RUGBY LEAGUE
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THE Assumption School footballers have finished off their stellar 2013 campaign in brilliant fashion with a gutsy win in the final of the NSW Catholic and Independent Primary Schools rugby league competition in Sydney on Wednesday.
Having won every Western region title in league, union and AFL throughout the season as well as a multitude of other crowns, the Assumption boys found themselves in an unfamiliar position as they trailed St Joseph’s of Taree 12-0 with five minutes to play in the first half.
However, they recovered as champion teams do and survived a nail biting final few minutes defending their own line to record a memorable 16-12 win.
“We played down at St Mary’s in Sydney and the fields there were just fantastic, it was a great venue,” Assumption coach Peter Nugent said.
“It was a pretty fiery and physical opening five minutes. Then in the next five or so as things started to settle down we had a chance to get on the board, but we knocked on a kick over the St Joseph’s try-line.
“They began to put us under enormous pressure and they scored first and converted and then on the fifth tackle of the next set, they put a kick through and forced a mistake under our posts and scored their second, so with five minutes to play until half-time we were down 12-0.
“At that point players like Brad Fearnley, Aaron Feenan and Hugh Bokenham really stepped up and got us back into it. Brad was taking two hit-ups a set and scored our first just before the break, so we went in down 12-4 at half-time.”
The second half saw Assumption at their best as they ran in a couple of converted tries. Eventual man of the match Aidan McAuley was one of the ringleaders.
However, with three minutes left, St Joseph’s began a set deep in Assumption’s half. A couple of deft kicks and mistakes from the Bathurst side meant that the Taree school began three sets in a row inside Assumption’s 10-metre line.
“Right on the siren, one of the St Joseph’s boys must have been within millimetres of the tryline and Aidan virtually had to get himself underground to be able to hold it up.
“I’ve experienced some real highs in football, but that was right up there. Brad Fearnley was superb in his leadership, but the whole team deserves to be congratulated, especially to come from behind in a grand final.
“The sheer determination of the boys in the end was too much for the other side.
“I’m so proud of what they have achieved this season not just in league but in union, AFL, even netball – and from what I’ve been told they even won their dance section of the Bathurst Eisteddfod.
“I thought they all had 15 left feet.
“The likes of Stannies and the High School are going to be getting some very good footballers next year.”
Nugent also thanked the likes of John Griffiths, Glen Matthews and John Fearnley who have assisted with training the team throughout the highly successful 2013 season.