Rugby vs St. Aloysius’ College

Results | Saturday, 29 May 2021

Trinity experienced a very successful outing in the 1st round of CAS fixtures, winning eight of our 11 matches against St. Aloysius’. In our 2 ‘unmatched’ fixtures our 14As secured victory over St. Pius X, and our 4th XV came up short against Scots. Our games against Knox this weekend will serve as the final round of fixtures for the term and to mark the occasion we will have our Old Boys’ day coinciding with our Junior School 1st XV playing on TGS 1 prior to the 2nd XV fixture. All of this, coupled with a ‘compulsory’ day for students, means that there will be no better place to be this Saturday than cheering on the Green and White.

1st XV	22 – 5	15C	38 – 7
2nd XV	12 – 13	14A	59 – 7
3rd XV	22 – 12	14B	26 – 17
4th XV	19 – 31	14C	61 – 38
16A	7 – 14	13A	53 – 0
16B	BYE	13B	BYE
15A	65 – 0	13C	5 – 32
15B	20 – 15

Team of the Week

A successful Saturday makes my Sunday morning ‘Team of the week’ selection a very pleasant headache to have. Austin Daher (8Ke) continues to lead the 14Cs every week, Zachariah Alshehabi (9Du) is scoring points for fun in the 15Cs, William Rule (11Ar) was all over the park for the 3rd XV, and Jozef Cluff (7Ar) continues to set the standard for the 13As. All those very impressive efforts were unable to break into this week’s team. The team is:

1. Oliver Hanania (9WH) – 15C
2. Bertie Alcock (12WH) – 1st XV
3. Jake Matthews (8Ke) – 14B
4. Alex Runciman (10Yo) – 15B
5. Dimitri Armenis (8He) – 14A
6. Josh Jenkins (10La) – 16A
7. Kai Roberts (12La) – 1st XV
8. James Petrakis (12Hi) – 4th XV
9. Michael Lindsey (12Ke) – 2nd XV
10. Patty Thomson (8Sc) – 14A
11. Ben Warrilow (8Yo) – 14C
12. Sterling Tuxford (7WH) – 13A
13. AJ Laing (7Ar) – 13C
14. Nat Pearson (12Sc) – 3rd XV
15. Malik Amine (10Yo) – 15A

Leading Try Scorers & Point Scorers

After seven weeks we are starting to see some of young men pull away from the chasing pack. Zachariah Alshehabi (9Du) had an enjoyable day out with his 28-point haul (four tries and four conversions) seeing him take the leading scorer crown from Ashton Frazer (9Mu) who had a pretty good day himself, collecting 20 points (two tries and five conversions).

Max Meagher’s (9Hi) two-try performance saw him pull further away from Christian Henriques (9He) and Mitchell Chen (10Ar). However, Zachariah has rocketed up the try-scorers’ list to be just one behind Max.

	Try Scorers		Point Scorers
13	Max Meagher 9Hi	88	Zachariah Alshehabi 9Du
12	Zachariah Alshehabi 9Du	84	Ashton Frazer 9Mu
11	Mitchell Chen 10Ar Christian Henriques 9He	65	Max Meagher 9Hi
10	Jozeff Cluff 7Ar	55	Mitchell Chen 10Ar Christian Henriques 9He
9	Sam Niulala 10St Theo Kidd 12WJ	54	Jozeff Cluff 7Ar
8	Austin Daher 8Ke	47	Hunter Hannaford 12Du

Friends of Rugby

The Friends of Rugby will be running the BBQ again this Saturday, and the long lines of eager customers are a testament to the quality of the food being provided. The TGS Friends of Rugby Facebook page is a great source of information for all things Trinity rugby and if you are interested in being involved in any capacity then please join their Facebook page via this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/677993915679512

Mick Snowden | Director of Rugby

1st XV Match Report

After being undefeated through the 6-game trial period, the 1st XV was primed to hit the ground running in our 1st CAS fixture of the season. Unfortunately, we started in the exact opposite manner, forcing offloads, missing tackles, having kicks charged down and generally providing St. Aloysius’ with multiple pressure-relieving mistakes.

Fortunately, eventual Man of the Match Kai Roberts (12La) brought his ‘A’ game, and he made a nuisance of himself at the breakdown saving Trinity on multiple occasions. This enabled Hunter Hannaford (12Du) to play himself into the game and when he threw a smart cut-out pass to Theo Kidd (12WJ), everyone in attendance knew what would happen next. Theo got outside the St. Aloysius’ defence before beating the fullback to cross for the opening points of the day.

The remainder of the half was a stop-start battle, with neither side able to assert control. Despite heading into a strong breeze, Trinity would go into the half-time break up 5-0.

The half-time break proved to be the remedy for our inaccuracy at set-piece, with a perfectly executed scrum move allowing Olly White (12Fo) to break through the line and throw a lovely 20-metre ball for Theo to score his second of the afternoon. By this point Hunter had taken control of the game and his outstanding kicking game, along with a stiff breeze, pinned St. Aloysius’ deep in their own half. Eventually the significant territory and possession enjoyed by Trinity took its toll with an Orly Hatton-Ward (10Sc) quick tap allowing Hunter to dive over for his first try of the season.

