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WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE Tuesday, 8 September 2015
TONY HOWARTH AO APPOINTED RUGBYWA CHAIRMAN
Leading Perth business identity, Tony Howarth AO, has been appointed Chairman of the RugbyWA Board of Directors.
Mr Howarth, who has been fulfilling the position as interim Chairman, takes over the role from the late Dr Russel Perry, who passed away in July from Motor Neurone Disease.
Mr Howarth has been involved in Western Australia rugby for some 25 years, including as a past President of Cottesloe Rugby Club, and has been a RugbyWA Board member since 2009. His executive career started in the banking and finance sector, and he came to Perth from Sydney in 1991 to take up the role of CEO of Challenge Bank Ltd. Other roles have included CEO of Hartleys Ltd, Chairman of Home Building Society and Deputy Chairman of Bank of Queensland. He chaired Alinta Ltd through its privatisation and initial public listing.
He is currently Chairman of Mermaid Marine Australia Limited, director of Alinta Energy and a non- executive director of Wesfarmers Limited and the BWP Trust.
He has had significant community involvement having been the inaugural Chairman of the Committee for Perth and spent 12 years on the UWA Senate. He is also a past President of Chamber of Commerce & Industry WA (CCIWA) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI). He currently chairs St John of God Health Care Inc. Board and is a member of the Rio Tinto Community Development Fund. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of WA where he is an Adjunct Professor and is Deputy Chair of The Business School's Advisory Board.
“I’m honoured to be appointed Chairman of RugbyWA and being able to continue the excellent work that’s been taking place within the organisation and across rugby in the state,” Mr Howarth said.
“While our game in Western Australia has a number of unique challenges, it is built upon an extremely passionate rugby community which will continue to be the driving force behind our achievements locally, nationally and on the international stage.
“It’s an exciting period to be involved in rugby in Western Australia. Participation continues to grow and our community clubs are very proactive in continuing to hone their operations, as one of the most important stakeholders in our game; our junior development teams – including our Junior Gold Cup and WA Under 20’s team – have represented our state in the highest regard over the past two seasons; Women’s and Sevens rugby is an enormous opportunity for us in growing our game; our player pathway with the Future Force and Perth Spirit is stronger than ever before; and the Western Force, while not reaching the heights we would have wanted this season, have – over the past three seasons – put in place a rugby program that has enabled the team to better understand what is required to achieve sustained success, as well as progressing towards achieving that goal.
“While we all understand that there is still much work to be done across all levels of our game, there are a number of key opportunities for us to continue to grow the game in Western Australia and develop our aspiring players.”
The RugbyWA Board is also made up of Mr David Redpath (President), Mr John Edwards, Mr Charles Fear, Ms Marion Fulker, Mr Kevin Gallagher, Mr Hans Sauer, Mr Scott Staniforth (Player Representative) and Mr David Vaux. |
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WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE Tuesday, 8 September 2015
TONY HOWARTH AO APPOINTED RUGBYWA CHAIRMAN
Leading Perth business identity, Tony Howarth AO, has been appointed Chairman of the RugbyWA Board of Directors.
Mr Howarth, who has been fulfilling the position as interim Chairman, takes over the role from the late Dr Russel Perry, who passed away in July from Motor Neurone Disease.
Mr Howarth has been involved in Western Australia rugby for some 25 years, including as a past President of Cottesloe Rugby Club, and has been a RugbyWA Board member since 2009. His executive career started in the banking and finance sector, and he came to Perth from Sydney in 1991 to take up the role of CEO of Challenge Bank Ltd. Other roles have included CEO of Hartleys Ltd, Chairman of Home Building Society and Deputy Chairman of Bank of Queensland. He chaired Alinta Ltd through its privatisation and initial public listing.
He is currently Chairman of Mermaid Marine Australia Limited, director of Alinta Energy and a non- executive director of Wesfarmers Limited and the BWP Trust.
