By TOM PRIMMER

The Hospital Cup Grand Final combatants for 2020 have been set after Easts brought Bond University’s season to an end with a 28-3 win at Ballymore on Sunday.

Easts will play Uni of Queensland after the Red Heavies went straight through to the big dance on the back of their major semi-final win over the Tigers.

It wasn’t the way that they Bull Sharks wanted to finished their breakthrough season with the side qualifying for their first finals series and playing the most consistent rugby in the club’s six-year history.

Here’s how the game panned out.

Easts 28 Bond University 3 | Ballymore

Easts have secured their spot in the Hospital Cup Grand Final with a resounding 28-3 win over Bond University at Ballymore on Sunday afternoon. 

The Tigers raced out to a 14-0 lead by the 15-minute mark and were never troubled from that point, eventually running in four tries to none to bring an end to an incredible season for the Bull Sharks. 

After a delayed start due to a signature Brisbane afternoon storm, skipper Ben Mowen started the try scoring with a pick and drive effort in the opening exchanges, before Shane Kennedy pounced on a pinpoint Aidan Toua cross-field kick to double his side’s advantage. 

Bond fly-half Mitch Third got his side on the board with a penalty, but it wasn’t long before the minor premiers had their third, with outside-centre Matt Smit finishing off a neat team sequence to put the score out to 21-3 by the half-time break. 

Seru Uru burrowed his way through the defence for a try of his own early in the second stanza, finishing the point scoring and giving his side an unassailable 25-point lead.

The Tigers front row dominated the scrum from the outset, laying the platform for their outside men, while the side’s defensive effort kept the Gold Coasters out of the contest for the full 80-minutes. 

Head coach Moses Rauluni said he was pleased with his side’s accuracy. 

“It’s a great feeling, the boys deserve it after a hard year,” he said. 

“I’m really happy for them, they have worked hard and have adapted well to all the changes this season. 

“We were much better in defence and really pressured Bond’s attack and really tested their skill level. 

“We worked really hard for each other and defended the line outstandingly and didn’t let the Bond boys over. 

“I’m disappointed we gave away a lot of offside penalties and we’ll have to fix that against Uni or they will punish us again.”

The win sets up a Grand Final clash with the University of Queensland, who defeated the Tigers in last week’s major semi-final. 

It may not have been the finish to 2020 Bond were after, but it caps an impressive season for the Bull Sharks, with the side qualifying for their first finals series and playing the most consistent rugby in the club’s six-year history. 

Easts 28 (Ben Mowen, Shane Kennedy, Matt Smit, Seru Uru tries; Eli Pilz 4 conversions) d Bond University 3 (Mitch Third pen goal)

IMAGE: BRENDAN HERTEL / QRU