Eastwood’s Mick Snowden draws the attention of the Two Blues’ defence
Photo: seiserphotography.com

by Brendan Bradford –

The score-line depicts a 30-point drubbing, but the side on the receiving end was probably better for two-thirds of the match.

After starting well and scoring three tries to one to lead 15-13 at halftime, the wheels fell off for Parramatta in the last 20 minutes as Eastwood ran over top of them with a late five-try blitz to win 47-18 at Merrylands RSL Rugby Park.

Both coaches agreed the scoreline did no justice to the style and approach the Two Blues took into the match.

“In fairness to Parramatta, they were the better team for 60 minutes,” said Eastwood coach John Manenti.

“They played the better footy, the more enterprising footy, which we’ve almost come to expect from them now.

“With a bit of breeze favouring them and momentum going their way they were in the box seat, and we had to come back and grind away and I suppose once we hit a certain point, they probably deflated and leaked a few tries that they normally wouldn’t.

Tukia Muli opens the scoring for Parramatta – Photo: seiserphotography.com

“So the score doesn’t justify the closeness of the game.”

Both sides sweated on injuries to key players through the week and although Parramatta benefitted greatly from the sublime work of returning flyhalf Sam Yakopo, with the absence of inspirational captain Andrew Cox and a host of young forwards packing down, the side simply ran out of gas on the hour mark.

“We were pretty hard done by in terms of the score, but we let ourselves go and just ran out of people really,” said Parramatta coach Glen Christini.

“We were superb through that first half but there were a couple of game-changers that we didn’t finish off in the second.

“We knocked-on twice within five meters of the line, and if we’d scored we probably would have gotten away with it, but you’d never guess it with that scoreline. That’s the frustrating thing. It’s disappointing to do that but a big learning curve by the same token.” 

The Parramatta backline responded to an early Jared Barry try in typical fashion by spreading it wide, before Eastwood centre Michael McDougall was sinbinned for a high tackle and Tukia Muli pounced on a perfectly weighted Yakopo grubber to capitalise on Parramatta’s one-man advantage.

Yakopo had an off day kicking from the tee, missing all but one of his four kicks, but Ben Batger was deadly as ever, slotting a penalty and giving the Woods a 10-5 lead.

Another yellow card saw Jimmy Hilgendorf follow McDougall to the bin and the home-side again made Eastwood pay with a patient build-up for lock Adam Coleman to level score.

Michael McDougall was sin-binned for this high-tackle on Mosese Tavola
Photo: seiserphotography.com

Hooker Myles Hunkin burrowed over to put Parramatta ahead before a 40-meter Batger penalty gave a 15-13 halftime scoreline.

Playing with confidence and having the wind at their backs in the second half, Parramatta would have fancied themselves capable of an upset and they flew out of the sheds with gusto. They blew two tries through handling errors and over-excitement close to the line, but were still playing well enough in the ten minutes after the break to have the upper hand.

It was all downhill from there though.

Batger and Yakopo traded penalties before impressive Eastwood hooker Hugh Roach ploughed over for a five-pointer and when substitute Gareth Palamo sparked a great team try that Nick Batger finished off for a 30-18 lead, Two Blues heads dropped.

Western Force halfback Mick Snowden scored a sniping try to push the score to 37-18 and the rout continued in the closing ten minutes when Hugh Perrett scored a 50-meter runaway and Roach dotted down for his second.

Rugby’s a funny game sometimes, but Parramatta can take a lot out of the match. The Two Blues were world beaters on attack – Yakopo is one to watch – but they need to keep from getting their heads down when they go behind. That was the difference on Saturday. Eastwood know from experience how to hang on and grind out victories.

The second placed Woods host Gordon next weekend while Parramatta – who dropped from sixth to eighth – are away to Easts.

Eastwood 47 (Hugh Roach 2, Hugh Perrett, Mick Snowden, Jared Barry, Nick Batger tries; Ben Batger 4 cons, 3 pens) d Parramatta 18 (Myles Hunkin, Adam Coleman, Tukia Muli tries, Sam Yakopo pen).