He has had significant community involvement having been the inaugural Chairman of the Committee for Perth and spent 12 years on the UWA Senate. He is also a past President of Chamber of Commerce & Industry WA (CCIWA) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI). He currently chairs St John of God Health Care Inc. Board and is a member of the Rio Tinto Community Development Fund. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of WA where he is an Adjunct Professor and is Deputy Chair of The Business School's Advisory Board.
“I’m honoured to be appointed Chairman of RugbyWA and being able to continue the excellent work that’s been taking place within the organisation and across rugby in the state,” Mr Howarth said.
“While our game in Western Australia has a number of unique challenges, it is built upon an extremely passionate rugby community which will continue to be the driving force behind our achievements locally, nationally and on the international stage.
“It’s an exciting period to be involved in rugby in Western Australia. Participation continues to grow and our community clubs are very proactive in continuing to hone their operations, as one of the most important stakeholders in our game; our junior development teams – including our Junior Gold Cup and WA Under 20’s team – have represented our state in the highest regard over the past two seasons; Women’s and Sevens rugby is an enormous opportunity for us in growing our game; our player pathway with the Future Force and Perth Spirit is stronger than ever before; and the Western Force, while not reaching the heights we would have wanted this season, have – over the past three seasons – put in place a rugby program that has enabled the team to better understand what is required to achieve sustained success, as well as progressing towards achieving that goal.
“While we all understand that there is still much work to be done across all levels of our game, there are a number of key opportunities for us to continue to grow the game in Western Australia and develop our aspiring players.”
The RugbyWA Board is also made up of Mr David Redpath (President), Mr John Edwards, Mr Charles Fear, Ms Marion Fulker, Mr Kevin Gallagher, Mr Hans Sauer, Mr Scott Staniforth (Player Representative) and Mr David Vaux. |
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WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE Sunday, 23 August 2015
NEDLANDS CROWNED 2015 PREMIERS
Pindan Premier Grade – Grand Final Nedlands 39 defeated Wests Scarborough 27 at McGillivray Oval, Mt Claremont
By Fraser Smith
Nedlands have claimed the 2015 Pindan Premier Grade Premiership with a classic 39-27 win over Wests Scarborough at McGillivray Oval this afternoon.
In a back-and-forth first half, Nedlands made the most of their opportunities, running in three tries to two to take a 24-10 lead at the break. In a thrilling second half, ‘Neddies’ – led by an Etixx Man of the Match performance from No.8 Richard Naylor – were able to hold off the fast-finishing Boars.
Nedlands head coach Luke Doherty said he was proud of his side’s performance and thrilled to experience his first premiership as a coach.
“Full credit to Wests, they made is hard for us all day and they are really good rugby side,” he said. “Fortunately we were just that little bit better today and that got us over the line.
“When they started coming back, the boys stuck to our game plan and that faith in our systems is what really helped us hold them off.
“Some of the older heads in the team guys like Joe Ritchie, Michael Ruru and Richard Naylor really stood-up today. The old saying you have to lose a few before you win one came true today.”
Nedlands started the match at a furious pace charging deep into the Wests 22m courtesy of a mid-field break from centre Davis Tavita. On the backfoot, Wests conceded the first penalty of the match and Kauri Cudd made no mistake, knocking it over for the first points of the final.
‘Neddies’ continued to pressure the Boars as flyhalf Jesse Toto quickly shifted the ball from one wing to the other with a two-man overlap allowing Cudd to cruise over to score in the corner for the first try of the contest. Cudd converted his try to hand Nedlands an early 10-0 lead.
Toto then put Richard Naylor into space before the No.8 put his head down and barged over the line from five-metres out. Cudd added the extras to give the minor premiers some breathing room and a 17-0 lead.
Sensing the pressure, Wests Scarborough responded almost immediately, when, deep in Nedlands’ half, Boars vice-captain Michael Marshall took the game into his own hands taking the quick tap and charging forward before swinging the ball wide for Jordan Luke to touch down in the corner and close the gap to 17-5.
With the momentum shifting Wests Scarborough continued to roll forward and following an attacking scrum, AJ Alatimu put in a grubber kick into the corner, with a fumble in goal from Nedlands allowing Jarome Leonard-TeKanawa to dive on the ball and score the Boars’ second.
