Above: Michael Koko in action for Endeavour Hills on Saturday.THEN there were three! It was another good weekend of finals rugby at Endeavour Hills Rugby Union Club.
The club played host to the Victorian Junior Preliminary Finals and had seven exciting games played at Frog Hollow on Saturday morning. Hills teams played in four of these games, with the under-12As and 18s finishing their seasons with strong but losing games.
The under-12As played a strong Northern Panthers team that took an early lead and never let go to down a valiant Hills squad 19-0. The under-18s also went down to Northern, in one of the most exciting games the grade has seen all year. Hills played well but could not overcome some very strong combinations from Northern to lose 12-22.
The under-14As played strongly to defeat Moorabbin in a close tussle, holding out a strong finishing opposition at 26-21. They now meet the Northern Panthers in the Grand Final at 10:15am on Saturday at Sparks Reserve, Box Hill.
The highlight game of the morning was the under-16s, who came up against Southern Districts. After a close call with Southern the last time they met, with Hills winning 10-5, the stage was set for a do-or-die contest.
The first 10 minutes were the decider as the Hills team put in a huge effort, to be rewarded with an unconverted try to Nathan Paila. This started a landslide of unconverted tries by Raymond Tuaivi, Damien Va, and Toese Mose. The Endeavour Hills goal kicker’s radar was not tuned in.
But Southern, to its credit, kept in touch with a converted try before half time to trail Hills 7-20 at the break.
The teams were slowing up in the heat, but Southern kept the pressure up to be rewarded with a second try to close the difference to just six points. Hills struck back 20 minutes into the half with a try to fullback Raymond Tuiavii to give Hills the win 25-14.
The Hills forwards and backs combined well with brilliant running from forward Vencis Lafaele, and back Raphael Adeloju. Captain Siliva Siliva also stepped up to help control the play.
The team now goes through to the grand final this Saturday against Moorabbin. The game kicks off at 11:25am at Sparks Reserve, Box Hill.
The Endeavour Hills women’s team bowed out with a loss to Monash Uni/Box Hill, 28-0. “This was a development year for our women’s team,” said club president Ashley White, “and we’re very happy with all that the team has brought to the club. This team will only get better.”
The A-grade travelled to Eltham to meet last week’s victors in the elimination semi-final. Eltham must have been confident having had the Hills team’s measure both times this year. Hills came out strongly and was able to post first points after a perfectly timed kick deep into the corner box resulted in a flying try under the post, to lead 7-0.
Eltham hit back with a try out wide to the right to close the margin to 7-5.
Late in the first half, an indiscretion by Ronnie Tau saw him yellow carded for 10 minutes, leaving Hills with 14 men against 15. The team dug deep and had Eltham on the back foot, nearly crossing for another try and holding out a willing counter-attack.
Late in the half, Justin Tomikino slotted a rare field goal from around the 10-metre line to give Hills a 10-5 lead at the break.
Back from the break, Hills came out strongly and proceeded to run the Eltham pack around the field. They scored again before Eltham could strike back, and from then the scores exchanged, with one major difference: Hills was converting its tries.
Eltham failed to kick a goal all day and Hills went on to win easily, 35-15, with tries to Presley Naea, Matthew Murray, Edwin Tonga and Wallace Siopou, and Justin Tomikino kicking three conversions, two penalty goals and a drop goal.
Endeavour Hills meets Boroondara this Saturday at Holmesglen Reserve, Ashwood, kicking off at 4pm to see who goes through to meet Footscray in the Grand Final the following week.
