Rugby Round 3 Match Review
It was a full day at The Canal that yielded mixed results but some great football across the grades for the Bull Sharks.
Premier Women
Bull Sharks win 34-0
Where it was won:
Our defensive pressure secured us the win. To face a team like Wests and manage to entirely keep them off the scoreboard is an awesome effort from the girls. Our tackling skills in the first two games of the season wasn’t meeting the level we had hoped, but in this game we whipped out some really strong defensive pressure through the focus on quality tackles. Wests are a quality team and the results of this game mean a lot to us.
The highlight:
Welcoming back our Reds players into a Bull Sharks jersey was a major highlight of this week. To have some more familiar faces returning to the squad, girls being able to reconnect was really uplifting heading into this match. There is definitely a close family bond here within our community and it really showed on the field on Saturday. That bond is one of our greatest strengths, they play for each other out there on the field.
What made you happy:
That is an easy one, it was the heart shown by our two converted props Tilly Churm and Eva Butler. Having never scrummaged before this season, they were going into their 3rd game as props which was a huge challenge against quality Premier Grade front rowers. The entire team is aware of what a huge job these girls are taking on for them. They are up front holding their own, it really shows what the squad will do for their teammates.
Bull Sharks Football:
We really set ourselves to be aggressive on defence this week and I think we achieved that. We’ve been working on reducing this weakness and we took a great step forward in that. Our focus on tackling was well implemented across the pitch. We played to our greatest strength, having all our girls back really helped with the connectivity of the team in this win.
The work to do:
We will keep ticking away with our plan. We have a clear vision of where we want to be and what that looks like. We are not looking to change the world each week, but we will always set ourselves a weekly goal and work to achieve it.
Trademark players:
The return of the experience and quality of Cobie Jane Morgan to the team has been a huge boost in every aspect of our game and she epitomises how we like to play. Highly skilled and expansive, her combination with ex and current Wallaroo midfielders Ariana Hira and Mel Wilks will form a potent midfield spine in attack and defence.
With Shannon Symon.
COLTS
Wests win 26-24.
What worked:
We dominated through our scrums, this skill is something we have been working on through preseason. It's great for the boys to see that their hard work is paying off. We had a couple of outstanding players, Rogan and Lauchie, who really helped build and sustain the team’s momentum up front.
The highlight:  
Our best moment was without a doubt Rocco Golling’s defensive play. A weapon on the field, he executed a tackle that led straight into a much needed try. His defensive skills didn’t go unnoticed by Wests when a 50m try saving tackle kept us in the game.
What made you happy:
Seeing Joe Murray run back onto the field. It was his first game back after more than a year off. He stood out physically and his ball carries helped put our team over that try line again and again. He also shone through with his tackles and defence.
Bull Sharks Football:
We played to plan for the most part. We attacked really well and were able to build our game up through phases. The boys were adept at keeping the ball in our possession a bit more than the past few games which provided us with more chances to score. We were proud of the boys’ determination out there.
The work to do:
It’s no secret the team’s weakest skill is lineouts and that is something we really want to work on this season. Being such a technical skill, there will be a lot of time dedicated to it in training. I am confident we will be able to pick it up quickly. We also struggle kick into the wind sometimes, weather conditions are not something we can change so it’s something we will have to work on more.
Trademark player:
The boys up front, Ollie Barrett and Joe Murray held their own up the front. Rocco Gollings was the star of the backs.
With Rico Gear
Premier Men
Wests win 43-30
Where it was lost:
Wests ripped the game away from us when they scored 38 points in a 16-minute period in the first half. Prior to that Bond had started well and scored their first try to lead 11-0 after 14 minutes. Wests then hit their purple patch, with a 6 try blitz that effectively secured the win. Bond fought back to score another try just before the break to go into the sheds trailing 38-18. The young Bull sharks showed some grit after the break and we actually won the second half. We were able to pull the margin back to 38-32 with around 15 minutes left, however a turnover on Wests line when we seemed certain to score snuffed out the fight back. Wests scored a try soon afterwards to seal the win.
The highlight:
Bond’s first try was a well-constructed move from a lineout involving a strong carry from Zeb Misios and some smart footwork from Fred Dorrough to put Hamish Roberts away. We followed that with some a great effort at the breakdown and strong work off the ball to realign for Roberts to score a few phases later.
What made you happy:
We had another group of players make their First Grade debuts in Fergus Gillan, Ieuan Cornelius, Helaman Swerling, Callum Dell and Lukas Ripley. We also welcomed back a former Bull Shark in our 2016 Player of the Year Joel Brown who made his first appearance for several years. This makes 12 debutants over two weeks which bodes well for the future.
The work to do:
Defensively we need to make rapid improvement to be competitive in Premier Rugby. We were shown up by a very professional and physical Wests side and teams will have taken note of how easily we were scored on in that 16 minute period in the first half. Our execution also let us down when we had opportunities to win at the back end of the game.
Trademark Player:
Tyler Campbell led from the front with some strong carries, clever ball play and was a physical presence in defence.
 With Mick Heenan