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| Wednesday June 22nd 2011 |
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| BARLA Great Britain Lions make it 3 from 3 in Western Australia |
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Fremantle Roosters .. 16 (10)
BARLA GB Lions .. 42 (14)
Jamie Hobbs at the Ken Allen Field, Hilton
The BARLA GB Lions retained their 100% success rate while on their tour of Western Australia with a 42-16 over Fremantle Roosters. The final club game of the 3 week tour proved to be the biggest workout of all 3 games which will stand them in good position for their final game on Friday when they play the Western Australia state team as a curtain raiser to South Sydneys Rabbitohs v Brisbane Broncoes match in Perth.
It was nip and took for the opening stages of the game as both sides took measure of each other and Fremantle were able to enjoy some early pressure forcing 2 repeat sets from GB tourists. BARLA had the opportunity to open the scoring as Chris Walker and Danny Mason combined but a strong scramble defence from the Roosters denied them the try in the corner.
While Fremantle held the majority of ball possession they were always going to look to score and they gave their vocal support something to cheer for as Dylan Dwyer put the hosts in the lead when a dab kick through on the last tackle was deflected for the fullback to pounce on. Karl Mardune added the easy extras.
Some direct running from interchange props Trevor Penrose and Dave Lowery managed to get BARLA back within scoring distance and had several chances down the right handside which passed without success. Noticing the success in attack down the right flank BARLA continued to pressure that side of the field and near the half hour mark were rewarded for their efforts with an unconverted try.
Soft hands across from the left to the right found Leigh East fullback Ryan Fieldhouse linking in the line to give Skirlaugh’s Stu Smith an extra yard of space and after looking to go alone supplied his Skirlaugh team mate Mike Johnson out on the wing.
With Fremantle’s defence looking exposed down the flank BARLA used a similar play minutes later this time Jon Paul Brocklebank getting involved in the passing play to give Stu Smith the space to finish the try himself this time. With the conversion unsuccessful BARLA held only a slender 2 point buffer with 10 minutes until the interval.
The tourists were able further the lead on the 36th minute when the Roosters spilt the ball on the half way line and Ryan Fieldhouse showed no hesitation in turning defence to attack. The Leigh East fullback collected the loose ball and dipped and dived through the trailing grasps of the Roosters defence and went in under the posts. Egremont Rangers JP Brocklebank added the goal to give his side an 8 point lead with 4 minutes left of the half to play.
The BARLA side let that cushion slip moments before the half time whistle when a towering kick from scrum half Jake Treloar was split close to the line and former West Hull loose forward James Wright pounced on the loose ball to score against his country mates. Luckily for BARLA the kick from out wide was unsuccessful and the visitors held onto a slender 10-14 lead.
The late first half try for the hosts didn’t do much to knock BARLAs confidence from the 3 try purple patch and they pushed on to give themselves a bit more comfort. A jinking run from Egremonts Rhys Davies put Chris Walker with space down the touchline side. The Oulton winger a former player for Fremantle in 2009 used the touch as his friend and burnt away his former team mates to go in for a satisfying score coming in under the posts to make JP Brocklebank’s conversion a formality.
BARLA kept the scoreboard ticking over nicely but had to do it the hard way after several petulant decisions from the officials. Like in the game 6 days previous versus North Beach Carl Puckering floated a kick over from a scrum in their own 10 metres and Shaw Cross Sharks winger Pat Foulstone proved his electric pace to be the first to the ball. East Hull’s Carl Puckering added the goal and BARLA were crusing with a 16 point lead.
That score was soon to be wiped out by the Roosters who sit a the top of the Harvey Norman Western Austria Premier league when the without a doubt Roosters best player Brad Gibon crossed after breaking several tackle attempts. Hooker Karl Mardune once again added the goal.
With 20 minutes remaining the hosts were maybe hopeful of a fight back only trailing by 10 but Seaton Rangers giant second rower Brett Phillips probably put paid to those hopes powering over the line close to the posts. Puckering added the conversion and BARLA looked safe 32-16 to the good.
In the closing 5 minutes of the game BARLA added some gloss to the final scoreline as Pat Foulstone went in for his brace at the corner after riding a big challenge before Brett Phillips added his own second try of the match at the death. Leigh Miners loose forward Tom Bradbury added the final points of the game.
Reflecting on the victory head coach John Fieldhouse said “I’m really pleased that we’ve kept our unbeaten record going into the final game. Their was a lot of provocation from the officials tonight with a 3 to 1 penalty count, it shouldn’t ever be that, even the opposition acknowledged we were hard done by but if you look at the scoreboard 42-16 we played some great rugby and put in some great tries I was pleased how our halves Tom Elliott and Carl Puckering worked together.”
