Wallaby Benn Robinson enjoyed a bruising encounter against the Rebels
Photo: seiserphotography.com

by Paul Cook –

Eastwood have booked their place in the last four of this year’s Shute Shield finals with a come from behind 33-27 victory over Southern Districts at TG Millner Field. The 2013 Minor Premiers were made to work hard for their week off as the Rebels came out firing early on to lead 10-0, evoking memories of their upset win over the Woodies at the same stage last season, but once the home side found their mojo, they were able to blitz away to a second half advantage that proved just too much for a late charging Souths to peg back.

Eastwood coach John Manenti was pleased to get through a testing encounter but always felt his side were in control of the situation despite the early deficit. “I felt like we had the run of the game even though things were going their way on the scoreboard early on and the more speed we were able to play at and the more time we got with the ball, we were hurting them.”

Trailing 13-12 at the break, it was an eight minute, three-try barrage from the Woodies at the start of the second stanza – initiated by an intercept try – that ultimately proved the difference but Manenti maintained that it was no great ‘spray’ that turned things around, just a reminder to do what they do best.

“I just told them to keep playing at speed,” he said. “I felt we had them right on the edge, we were punching holes and making opportunities, we just needed to keep the speed in the game and once we did that we looked really good. After that they got some time with the ball, they started to power up in the scrum and they’ve got a team of giants so the fact we hung in there was a great effort.”

Souths’ Dewet Roos helps winger Alex Gibbon celebrate his 17th try of the season – Photo: seiserphotography.com

Having seen his side build that early advantage and drift out of the game in the middle third before coming home with a burst, Souths coach Cam Blades adopted a rational tone. “We probably didn’t capitalise on the dominance in that first period of the game and that first ten minutes after half-time just killed us off the back of the intercept try,” he conceded. “I think a few heads dropped after that and it was courageous of us to fight back from there but to be fair, they were the better side today and in some respects, the score line probably flattered us a bit.”

Crossing for Eastwood’s fifth try was Wallaby prop Benn Robinson. Deemed surplus to requirements in the green and gold for the time being, ‘Fat Cat’ enjoyed his return to his old stomping ground and paid tribute to the Rebels’ pack. “I’ve been a junior here since under 10’s so it’s really special for me and I enjoyed it. They’re a really physical side, they’ve got a big forward pack and their scrum did really well – that’s probably the most weight I’ve felt in a club game for a long time. It was a good game of footy to play in.”

On a perfect day for running rugby, it was the visitors who seized the early initiative, muscling up through their big ball runners before attacking the flanks but after a quarter of an hour, they only had a Rohan Saifoloi penalty to show for their efforts.

Then, on 17 minutes, they struck the first blow, the prolific Alex Gibbon doing what he does best when put in space after the Woodies had failed to find touch from a penalty, powering his way to the line and leaving Saifoloi a simple conversion.

However, having gained the upper hand, Souths – as is their wont this season – shot themselves in the foot immediately when they switched off from the restart, allowing Eastwood skipper Hugh Perrett to make a line break before the ball was recycled wide for Nick Batger to dive over. The swiftest of ripostes.

Saifoloi did extend the lead to 13-5 when he slotted his 250th point of the season via a penalty on the half hour but the tide was visibly turning as Eastwood belatedly sensed the brevity of the occasion and began to up the ante in the collision stakes, fighting fire with fire with a succession of stinging hits.

Hit of the season? Sita Timani can only look on as younger brother Lopeti is carved in half by Eastwood’s Jared Barry – Photo: seiserphotography.com

One such belter from the impressive Jared Barry simply carved Lopeti Timani in half and left the new Melbourne Rebels recruit in a world of discomfort. The hit rallied Barry’s fellow troops to the cause and it was the forwards who laid the platform for try number two, pick and drives the order of the day before James Stannard put hooker turned flanker Hugh Roach over off a short ball.

Ben Batger’s conversion left Eastwood with a 1pt deficit as the teams went to the sheds but momentum and belief was now firmly with the hosts and three tries in eight crazy minutes after the break turned the tide firmly in their favour.

The first came when Waratah Ben Volavola – looking to ignite a counter attack from deep – threw a wide pass on the edge of his 22 straight into the arms of Eastwood flyhalf James Hilgendorf, who said thankyou very much to stride over untouched.

The sideline scorer had barely registered the try and conversion before he was out of his seat again, Michael MacDougall taking a couple of defenders with him as he stretched to find the line following good lead-up work from centre Cam Mitchell.

Completing the triple salvo was prop Robinson, who went over from half a metre after his fellow pack members had done the hard yards off a driving maul from a lineout. However, it was the guile and execution of Locky McCaffrey’s grubber off the outside of his foot that had forced the lineout in the first place, that was the catalyst.

From 13-12 up to 33-13 down, the Rebels were suitably stunned and it took them a while to regather themselves but when they did, Eastwood’s defence was more than up to the task and it was their refusal to yield under pressure between the 50th and 65th minutes that ultimately saw them home.

Kudos to Souths for turning down a couple of kickable penalties in favour of greater reward during that period, but when they did finally break through, it was a touch too late in the day.

Skipper Steve Fualau strolled through an unusual chink in the Eastwood armour with 16mins to go and there was still time for some late drama when Waratah Rob Horne went in 2 minutes from time to set up a grandstand finish but in truth, a Souths victory at that point would have been unjust on the balance of play.

Eastwood 33 (Nick Batger, Jimmy Hilgendorf, Michael McDougall, Hugh Roach, Benn Robinson tries; Ben Batger 4 cons) d Southern Districts 27 (Alex Gibbon, Steve Fualau, Rob Horne tries; Rohan Saifoloi 3 cons, 2 pens) at T.G. Millner. Referee Edward Martin