Nedlands had the final say of the first half as Cudd found Michael Egan in space allowing the lock to storm in from 20-metres out and score under the posts for his side’s third. Cudd converted to hand Nedlands a 24-10 lead at halftime.
Wests drew first blood in the second half as AJ Alatimu kicked his first penalty of the game to close the gap to 24-13.
Following a break from Nedlands skipper Joe Ritchie deep into the Wests 22m, Toto shifted the ball to a two-man overlap on the right wing finding fullback Dylan Loversidge who sold a dummy and stepped inside to score Nedlands’ fourth of the afternoon. Kudd converted with ease to extend the lead to 31-13.
Wests kept themselves in the hunt thanks to a Keith Andrews try off the back of a rolling maul and Alatimu converted to close the gap to 31-20.
Cudd steadied the ship with his second penalty of the contest to push the lead out to 34-20.
Wests Scarborough’s Marty Campbell set up a potential grandstand finish as he intercepted a loose pass and charged 30-metres to score under the posts. Campbell converted his own try to bring the Boars within seven, trailing 34-27.
In a whirlwind passage of play, Nedlands answered back immediately as Loversidge charged down the right wing before the fullback offloaded to Michael Ruru, who dived over from just a metre out to finalise the result as Nedlands claimed the premiership 39-27.
The Pindan Premier Grade Premiership completes historic treble for the club with Nedlands claiming the Belt Up Under 19 and Pindan Reserve Grade premierships earlier in the day.
Nedlands 39 (Michael Ruru, Kauri Cudd, Richard Naylor, Michael Egan, Dylan Loversidge tries; Kauri Cudd 4 conversion, 2 penalties) def Wests Scarborough 27 (Jordan Luke, Jarome Leonard-TeKanawa, Keith Andrews, Marty Campbell tries; AJ Alatimu conversion, penalty, Marty Campbell conversion) Etixx Player of the Match: Richard Naylor
Other RugbyWA Senior Grade grand final results:
PINDAN RESERVE GRADE Nedlands 20 (Neihana Christian try; Michael Botes 5 penalties) def Associates 19 (Matt Dreyer try; Matt Dreyer conversion, 4 penalties) Etixx Player of the Match: Michael Botes
BELT UP UNDER 19 Nedlands 17 (Bryce Hendricks, Ben Manifold tries; Herschelle Classen 2 conversions, penalty) def Joondalup 12 (Taine Timoko, Isaac Cavu tries; Stuart Davey conversion) Etixx Player of the Match: Herschelle Classen
PINDAN OPEN DIVISION 1 Curtin Uni 27 (Erik Lagesse 2; Guy Archibald, Usaia Ralulu tries; Robert Fulton 2 conversions, penalty) def Rockingham 23 (Josh Hanson 2, Adam Brick tries; Dudley Courtland conversion, 2 penalties) Etixx Player of the Match: Dean Tyrrell
PINDAN OPEN DIVISION 2 ARKS 46 (Kayne Cassidy 2; Storm Takuta, Oshay Jensen, Beau Cassidy, Roughan Kiel, Reon Wynyard tries; Reon Wynyard 3 conversions, penalty, Joe Kapua conversion) def Palmyra 15 (Brett Limpus, Peter Firth tries; Peter Firth conversion, penalty) Etixx Player of the Match: Kayne Cassidy
PINDAN OPEN DIVISION 3 Palmyra 44 (Nicholas Short 3; Jarrad Menary, Fraley Hopa, Jarrod Degonkolbe, Darren Rudling tries; Junior Greig 2 conversions) def Curtin Uni 0 Etixx Player of the Match: Fraley Hopa
PINDAN OPEN DIVISION 4 Cottesloe 11 (John Cameron tries; Connor Brenan 2 penalties) def Mandurah 5 (Bryn Pou try) Etixx Player of the Match: Will Hopi Gerard
PINDAN OPEN DIVISION 5 Associates 13 (Ben Lee try; Damien Elton conversion, 2 penalties) def Cottesloe All Stars 10 (Matt Aitken try; Eruera Haimona conversion, penalty) Etixx Player of the Match: Damien Elton
ALCOHOL.THINK AGAIN WOMEN'S Wanneroo Divas 12 (Anneka Stephens, Cheyelle Robins-Reti tries; Naomi Kara conversion) def Cottesloe 6 (Tui Cope penalties) Etixx Player of the Match: Anneka Stephens |
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WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE Friday, 21 August 2015
KALAMUNDA’S DALEY HARPER CLAIMS 2015 PG HAMPSHIRE AWARD
Kalamunda utility back Daley Harper has been recognised as the Pindan Premier Grade’s most outstanding player for 2015 after receiving the PG Hampshire Award at the RugbyWA Awards Breakfast this morning.
