Shawn Davis tries to breakthrough West Belconnen’s defence on the weekend.
The Yass Golf Club Magpies dream start to the season continued last Saturday, when they defeated the West Belconnen Warriors 48-18.
The win left them with a share of the competition lead and sets up a top-of-the table clash with the Queanbeyan Roos on Saturday.
This was a game that the Magpies always looked in control of, despite only leading 18-6 at half-time.
Quick tries to Victor Teofilo and Andrew Swaffield were countered by a very lucky Warriors try which lifted the visitors. With 10 minutes remaining before the break, the impressive Alan Malau put on a show with an 80 metre solo effort to put Yass in the driver’s seat.
On the resumption, Dwayne Connors showed off his speed with a runaway try and Brendan Anderson crashed over for Yass to lead 30-6.
The Warriors to their credit fought back with a couple of quick tries of their own to narrow the gap to 30-18 but the Magpies then stepped up a gear.
The Magpies quickly put the issue beyond doubt, with a blistering nine minutes of football, running in four tries to blow the scoreline out to 48-18 and send the Warriors packing.
The Yass crowd was lapping it up with memories still fresh of some horrible hidings West Belconnen had handed out to the Magpies over the years.
Yass played well but you do suspect they left a bit in the tank with an eye towards their trip to Queanbeyan this Saturday.
There was a number of standouts for the Magpies but Swaffield at the back was my pick as man of the match.
Yass Magpies 48 (tries; Connors 2, Swaffield, Malua, Vataki, Naughton, Wylie, Anderson and V Teofilo goals; Warden 6) defeated West Belconnen 18.
(Reserves)
In the reserve grade Yass was downed by Wests 24-18.
It was a game they should have won but some poor handling and ordinary defence cost them dearly.
Down 16-6 at the break and 20-6 with 15 minutes left, Yass finally started to string some sets together and got back within two points of the visitors but it was not to be.
Yass looked disorganised and lacked intensity for the majority of the game against the previously winless Warriors. There is plenty of talent in the side but the players just aren’t clicking at the moment.
One huge positive for the team was the return from injury of Dane Snowden. The classy full back had a whale of a game in a losing side, being the most dangerous attacking player on the field. Prop Fred Mailolo also had a big game, making some huge busts up the centre but really lacked support when he did.
West Belconnen Warriors 24 def Yass Magpies 18 (tries; Snowden, Sherratt, Vatikani, goals; Rawlinson 3)
(Under 18s)
The Yass Magpies under 18s went down 20-14 in another close encounter with the Crookwell Green Devils.
Due to a quirk in the draw, it was the second time Crookwell has travelled to Yass this season after going down 14-12 the first time.
Crookwell scored early but Yass led 10-6 at the break courtesy of tries to Byron Yous and James Byrnes. Crookwell levelled the scores at 10 all before Josh Alfour regained the lead for the Magpies with a try in the corner.
Crookwell finished the stronger of the two team, with a couple of tries to take the game and the two competition points on offer.
Prop Mick Spencer impressed with his determined charges up the middle while Jackson Chatfield, Brodan Dowling, Hayden Bush and Cory Elphick all had busy games.
Crookwell Green Devils 20 def Yass Magpies 14 (tries; Yous, Byrnes, Alfour, goals; Regan)