Colts 2011Campaign
Colts 2011 Rep Program can be viewed in
'Fixtures & Results'.
See more Colts images in Gallery
Match Reports below:
Sun 1 May - Colts Outclassed by ACT
The NSW Country Cockatoo Colts wrapped up their 2011 representative
campaign with a disappointing 52 – 10 loss at the hands of a very classy
ACT Colts XV. The match was played at Camden Rugby Park on
Sunday, 1 May 2011 and was the third in their program which included a
two match tour to Victoria.Full Match Report >>>
Photos from game >>>
Sat 16 April - Colts Demolish VRU Development XV
The NSW Country Cockatoo Colts have registered a comprehensive 62 – 12 victory over the VRU Development XV.The match was played at the Melbourne Rugby Club on Saturday, 16 April 2011 and was the second in the Cockatoo Colts two match tour to Victoria.
As has been the case in previous matches, the Cockatoo Colts again started slowly and conceded a try in the first two minutes, but this was the last time the Vic’s troubled the scoreboard attendant until the final minute of the first half.
Country dominated all facets of the play during the match and it was only a lack of composure which delayed the inevitable avalanche of points, which started to flow in the ninth minute when Flanker and Captain Tyler Jones powered over for a try from a lineout.
Scoring then started to become a procession, with Centre Karmunny Pearce, Prop Kevin McNamara, Fullback Levi Russell and Hooker Kym Dorin crossing for tries in the first half.
After missing the first two conversion attempts, Winger Dan Cullinane found his range and progressed the score line to 31 – 5 before the Vic’s snuck over for a converted try on the bell to make the halftime score 31 – 12.
One of the features of the match was the solid defence by the Cockatoo Colts, which saw the Vic ball carries either knocked off their feet in one off tackles or met by a wall of Country Gold Jerseys, with Flanker Tom Borowski leading the charge.
The second half was only five minutes old when Winger Dan Cullinane finished off a sweeping backline raid by scoring a sensational diving converted try in the corner to take the score out to 38 – 12.
The Cockatoo Colts backs were revelling in the amount of possession the forwards were laying on for them, with Centre Mitchell Clay, Winger Daniel Damen, Centre Karmunny Pearce and Five Eight Rhys Williams all crossing for tries.
The addition of three conversions saw the final score line of 62 – 12 being registered as the final result.
Whilst the score line was pleasing and the defensive effort basically closed down the Vic’s attack, there were lapses in the playing structure which will need to be addressed before the next match against the ACT on 1 May.
Players to standout in an all round team effort were Flanker Tom Borowski, goal kicking Winger Dan Cullinane, Prop Kevin McNamara and Flanker Tyler Jones.
The NSW Country Cockatoo Colts will play their third and final match against the ACT at Camden Rugby Park on Sunday, 1 May 2011 kicking off at 1.30pm.
NSW Country Cockatoo Colts 62 (Karmunny Pearce 2, Mitchell Clay, Dan Cullinane, Kym Dorin, Mitch Evers, Tyler Jones, Kevin McNamara, Levi Russell, & Rhys Williams Tries, Dan Cullinane 5 Conversions & Mitch Evers Conversion)
Defeated
VRU Colts Development XV 12 (2 Tries & Conversion)
Friday 15 April - Colts have Wings Clipped by Victoria
The NSW Country Cockatoo Colts had victory snatched from their grasp in the last minutes of the match to go down to the VRU Colts 36 – 27.The match was played at the Endeavour Hills Rugby Club on Thursday, 14 April 2011 and was the first in the Cockatoo Colts two match tour to Victoria.
After overcoming a horror start which saw the VRU Colts skip away to a 19 – 5 lead twenty minutes into the match, the young Cockatoos took the lead 27 – 26 with ten minutes to play.
With the momentum of the match having swung their way, the Cockatoo Colts couldn’t deliver the knockout blow and conceded ten points in the final three minutes to lose the match.
The match opened in sensational style with the VRU Colts scoring a converted try within the first two minutes following a passage of play which involved ten phases. The Country Colts struck back within the next two minutes when they forced a turnover, and No 8 Chris Farmer was awarded a try when the forwards drove him over the line to make the score 7 – 5.
The next fifteen minutes was dominated by the Vic’s who continued to make inroads
courtesy of some ineffective Country defence, which saw them post two tries to take a handy
19 – 5 lead.
The young Cockatoos then got back into the match when they managed to stem the flow of the Vic’s attacking raids, and they started to gain the ascendency in the scrums and line-outs. They converted the pressure into points when Flanker Tom Borowski scored a converted try from a forward drive and Dan Cullinane kicked a long range penalty goal to go to the half time break with the score at 19 – 15 to the VRU Colts.
The second half opened the same as the first with the VRU Colts being on the front foot which saw them skip away to a 26 – 15 lead when they scored a converted try in the opening two minutes.
Country struck back in the forty fifth minute when Fullback Levi Russell sliced through and outpaced the cover defence to touch down for and unconverted try to pull the score back to
26 – 20.
They were on a roll, but basic errors were costing them dearly, with turnovers taking the pressure of the Vic’s and basically keeping them in the match. A dropped ball on halfway by the Vic’s saw the ball kept on the toe and Centre Mitchell Clay raced through to score a converted try for the Cockatoo Colts to take the lead 27 – 26.
Country was full of running and had the VRU Colts on the back foot, but they couldn’t convert the pressure into points with last ditch defence and wrong options denying them several scoring opportunities.
Once again ball security was a problem, and on the two occasions the Vic’s worked play into Country’s half they posted points with the final score of the match being a converted try to the VRU in the last minute to wrap up a 36 – 27 victory.
Standout players for the Cockatoo Colts were Flanker Tyler Jones (Central Coast), Flanker
Alan Tonacia (Illawarra) and Fullback Levi Russell (Central West).
VRU Colts 36 (5 Tries, 4 Conversions & Penalty)
Defeated
NSW Country Cockatoo Colts 27 (Tom Borowski, Mitchell Clay, Chris Farmer & Levi
Russell Tries, Rhys Millar Conversion, Dan Culliane Conversion & Penalty).