Harper’s consistent performances, game management and attacking flair were key contributors to Kalamunda’s rise up the Pindan Premier Grade table, and enabled him to cross for eight tries during the season, including a hat-trick against Perth Bayswater in Round Four.
The PG Hampshire Award is voted upon by referees on a 3-2-1 basis, with Harper claiming maximum points on four occasions to finish with 18 points.
Harper took the tally board lead after Round 10 and held it for the remainder of the season with Wests Scarborough flyhalf AJ Alatimu (16 points) finishing runner-up ahead of a three-way tie for third, featuring Western Force and UWA flanker Chris Alcock, Nedlands scrumhalf Michael Ruru and UWA back-rower Richard Hardwick – all on 15 points.
Alatimu took out the Top Points Scorer after finishing the regular season with 208 points, with two 26-point hauls against Perth Bayswater and Cottesloe.
Kalamunda winger, Faamanatu Apineru claimed the competition’s Top Try Scorer after crossing 21 times in 17 matches this season including a massive seven-try haul in the Bulls’ 71-5 win over Perth Bayswater.
Coach of the Year Award was presented to Wests Scarborough’s First Grade coach, Dwayne Grace, who progressed his side to within one point of the minor premiership and have qualified for their first grand final since their 2006 premiership – a match in which Grace played at fullback.
The competition’s Most Improved Player went to Nedlands tighthead prop, Jermaine Ainsley, who was not only selected for the WA Under 20’s and Perth Spirit squads this season, but has been a key player in Nedlands’ formidable front row in their grand final qualifying season.
Southern Lions flyhalf and Australian Girls Sevens squad member Shanice Parker was identified as the Women’s Best and Fairest player. The award capped off a stellar season for the 17-year-old, who not only represented both the Alcohol.Think Again Youth Women’s and senior representative teams at the 2015 National Sevens Championships, but finished the local season with 12 tries from her six matches.
Former Palmyra and Referees Association President, Kim Short was recognised for more than 25 years’ contribution to rugby with Life Membership to RugbyWA. Short has been officiating rugby union since 1991, and was awarded Life Membership into the WA Rugby Union Referee’s Association in 2005, having served roles as President, Secretary, Committee Member and Referee Coach. Short, who also received Life Membership to Palmyra last year, has made a significant contribution to the riverside club as President, Secretary, Coach and a sponsor over the past nine seasons.
Referee Graham Cooper received his third successive Referee Award for his consistency with officiating games this season. Cooper, who will oversee matches through the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship, had another excellent Pindan Premier Grade season, coupled with six Asteron Life Super Rugby appointments as an Assistant Referee. He was also selected to referee at the Oceania Under 20s Championships earlier this year.
Nedlands was crowned 2015 Premiership Club Champions with their Under 19’s, Pindan Reserve Grade and Pindan Premier Grade (minor premiers) sides all qualifying for their respective grand finals this Sunday.
The 2015 Championship Club Champions was Curtin Uni, who finished in the top two in both their A and B Grades, with both teams qualifying for their respective grand finals on Saturday.
