Every Easts attack was met with ferocious defence from a fired up Marlins
Photo: seiserphotography.com

by Paul Cook –

Manly have reversed the form book to bounce back from two heavy defeats in style with a comprehensive 39-20 victory over Eastern Suburbs at Woollahra Oval. Easts came into the game with two successive wins under their belts but the Marlins, having conceded 84pts in their last two games, came out with a point to prove and simply smashed Easts at the breakdown, constructed wave upon wave of destructive phase play and took their opportunities to plunder five tries and a bonus point.

Both sides put together some entertaining, attacking rugby and while the tackle contest was simply brutal at times, it was always a launch pad to get some width on the ball and go through the hands. The damage was done in the 1st half and surprisingly, into a blustery wind, as Manly led 22-8 at the break. A Pat Leafa double in the second stanza confirmed the result, despite a late flurry from the hosts.

Anton La Vin was one of Easts’ best on a bad day for the Beasties – Photo: seiserphotography.com

Returning Marlins coach Phil Blake was pleased to get back in the winners circle after the loss to Eastwood in his first game back in charge, but still sees room for improvement. “As great as we played, we still let in two late tries that could have been prevented but people that saw both games would have seen a significant difference in attitude. We had a more experienced side out there than previously, which helps but there were some really nice signs for the club moving forward.”

Skipper Ed Gower echoed those sentiments while being relieved that Manly can now put the last two weeks behind them. “It’s a much happier feeling coming off a win after the last couple of losses we’ve had. All the things we hadn’t been doing in the previous games, we did today. We’ve been working hard on getting our support there, guys being in the right spot and being able to offload and we did that well. We’ve had some long nights at training and it’s good to get some reward for that.”

Having won their last two games, Easts coach Mark Bakewell was hugely disappointed, not just with the result but the manner in which it transpired. “Mentally, we weren’t at the races. Their back row dominated ours but we made too many errors and made them look good because we were passive. It’s frustrating after we’d played so well the last couple of weeks but that’s rugby and that’s coaching.”

The home side suffered an early setback when centre Tom Azar left the field following a seismic hit from Melbourne Rebels newboy, Jordy Reid. Ironically, the collateral damage from the collision would take Reid himself out of the game on the half hour and Easts would have breathed a sigh of relief given the work rate and physicality the young flanker brought to the Manly cause.

The Marlins were visibly fired up and although Easts took the lead through a Henry Hudson penalty in the 13th minute, it was only a matter of time before the intensity their opponents were bringing to the game bore fruit.

So it was three minutes later when a Will Helu half-break got them on the front foot and some powerful support and clean out work eventually helped to drive flanker Kotoni Ale over the chalk.

Richard Hooper was a constant menace with his speed and dancing feet
Photo: seiserphotography.com

Playing into a stiffening breeze, the visitors maintained the rage with an endless supply of willing ball runners and neat offloads stretching the Beasts defence and it was little surprise when they crossed again in the 27th minute. Brian Sefanaia stepped and palmed off Richard Stanford far too easily before feeding Richard Hooper to the line.

Easts had their moments, with ball in hand they too looked the part and put together some dangerous and exciting phases but Manly, scarred from those recent defeats, were always up in their faces, choking their time and space and forcing errors.

Young Marlins flanker Harry Bergelin is looking increasingly at home in 1st grade. Always looking for work, he’s quick, abrasive and has a nice offload off either side and he was involved in Manly’s third try five minutes before the break.

Moving the ball wide at pace, again it was the speed and execution of their offloads that confounded Easts and allowed BJ Hartmann to plough a path through to the posts. Marshall Milroy, in for the injured Jacob Woodhouse, slotted his second conversion of the day and Manly looked dominant at 19-3.

Marlins hooker Pat Leafa grabbed a 2nd half double
Photo: seiserphotography.com

Something was needed – and quickly – if Easts were not going to let the game get away from them and it was skipper Pauli Taumoepeau, leading by example, who barrelled over in the corner within two minutes of the restart.

A lifeline then, but Hudson’s missed conversion was punished when Manly pressure forced a penalty in the last play of the half. Milroy struck and it was 22-8 at oranges.

The game was effectively over as a contest in the opening minute of the second half when hooker Pat Leafa crossed for Manly’s bonus point try and another Milroy penalty extended the advantage six minutes later.

Now playing into the wind, Easts were finding it even harder to get out of their own half as Manly pinned them back, finding holes and using the pace and elusiveness of Richard Hooper, who was becoming increasingly unplayable. It was another dart in off his wing in the 53rd minute that paved the way for Leafa’s second, scything his way through three or four tackles before offloading to the delighted young rake.

In danger of becoming a rout, a combination of Manly pulling up stumps and the Beasts mustering a final roar, saw the hosts strike twice in the final 10 minutes but the game was already long gone.

Andrew Shaw caught the Marlins napping, finding the line from a tap and go penalty 10 metres out in the 72nd minute and three minutes later, neat hands from Taumoepeau and Damien Anderson put Hudson over and the fly-half added the extras to put some respectability on the scoreline. The home crowd were left wondering where that execution and desire had been for the first 70 minutes.

Manly 39  (Pat Leafa 2, Kotoni Ale, Richard Hooper, BJ Hartmann tries, Marshall Milroy 4 cons, 2 pens) bt Eastern Suburbs 20  (Andrew Shaw, Pauliasi Taumoepeau, Henry Hudson tries, Henry Hudson con, pen)