“Possession won us they game I think, in the second half we were up in the high 70’s with our completion. That’s what I asked of the guys at half time and they gave everything I asked for in the second half. We will need the same sort of completion on Friday night against the WA side.”
Johns assistant Kevin Thompson added “We’d lost a little bit of intensity with the 6 day break since the last game but I thought we got back into it very well. They coped with the early pressure very nicely and we were gradually wearing them down. We did find ourselves on the back foot a little from the brunt of the heavy penalty count meaning we were in our own half too much but we worked on that and we came out on strong terms and in control towards the latter of the game.”
With the victory Tuesday evening and now only 2 games preparation time before the final game of the tour on Friday vs Western Australia as a curtain raiser to the South Sydney Rabbitoes v Brisbane Broncoes, Fieldhouse added “I think it’s probably a good thing that we have to turn around quickly from this game into the state fixture on Friday. We’ll keep our focus through to the last game.”
“There’s no easy games while over here, we had our weeks rest from the North Beach game and now instead of resting before the final game we’ll just keeping the lads ticking over in training. Instead of doing extra things in training to get us ready for the state team I think this game was an excellent hit out for the lads and will stand us in good stead for an uncompromising game vs Western Australia.”
The Western Australia 20 man squad named for the final game include 15 from the 3 domestic clubs BARLA have defeated. The state championship in which W.A were crowned winners was played just before BARLAs arrival and John Fieldhouse wasn’t surprised many of those 15 didn’t feature in the warm-up games saying
“I think they’ve realised that they’ll need their strongest team out to beat our strongest team and to risk those players to injury in the warm-up games would probably be the wrong move. I think its going to be a fabulous game playing before such a spectacle NRL game in Perth. I hope people get down and support the game, it’s going to be a massive occasion win or lose but I want to win to meet our goal of returning without defeat.
FREMANTLE ROOSTERS
1 Dylan Dwyer
16 Caleb Voaga
3 Brad Gibon
4 Chris Turner
5 Jai Baker
6 Dale Stringer
7 Jake Treloar
8 Mark Langeridge
9 Karl Mardune
10 Dixie Harris
11 Rob Tahu
12 Jarryd Papa
13 Joe Skipper
Subs
14 John Vaiu
15 James Wright
2 Ben McKone
17 Hadian Papa
18 Mat Swane
19 Louie Luaiua
20 Ryan Foster
BARLA GB LIONS
1 Ryan Fieldhouse - Leigh East
2 Mike Johnson - Skirlaugh
14 Stuart Smith - Skirlaugh
5 Danny Mason - Wigan St Patricks
26 Chris Walker - Oulton Raiders
6 Carl Puckering - East Hull
7 Tim Elliott - York Acorn
8 Mike Ledger - Thatto Heath Crusaders
19 Steve McDermott - Halton Simms Cross
23 Mick Randall - Halton Simms Cross
12 Sam Radford - West Hull
25 Adam Thomason - Leigh Miners Rangers
13 Jon Paul Brocklebank - Egremont Rangers
Subs
21 Rhys Davies - Egremont Rangers
10 Trevor Penrose - Skirlaugh
20 Tom Bradbury - Leigh Miners Rangers
9 Gary Phillips - Wigan St Patricks
11 Brett Phillips - Seaton Rangers
16 Pat Foulstone - Shaw Cross Sharks
18 Dave Lowery - Kells
Men of the Match
BARLA : # 6 Carl Puckering
Fremantle Roosters : #3 Brad Gibon
Sin Bins: 59’ BARLA #20 Tom Bradbury – Offence at scrum.
GAMEBREAKER : Former Freemantle player Chris Walker’s blistering score down the wing in the opening stages of the 2nd half seemed to start BARLA s dominance of the game.
GAMESTAR : Ryan Fieldhouse combined well in the line to assist in the opening scores and made the third try of the game from nothing at the half way line.
Fremantle Roosters : Dylan Dwyer 16’, James Wright 39’, Brad Gobin 59’.
Goals : Karl Mardune 2/3
BARLA GB Lions : Mike Johnson 28’, Stuart Smith 31’, Ryan Fieldhouse 36’, Chris Walker 43’, Pat Foulstone (53’, 74’) Brett Phillips (70’, 76’).
Goals : John Paul Brocklebank 2/2, Carl Puckering 2/5, Tom Bradbury 1/1.
Scoring sequence: 6-0, 6-4, 6-8, 6-14, 10-14, HT, 10-20, 10-26, 16-26, 16-32, 16-36, 16-42.
Penalty count : 6-15
GLDO Forced : 4-2
Half-time: 10-14
Attendance : 450
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The British Amateur Rugby League Association.
West Yorkshire House, 4 New North Parade, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. HD1 5JP, England
Tel: 01484 599113, Fax: 01484 510682, info@barla.org.uk |
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