St. Aloysius’ replied with a quick try of their own and were camped deep in the Trinity half looking for another. Thankfully, the men in green and white were able to withstand the repeated phases of attack before forcing a turnover and launching an attacking raid of their own. Olly White kicked through the loose ball and as he waited for a friendly bounce, a fortunate ricochet of his knee allowed Kian Edmed (12Fo) to pounce and score underneath the black dot, right in front of the parochial Trinity crowd.

This week’s challenge looms large as Knox make the journey down the Pacific Highway to test the mettle of our young men.

Final Score: Trinity 22 defeated St. Aloysius’ 5

Tries: Theo Kidd (2), Hunter Hannaford (1) and Kian Edmed (1)

Conversions: Hunter Hannaford (1)

Mr. Snowden and Mr. Pay | 1st XV Coaches

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2nd XV Match Report

Following a strong win out at Shore the previous weekend, the 2nd XV was confident of putting together back-to-back dominant performances coming into Round 1 of the CAS competition against St Aloysius’.

The match started strongly for the men in green, playing the ball in the opposition half and holding possession which saw Jake Varone (11He) cross for a well worked try in the 6th minute. Michael Lindsey (12Ke) converted to take our early lead to 7 points. Despite continuing to dominate both scrums and lineout, we were not able to crack through for a second score in the half, while St Aloysius’ took advantage of the opportunities they were given to score a 5-pointer before half time.

We started the second half in the same fashion as the first, lifting the intensity and playing the ball at the right end of the field and dominating the contact area. Sam Hohne (12Ke) and Michael Lindsey controlled play well around the ruck, while Jude Robinson was very strong in contact. Jon-Luc Shalala (12Sc) was rewarded with a try two minutes after the re-start and we again looked like taking control of the afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a frustrating tussle from that point on, with the game seemingly held in limbo out of reach of both teams. An unfortunate penalty one minute before full time saw St Aloysius’ kick their way to victory, 13 points to 12.

A desperately disappointing afternoon, given the energy that went into the game, but that is sport. The boys will learn from the experience, come out better for it, and look to re-energise for the Knox round this coming weekend.

Final Score: Trinity 12 defeated by St. Aloysius’ 13

Tries: Jake Varone (1) and Jon-Luc Shalala (1)

Conversions: Michael Lindsey (1)

Mr. Kearsley and Mr. Ikeuchi | 2nd XV Coaches

3rd XV Match Report

Hard work and commitment throughout the 2021 pre-season built a positive team atmosphere for the 3rd XV leading into the first round of the CAS competition against St Aloysius’ College. The boys could not have asked for a better start to the season with a home ground fixture and near full-strength outfit with the return of some familiar faces and boys back from injury.

Straight from kick-off, the forwards asserted their ruck dominance by stealing the ball and laying the groundwork for Sam Wade (12Ke) to score untouched to take an early 5-0 lead. Despite the windy conditions, the 3rd XV maintained great field position to contain Aloysius’ in their half. This resulted in Owen Hoffman (12WH) seizing an opportunity to put Arion Valiotis (12Hi) in for a try out wide through a slick backline play. The boys headed into half time up 10-0, although the score line should have been greater if it wasn’t for some questionable attacking choices.

The start of the second half saw both teams locked in a hotly contested struggle with the Green Machine keen to widen their lead and Aloysius’ desperate to get back into the game. A break came when Nat Pearson (12Sc) monstered through the bulk of Aloysius’ defence scoring a spectacular 70-metre solo try. Vangeli Tsintominas (12Sc), who has been diligently practising his boot during training, stepped up to sweeten the deal with a successful strike right through the sticks to take Trinity to 17-0.

St Aloysius’ capitalised on the substitution of a few keys players and caught a lapse in the defensive line to score their first try of the game. Trinity rallied the troops with Alex Donavan (11Mu) spearheading the attack with forward muscle Ari Nikolakopoulos (11Yo) and Tom Jenkins (11Fo) to once again punch through the opponent’s defensive line to score in front of the home crowd. A late consolation try flattered the score line for St Aloysius’ but the coaches were very proud of the 3rd XV to come away with convincing 22-12 victory.

Final Score: Trinity 22 defeated St. Aloysius’ 12

Tries: Sam Wade (1), Arion Valiotis (1), Nat Pearson (1) and Alex Donavan (1)

Conversions: Vangeli Tsintominas (1)

Mr. Zhang and Mr. Finch | 3rd XV Coaches

4th XV Match Report

The 4th XV have demonstrated perseverance and positivity throughout the preseason as they, in some cases, learned the basics of rugby, and for others reignited their joy of playing. Coming off the most positive week of training yet, the boys were extremely excited to go up against the Scots 9th XV with a full and strong team.

The boys were a strong presence as they took the field and the first try to Jamie Pritchard-Davies (12Ar) was typical of the strength and grit he has demonstrated throughout the preseason. Thomas Seeto (12Ta) put his years of football experience to good use, sinking the first conversion. Unfortunately, Scots found their feet and had a convincing come back, scoring four unanswered tries in a row.

