It was a story of two halves for the Bull Sharks who scored 35 unanswered points in the second stanza to defeat Sunnybank 49-14 on Saturday.
How it unfolded:
With a howling wind whistling across the Canal to contend with, the Bull Sharks were able to continue their ruthless starts when flyhalf Tyler Campbell delivered a bullet-like pass to Dan Boardman who went straight through a gap for the opening try.
The Dragons wasted no time in their response with the visitors showing superb offload ability to get their first try in the corner.
The see-saw contest continued when Tyler Campbell showed his class, gliding his way around the Dragons forward pack to regain the lead. On the stroke of halftime, Sunnybank crashed over to lock the scores up at 14-14.
The Bond University forward pack came out with clear intent to bully Sunnybank and it showed early in the second half, destroying the Dragons scrum for Lachlan Connors to score.
The scrum dominance continued when Connors got his second try, and the momentum continued when the Bull Sharks went through the Dragons once again. Props Helaman Samuela and Rhys Sheriff led the way, forcing the referee to award a penalty try and setting up a 35-14 lead.
The one-way traffic continued when Rhian Stowers crossed in the corner for his sixth try of the season before the Bull Sharks concluded with an 80m assault through Jayden Ngamanu who provided the last pass for Campbell to score his second, rounding out the win.
What they said:
Bull Shark stalwart and returning Queensland Red Jake Upfield was impressed with the team’s ability to stay composed for the full 80 minutes.
“It was a weird one at the break being level when we generally have started really fast, but being against the wind in the first half played a big factor,” he said.
“And we didn’t execute at our best. We addressed that which allowed us to show our true ability in the second half.”
The major talking point of the game was the significant performance at scrum time with the Bull Sharks scoring three tries off the scrum as well as a penalty try.
“The front rowers have been working really hard in those areas. The Samuela brothers, Rhys Sheriff and with George Blake coming off the bench really worked well as a complete unit,” Upfield said.
Around the grounds:
The premier women suffered their first defeat of the season with the Dragons holding on to record a 19-12 win in an error-filled match.
Colts one delivered on expectations with an emphatic win. Bash brothers Harrison Usher and Harry Bell led the way with centre Alex Miles crossing for two tries.
The Second-grade side notched their first win of the season in a dominant display with Maxwell Dowd scoring two tries and flanker George Nield performing strongly, scoring a try and making his presence felt around the breakdown.
What’s next:
Bond have the bye next week, earning a well-deserved break before taking on the Norths Eagles at Hugh Courtney Oval on May 6.
Full results:
Colts two: W 24-23
Third grade: W 47-32
Colts one: W 40-7
Second grade: W 50-12
First grade: W 49-14
Premier women: L 12-19