16 – AJ Alatimu (Wests Scarborough) 15 – Chris Alcock (UWA) 15 – Michael Ruru (Nedlands) 15 – Richard Hardwick (UWA) 14 – Justin Turner (Associates) 12 – Davis Tavita (Nedlands) 12 – James Wepener (Joondalup) 11 – Anaru Rangi (Nedlands) 10 – Shane Hemi (Nedlands)
PG Hampshire Award – Previous Winners 2015 – Daley Harper (Kalamunda) 2014 – Dylan Timu (Perth Bayswater) 2013 – Joe Savage (Palmyra) 2012 – Nick Haining (Cottesloe) 2011 – Anare Koliavu (Palmyra) 2010 – David Cloete (Cottesloe) 2009 – David Cloete (Cottesloe) 2008 – Ryan Tyrrell (Rockingham) 2007 – Nathan Roberts (Nedlands)
Premiership Club Champions: Nedlands 2pm – Pindan Division 3: Curtin Uni v Palmyra 12pm – Under 19s: Joondalup v Nedlands |
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WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE Thursday, 20 August 2015
PINDAN PREMIER GRADE PREVIEW: GRAND FINAL
Sunday, 23 August, 2015 Kick-off times: Pindan Premier Grade: 3.20pm Pindan Reserve Grade: 1.30pm Under 19: 12pm
For the weekend’s complete grand final schedule click here
By Fraser Smith
Nedlands v Wests Scarborough at McGillivray Oval, Mount Claremont Round One: Wests Scarborough 26 defeated Nedlands 19 at The Foreshore, Nedlands. Round 12: Nedlands 29 defeated Wests Scarborough 13 at Bennett Park, Doubleview.
The Pindan Premier Grade reaches its pinnacle this Sunday afternoon when Nedlands and Wests Scarborough do battle at McGillivray Oval for the right to the 2015 premiership.
Fittingly the grand final sees the season’s two best sides meet to fight for ultimate glory. Wests Scarborough dropped just one game on their way to the final while Nedlands stormed home to claim the minor premiership ahead of the Boars thanks to a superior number of bonus-points.
Nedlands have proven themselves as one of the most dynamic attacking forces in the competition this year and this was on full display in last week’s semi-final, running in seven tries including a brace to Dylan Loversidge to claim a come-from-behind 41-23 victory over Cottesloe.
Wests Scarborough faced a much sterner task in their semi-final, clawing their way to a three-point victory over Kalamunda. Trailing by two points at half time, the Boars rallied in the second half with flyhalf AJ Alatimu kicking his side to victory with five-second half penalty goals, including the sealer just minutes from full time.
Nedlands will be looking for their star-studded backline to fire yet again to give themselves every chance of lifting the cup. Loversidge, flyhalf Jesse Toto and winger Kauri Cudd have all impressed this season and will need to bring their best again this weekend.
With the battle up front likely to be key to either side’s premiership chances, Nedlands will look to their experienced front row featuring skipper Joe Ritchie and Jermaine Ainsley to lead the pack in what will surely be a bruising encounter. ‘Neddies’ will also be strengthened by the return of their dynamic scrumhalf, Michael Ruru, from a one-match suspension.
Wests Scarborough’s AJ Alatimu leads all comers in point scoring this season with 208 points to his name through the regular season and his ability both with ball in hand and off the tee could prove the difference down the straight. The Boars’ back-row – led by Pierre Roberts and Kane Koteka – will also be a crucial factor with both men possessing tremendous strength in contact and at the breakdown.
Nedlands’ last premiership came in 2013 and they are on the hunt for their third flag of the decade after also claiming the title in 2010.
Wests Scarborough will look to break a premiership drought dating back to 2006, which was the last of four consecutive premierships.
There will be no shortage of passion coming from the coaches this weekend as both men were involved in their respective club’s last premierships as players. Luke Doherty started at flanker in Nedlands’ 2013 premiership and Dwayne Grace tasted premiership glory four times with Wests from 2003-2006, with both men keen to experience premiership ecstasy from the other side of the sideline.
Sunday is poised to be a classic grand final with the two sides splitting the points earlier this season. The Boars came out on top in Round One, 26-19, while ‘Neddies’ took the bragging rights back in Round 12 with a commanding 29-13 victory.
