Heaney inspires 'Gades
What a difference a week -- and Phil Heaney -- makes! After losing 21-0 to Police in the previous weekend's Sandys Boat Club tournament, Renegades responded in Saturday's President's Cup match with a clinical display of percentage rugby and territorial control under the masterful direction of stalwart Heaney.
The veteran bagged 23 points including a try, three conversions and five penalties.
Police, with a weakened pack, struggled throughout to win ball in the set pieces and the 'Gades score could have reached 50 had it not been for some heroic tackling by Gareth Davies and Shane Richmond.
Police had no experience outside Richmond in the backs and Heaney punished this weakness severely by using his whole repertoire of kicks to push the Police back to their own line time and time again. Several up-and unders had full back Rick Hornet in all sorts of trouble.
The first half display from both teams was not pretty to watch with constant infringements stopping any flow to the game. Lineouts were a shambles with very few cleanly caught and most resulted in scrums.
Referee John Weale had great difficulty in deciding whom to penalise at the collapsed rucks and mauls that resembled motorway pile-ups.
The half-time score stood at 10-3 after Rod Stewart had scored under the posts following a strike against the head by Neil Patterson, followed by a pick-up and drive by number eight Shane Gill. Dave Bird replied with a penalty for Police.
Play in the second half improved considerably but it was one-way traffic with 'Gades piling on 23 points in the final 20 minutes with tries from Heaney and new right wing Greg Garside. Heaney added another 13 points with the boot.
Teachers 10 Mariner 12 Teachers never capitalised on their forward dominance in this league upset and were thwarted by some clever chips ahead by Mariners' Josh McGavern and Dave Conway that embarrassed the Reds defence.
Teachers had no sense of urgency and they seemed undecided on what tactics to employ. Mariners, on the other hand, showed more desire and used every scrap of possession that came their way. They played to their strengths with the bustling Rod Morgan at centre and halfbacks McGavern and Conway constantly running with the ball and harassing their opposite numbers.
Mariners scored all their points in the first half with tries from Morgan and McGavern, both from deft chip kicks over the Teachers heads.
The first half saw slow ball from the Teachers' halfback pair of Craig McIntyre and Ross Webber resulting in rushed, wild passes that were often dropped 20 metres behind the gain line.
However, for the first 20 minutes of the second half, Teachers' pack kept hammering away at the Mariners eight in scrums and mauls and did everything but score.
Even when the Mariners pack were on their knees, Reds' forwards often seemed at sixes and sevens in attack not knowing what option to use, relying on one individual to take the ball on.
A try finally came for Teachers through McIntyre after Kevin Harris had jinked his way past two defenders. Mariners wing Eddie Gerhehedy saved a certain try in the final minutes with a crunching tackle on Nathan Brown at the corner flag.
In Second Division action, Teachers easily got by Mariners 25-5 while Renegades won by default over Police who could not field an eligible team.
There are no matches this weekend.