game on its head once more.

Clearly warming to his role as chief points scorer, Ward found himself seagulling on the wing when a long, raking pass from Daruda took out three Spirit defenders that had drifted infield and the no.8 put on the after burners to slide home in the corner for the leveller.

The baton then passed to Angus for what would prove to be the match winning kick. Again, cruelled by a difficult sideline angle, the 2014 Ken Catchpole Medallist was nerveless as he dissected the posts with aplomb.

Cue a frantic last 10 minutes which saw Spirit roll the dice and throw everything at the Rays line but there was to be no further breakthrough. In fact, there was still time for Ward to claim what would have been a sensational fourth try when he dove over a ruck to touch down from a metre, only to be overruled by the officials. “If you asked me it was a try but the refs didn’t see it that way unfortunately,” Ward bemoaned afterwards.

No matter, it was to be his and the Rays day, and after starting their NRC campaign with two losses, the boys from North of the harbour can celebrate back-to-back wins as they move into the second half of the competition.

North Harbour Rays 32 (Sam Ward 3, Harry Bergelin tries; Hamish Angus 4 cons) defeated Perth Spirit 29 (Ammon Matuauto 2, Zack Holmes, Dillyn Leyds tries; Zack Holmes 3 cons)