Round 7 - 31.05.25

The Rebel’s stormy season continued last Saturday, both literally and metaphorically. The women’s team and the men’s first grade side both played away at Casuarina, which was lucky because once again our home grounds were partly under water following heavy rain. In contrast, the sand-based field at Casuarina was firm and there was even a break in the showers when the Rebel women ran out to play against their great friends and rivals, the Casuarina Barbarians. The camaraderie between these two teams is evident off the field, but once the whistle blows there is no holding back.

The first half was an arm wrestle, with play moving back and forth between the 22 metre lines and neither side able to penetrate the opposition’s determined defence. Nil all at half time. The second half was just as intense, but some handling and defensive errors started to open up scoring opportunities for both sides. The Barbarians scored first with an unconverted try, but the Rebels hit back with a try to Keely Arnold. The conversion would give our girls the lead with not long to play … but where was the kicking tee? It had been left somewhere in the sheds! Kari Massey had no option but to try for a drop goal. She struck it well, but it went wide of the posts to leave the scores tied at five all.

After another intense period of play the final whistle blew with no change to the score. A 5 – 5 draw was probably a fair outcome to a great game. The intensity of the encounter was marked on the face of Beth Mayman, with a cut to the forehead requiring stitches, and in the bone-jarring tackle made by Faith Taylor that unfortunately led to a blue card for a possible concussion. Both Beth and Faith are fine and will be back for the next game in two weeks’ time.

The tight, intense contest of the women’s game was magnified in the men’s first grade match.

There was an early set back when a high shot floored Jude Eastwell in the first minute of play and he had to leave the field with possible concussion. But with the evergreen Johnny Turagabeci on in his place the Rebels forwards quickly showed their dominance. It took only three minutes for Reece Bartlett to crash over the line from a powerful rolling maul. From then on, the game developed into an enthralling, evenly balanced affair with both sides having attacking opportunities. The Rebels’ scrum was a weapon that Casuarina simply couldn’t counter, but the Barbarians showed flashes of classy play in the backs. It took another half an hour before either side could score again, with the Casuarina winger finally crossing in the corner.

Unfortunately, Sam Burgoine was side-lined with a shoulder injury, but he was ably replaced by Cesar ‘L’homme’ Nicholas in his first and only game for the Rebels this season. Cesar put on a tackling master class for the rest of the game and will be welcomed back with open arms if he is able to return next year.

Our completely dominant scrum generated a string of penalties and pushed across the line twice before Will Rudkin was finally able to get hand on ball for the Rebel’s second try not long before half time. That was quickly followed by another try to Sam Reid from broken play and the Rebels had jumped to a useful lead.

Unfortunately, with only seconds to go until the break, the Barbarians were attacking our line when Will Aisake was yellow-carded for not rolling away quickly enough. From the tap penalty the Baa-baas managed to push over under the post and the try was converted to make it 19 – 14 to the Rebels at half time.

The second half followed the same pattern with the play ranging up and down the field. Casuarina took the lead back with two converted tries before the Rebels’ comprehensive domination in the scrum led to a penalty try. 28 – 26 to Casuarina. At about this time the literal storm broke with swirling wind and torrential rain sweeping in across the field. As the players disappeared into the murk, Sam Valpy launched a towering penalty kick for touch that crossed the sideline only five metres out. A few phases later and the Rebels’ masterful scrum once again rolled over the try line for Will Rudkin to score his second try. With the conversion it was 33 – 28 and the Rebels had the lead again.

In the closing period of the game a series of handling errors in the wet and an unlucky bounce of the rugby ball kept the Rebels under pressure, but it wasn’t until the final second that the defence cracked. Casuarina managed to bullock their way over the line on the stroke of full time. 33 all with the kick to come. After all of the adversity faced by the Rebels this season, and particularly over the past week, it didn’t quite seem fair when the conversion sailed between the posts. 35 – 33 to Casuarina.

If ever a side was valiant in defeat, this was it. Our men may not have won on the scoreboard but they certainly did the Club proud. Adversity, they say, doesn’t build character, it reveals it.

Written by Dave Phillips