THEY might not have been able to catch a Tiger by the tail, but the Saints showed they are still filled with spirit when comes to the Group 10 Junior Rugby League under 16s competition.
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On Saturday at Jack Arrow Oval, St Pat's pushed Bloomfield Tigers all the way before going down 22-12.
It was a contest that certainly delivered on what the top of the table clash had promised - there were huge hits in defence, smart tactical kicks, slick back line plays and moments of individual brilliance.
Inspired by talented fullback Harry Wald, the Tigers posted their 10th win of the season to stay in first. However, the now third placed Saints demonstrated that they are also title contenders.
In what was their last game on home soil in the junior competition, the Saints began strongly.
They forced a line drop-out at the end of their opening set and though Bloomfield's defence stood firm under that early pressure, the Saints came at them again.
Dummy-half Billy Osborne shaped to pass to the dangerous Jack Branda close to the line, but instead put the ball on the chest of Riley Hancock who's angled run back to the inside saw him get over the line.
Anthony Driver added the extras for the Saints to be 6-0 up after 14 minutes.
It was an impressive passage of play, but what Bloomfield produced to square things up was even better.
Though the Tigers were shifting the ball to the right wing, lock Hugh Coady-Jiear sensed there was space back to the left. He put up a bomb - kicking across his body - which the flying Wald leapt and plucked out of the air to score.
Wald converted his own try to lock it up a 6-all and were it not for a brilliant Branda tackle two minutes later, the fullback would've had his second.
However, just six minutes into the second half Wald had his double.
While a long cut-out pass from Coady-Jiear drifted over the head of winger Riley Dane, he managed to knock the ball back in field before it went into touch.
Wald scooped it up and though he had 20 metres to run and an entire Saints side in front of him, he stepped his way through to give his side the lead.
It was a short lived lead.
Bloomfield allowed the kick-off to go dead in-goal which gifted the Saints the ball in attacking position.
On the last play of the set the Tigers' defence was watching Branda and waiting for him to make a dart at the line from dummy-half. Instead he passed to winger Hayden Selman, who dived over in the corner.
That made it 12-all and set up a tense and exciting finish.
Bloomfield hit the front with nine minutes to go as a smart Wald ball put Jacob Swain over, but from the kick-off the Tigers again let the ball bounce dead in-goal.
The Saints threw everything at the Tigers, but this time they managed to hold on.
It was with 1:53 left on the clock that the visitors finally sealed the win, Nate Davis selling his rivals a huge dummy before running over between the sticks. Wald converted to make it 22-12.
The Saints will no doubt be keen to get another crack at Bloomfield when the finals begin in a fortnight.
BLOOMFIELD TIGERS 22 (Harry Wald 2, Jacob Swain, Nate Davis tries; Harry Wald 3 goals) defeated ST PAT'S 12 (Riley Hancock, Hayden Selman tries; Anthony Driver, Lachlan Randall goals)
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