The Bond men were forced to settle for silver in the Queensland State Sevens after Easts secured a 17-12 victory in a pulsating final at Noosa on Sunday with a try in the dying seconds.
Bond led 12-0 at halftime but it was all the Tigers in the second half as they amassed 17 unanswered points to secure the win.
The Bull Sharks finished with the silver in what was another outstanding tournament from the team to cap off a successful 7s season which included two championships and a further three podium finishes.
How it played out
Day one play saw the Bull Sharks start on fire with three dominant wins over Sunnybank, Norths and Souths before being pushed all the way by home side the Sunshine Coast Stingrays in a hard fought 15-12 win.
Bond then met Wests in the quarter final, taking care of the Bulldogs 26-12 to set up a meeting with University rivals UQ in the semi-final. A Hayden Sergeant masterclass delivered a 17-15 win to the Bull Sharks to propel them into another final.
Although the final didn’t go their way, there is plenty to be proud of in season 2022 with head coach Damon Virtue’s 7s program proving to be one the best in the country.
What they said
Captain Byron Hutchinson led by example across the weekend scoring several crucial tries in big moments but admitted the final loss was a tough pill to swallow.
“It was disappointing to go down in the final moments but I’m incredibly proud of the group and how we performed in 7 games over two days in tough conditions and also what we have been able to achieve this season with the brand of 7s we have produced,” he said.
The culture of Bond 7s squad has been something to behold with more than 30 players taking the field during the season.
“It’s been so rewarding playing with a great group of men, there’s great respect amongst all the guys and some special characters in the group,” Hutchinson said.
Bond finished the year strongly with top three finishes across the big five tournaments this summer, with diversity in the squad being one of the keys to success.
“We have had a really good mix in the squad this year with plenty of youth, experience and a great balance of elusive backs but also some real power through the middle in the forwards,” he said.
Results
V Sunnybank W 22-0
V Souths W 19-5
V Sunshine Coast W 15-12
V Norths W 31-5
V Wests W 26-12
V Uni of QLD W 17-12
V Easts L 17-12
Season summary
Fiji Day 7s – First
Byron Bay 7s – Plate Final Winner
GC 7s – First
Brisvegas 7s – Second
Queensland State Sevens – Second