Nedlands: 1. Joe Ritchie, 2. Anaru Rangi, 3. Jermaine Ainsley, 4. Danny Hartwell, 5. Michael Egan, 6. Tevin Ferris, 7. Shane Hemi, 8. Richard Naylor, 9. Michael Ruru, 10. Jesse Toto, 11. Kauri Cudd, 12. Fred Titoko, 13. Ben Titoko, 14. Juan Pretorius, 15. Dylan Loversidge. Wests Scarborough: 1. Chris Kidd, 2. Conan Houkamau, 3. Mike Tamihana, 4. Matthew O’Brien, 5. Riley Winter, 6. Kane Koteka, 7. Keith Andrews, 8. Pierre Roberts, 9. Michael Marshall, 10. AJ Alatimu 11. Jordan Luke, 12. Marty Campbell, 13. Sheldon Tarawa, 14. Cody Coe Baker, 15. Jarome Leonard-TeKanawa. Referee: Alex Ninkov
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WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE Sunday, 16 August 2015
BOARS WIN THRILLER TO MAKE GRAND FINAL
Pindan Premier Grade – Semi Final Wests Scarborough 25 defeated Kalamunda 22 at Bennett Park, Doubleview
By Fraser Smith
A last minute penalty from flyhalf AJ Alatimu has seen Wests Scarborough claim a thrilling 25-22 semi-final win over Kalamunda at Bennett Park today, and secure the right to take on Nedlands in the Pindan Premier Grade grand final next weekend.
Kalamunda shot out of the blocks scoring two tries in the opening 10 minutes to lead 12-10 at halftime, however, the Boars bounced back strongly after half time with Alatimu slotting five second half penalties to lead his side to victory.
Wests Scarborough head coach Dwayne Grace said he was proud of his side’s ability to fight it out against a strong Kalamunda outfit.
“I’m really proud of the boys’ effort,” he said. “We set goals and stuck to them which really helped us get the result.
“Full credit to ‘Kala’, they came out and scored two early tries that put us on the back foot. They are a really well organised and physical team and they came out and gave it to us.
“Trailing by a couple points at half time we knew that if we just held our ball we would be able to score some points and that’s what happened.
Grace said his team’s leaders were pivotal in getting the Boars over the line and into the grand final.
“AJ’s [Alatimu] been great with his point scoring all year and we knew he could get us over the line if we needed it and Pierre [Roberts] is our captain and as always he lead by example and did everything right.”
“Neddies next weekend will be a big task, we haven’t been in the grand final for a while so at the moment we are really enjoying this win and excited for the challenge ahead.”
The Bulls came out rampaging, opening the scoring within the first two minutes through their inspirational skipper Russell Burgess, who dove over the line following a line break and offload from winger Natu Apineru. Daley Harper converted to give the visitors an early 7-0 lead.
After sustained pressure in the Wests Scarborough 22m, the Bulls quickly added their second five-pointer of the afternoon as Apineru darted through a gap down the blindside to score in the corner to extend the lead to 12-points.
With the home crowd on edge Wests responded, moving the ball quickly following a five-metre scrum to find Jordan Luke who stepped inside and split two ‘Kala’ defenders to charge in under the posts and open the scoring for the home side. Alatimu converted to close the gap to 12-7.
Alatimu knocked over a penalty in the shadows of half time to have the home side within striking distance at the break, trailing 12-10.
The Boars picked up where they left off after the interval, as Alatimu slotted his second penalty to put Wests ahead 13-12.
Harper answered back minutes later with a penalty of his own to regain the lead 15-13.
Back-to-back penalties for the Boars saw them take their largest lead of the contest, 19-15.
Sensing the momentum slipping away Kalamunda swung the ball wide following a five-metre scrum to find Douglas Coradine, who exploited an overlap and dove over in the corner, handing the Bulls a one-point lead. Harper converted to extend the lead to 22-19 with 10 minutes to play.
Determined to fight to the end, Wests charged deep into the visitors’ half and applied huge pressure resulting in Kalamunda’s Beau King being shown a yellow card. Alatimu slotted the resulting penalty to lock the scores at 22-22.