After half-time the boys took the field with enthusiasm, demonstrating exceptional character and sportsmanship. Their hard work was rewarded with a try to James Petrakis (12Hi), the newest Rugby convert in the team, who played throughout the game with exceptional fitness and physicality; he was a force to be reckoned with! Scots responded with another easy try, testing our fitness and ability to push through to the final buzzer. Finally, Ian Hong (12We) clawed across the line scoring a hard-fought try in front of the home crowd and surfacing with a dramatic bloody nose. Another beautiful conversion to Thomas Seeto cemented the final score of 31-19 to Scots College.

It was our closest game yet and demonstrated exceptional grit and overall good vibes, which have become characteristic of the squad. It was an effort to be proud of and a great start to the season.

Final Score: Trinty 19 defeated by Scots 9th XV 31

Tries: James Petrakis (1), Jamie Pritchard-Davies (1) and Ian Hong (1)

Conversions: Thomas Seeto (2)

Dr. O’Brien and Mr. Seeto | 4th XV Coaches

Age Group In Focus | Under 14s

14A

The 14As started with great enthusiasm against a tenacious St Aloysius’ side but poor handling let them down in the opening 15 minutes of the match. After a period, a sustained pressure meant Luke Niulala (8St) managed to sneak over for the first try. From there it was a Dimitri Armenis (8He) runaway try which really kicked the team into gear. Fly-half Patrick Thomson (8Sc) began to take more control of the game, allowing his side to play with better structure and width. Patrick was also impressive off the kicking tee, slotting 6/7 conversations in tough conditions.

Taking a 19-nil lead into half-time the message was to play with more patience in attack. Trinity certainly did this is the second half and began to pull away from the St Aloysius’ side. Tom Birmingham managed to run in a second half hat-trick with Marcus Mastro (8Mu) and Ben Keogh (8Ta) laying a strong platform up front.

The game ended in a 59-7 victory and was a great start to the CAS season. The 14As now look forward to what is sure to be a great battle with Knox in round 2.

Final Score: Trinity 59 defeated St. Aloysius’ 7

Tries: Tom Bermingham (3), Luke Niulala (1), Dimitri Armenis (1), Zac Amine (1), Brock Prideaux (1), Ben Keogh (1) and Logan Toohey (1)

Conversions: Patty Thomson (6) and Ethan Marten-Coney (1)

Mr. McKee and Mr. Nguyen | 14A Coaches

14B

Trinity made it three wins on the trot in defeating a strong and improved St. Pius X team 26-17 in cold conditions. Trinity were not switched on from the get-go, to allow St. Pius’ to bust through and score a soft try. The boys in green responded quickly with Sam Giminez-McAlpine (8Ke) crossing the line with some strong hard running on the back of good lead up work from Bailey Martin (9We) and Darren Ho (8WH). Trinity extended their lead soon after with some slick passing across the backline before Zack Rice (8Ho) sliced through three defenders to score a scintillating try. Tom Bishop (8Hi) slotted his second conversation to see the 14Bs head to the break with a 14-5 lead.

The second half remained physical with St. Pius’ getting the edge on Trinity at the ruck, either pilfering the ball or forcing a penalty. Zack Rice again made a break resulting in another strong 5-pointer with Sam Perkin (8Yo) making the initial break. Trinity looked to have the game under wraps before St. Pius’ came storming back with two quick tries. A solo effort from Jason Taouk (8WJ) followed as he powered through the defensive line to run 25 metres and score under the posts to give Trinity a much-needed buffer and hard-fought victory.

Final Score: Trinity 26 defeated St. Pius X 17

Tries: Zac Rice (2), Sam Gimenez-McAlpine (1) and Jason Taouk (1)

Conversions: Tom Bishop (3)

Mr. Morrissey | 14B Coach

14C

On the coldest day of the year so far, the 14Cs turned up to St Aloysius’ ready for the first round of the CAS competition. Sadly, Alo’s did not have 15 players and so a 10-a-side game was co-ordinated. The Trinity boys worked hard on their running game and scored two quick tries before Alo’s could work on their defence, but they quickly regrouped and put four tries on the board in the first half.

The Cs regrouped at half time, went back on the field with purpose and scored seven tries to two in the second half. Austin Daher (8Ke) was able to run through a scattered defence regularly, and Ben Warrilow (8Yo) and Jack Thompson (8St) were fearless in their tackling, stopping St Aloysius’ in their attack a number of times. There were many rotations and substitutions, but the team is playing better together and improving in all aspects of their game, which is great as it is some players’ first rugby season. Congratulations on a 61-38 win!

Final Score: Trinity 61 defeated St. Aloysius’ 38

Tries: Austin Daher (3), Will Kokotovich (2), Ben Warrilow (1), Austin Wang (1), Alan Chen (1) and Lucas Michael (1)

Conversions: Jack Thompson (8)

Ms. Dunbar and Mr. Dimeglio | 14C Coaches