In a monumental play, Wests Scarborough skipper, Pierre Roberts, made a huge tackle before jumping straight to his feet and attacking the ball to earn a penalty and a shot at victory with just a minute left to play. Alutimu kept a cool head knocking it over to claim a memorable 25-22 victory and a place in next weekend’s decider.
Wests Scarborough 25 (Jordan Luke try; AJ Alatimu conversion, 6 penalties) defeated Kalamunda 22 (Russell Burgess, Natu Apineru, Douglas Coradine tries; Daley Harper 2 conversions, penalty)
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WESTERN FORCE MEDIA RELEASE Saturday, 15 August 2015
NEDLANDS WIN BOOKS PLACE IN GRAND FINAL
Pindan Premier Grade – Semi Final Nedlands 41 defeated Cottesloe 23 at The Foreshore, Nedlands
By Luke Worthington
A two-try effort by fullback Dylan Loveridge has helped Nedlands secure their ticket to the 2015 Pindan Premier Grade grand final, following their 41-23 semi-final win over Cottesloe at the Foreshore today.
A back-and-forth first half saw Nedlands enjoy the majority of possession, but it was Cottesloe who took a 16-5 half-time lead. Nedlands bounced back in the second half, and after trailing 23-12 in the 45th minute, put on three unanswered tries to stamp their victory, putting the minor premiers one step closer to a premiership season.
Nedlands coach Luke Doherty said he was pleased with his side’s ability to regroup at half time and come back out to seal victory.
“Cottesloe brought a lot of intensity in the first half, and put our guys on the back foot,” he said.
“We regrouped at half time, and we had a chat about where we could improve and to the boys’ credit they did.
“It was a big loss last week having Ru [Michael Ruru] getting suspended for this week, but I thought Michael Botes did a great job.”
Cottesloe drew first blood with Charl Nieuwenhuis scoring two early penalties to give his side a 6-0 lead.
Nedlands responded through Ben Titiko, who received a perfect offload to run down the sideline and touch down in the right hand corner to trail by one point.
Cottesloe responded with another Nieuwenhuis penalty before they further extended their through Antini Brown, who received an offload on the sideline from Tobias Hoskins before planting the ball down. Nieuwenhuis obliged with the conversion to give the Gulls a 16-5 advantage on the half-time whistle.
The second half saw Nedlands come out firing, attacking aggressively with dynamic try-scoring prop Joseph Richie busting through a tackle to break the line to score his third try in two weeks. Juan Pretorius converted to narrow the home side’s deficit to 16-12.
Cottesloe responded in dramatic fashion, with Tobias Hoskins breaking through the Nedlands defence, running across the goal line and grounding the ball directly under the posts with Nieuwenhuis putting the visiting side up 23-12.
Neddies then mounted their comeback by finding an unlikely mismatch on the wing, when blindside flanker Danny Hartwell found Anuru Rangi down the left wing. Rangi powered through the last man in the defence, placing the ball past the chalk. The missed conversion attempt saw the score sit at 23-17.
Loveridge then crossed for his first try of the day, finding an offload on the right wing, which allowed him to break the line, swooping across the field to score directly under the posts. This set up an easy conversion attempt for Pretorius to give Nedlands the lead for the first time, 24-23.
Loveridge backed his effort up with another try, again breaking the line of defence and swiftly running down the field, to extend the lead to 29-23.
Nedlands continued to make a statement to the visiting side, with Pretorius continuing his strong contribution to the match by scoring a try in the corner, and flyhalf Jesse Toto diving over the top of a pack in the 80th minute to send ‘Neddies’ to the Pindan Premier Grade decider on the back of a 41-23 win.
Nedlands will face the winner of tomorrow’s second semi final between Wests Scarborough and Kalamunda at Bennett Park.
Nedlands 41 (Dylan Loveridge 2; Joseph Richie, Anaru Rangi, Jesse Toto, Juan Pretorius, Ben Titiko tries; Juan Pretorius 3 conversions) defeated Cottesloe 23 (Antini Brown, Tobias Hoskins tries; Charl Nieuwenhuis 2 conversions, 3 penalties)
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