Port Macquarie "Pirates" Rugby Union Club

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Pirates v Vikings
THE Port Macquarie Pirates have continued their impressive undefeated Mid-North Coast Zone Rugby run by defeating the Hastings Valley Vikings 21-15 at Stuart Park over the weekend.

The home side was given a of a scare early on by their hometown rivals as the Vikings managed to get off to a flyer and scored a try in the opening minutes of the match.

From there, the game turned into an arm-wrestle of sorts.

Pirates captain-coach Jordan Macey booted a penalty goal and then a dropped goal right before the break to nose the Pirates ahead by a single point.

Centre Matt Mane was forced from the field in the early stages of the match with a hamstring aggravation and said the Pirates went into the second half with a completely different attitude.

“We struggled with execution early on and our combinations weren’t working as well as we’d have liked,” Mane admitted.

“But, the guys came out from the halftime break with a different attitude and did well to eventually take the game.”

Mane explained the previous week’s big 72-0 win did not do his side any favours, coming into what was always expected to be a tough encounter against the second-placed Vikings, but said the close game would do his side more good than harm.

“We really did not have the ideal lead-up to this match,” Mane said.

“It was always expected to be a tough game.

“At half time in the sheds we were saying how we needed a good, close game like this leading into the finals series.”

The injured centre said with four games remaining in the

regular competition, whispers of the undefeated run are getting louder.

“It is not something we have been talking about much,” Mane said.

“We want to focus more on each game ahead of us. When you stop doing that, that is when you will lose.

“But, I guess it is there and people are starting to talk about it a bit more,” he admitted

Mane said his hamstring injury would sideline him for the next game but he is hoping to be back in two or three weeks.

The Pirates under-19s, pretty in pink, kept their Vikings rivals scoreless and romped to a comprehensive 46-0 win.

Vikings can take some positives out of the weekend as their reserve grade squad defeated Pirates 18-7.

Pirates v South West Rocks

IT was a red-letter day for The Westport Club-sponsored Port Macquarie Pirates on the weekend, with the Mid-North Coast Zone Rugby club winning all three grades at home.

The undefeated First XV smashed the South West Rocks Gaolers 72-0, the Second XV trumped the competition leaders Bowraville Goannas 20-19, and the under 19s accounted for the Gaolers 27-7.

“Although it was a good day for the club, most of the praise should go to our under 19 and reserve grade teams,” head coach Jordan Macey said.

“Marc Minor is doing a terrific job with the young guys – and has them firing at the moment.

“As for the Second XV, their victory over the frontrunners was a great effort.

“On an individual note, league convert Russell Gordon has really impressed me too.

“And, he showed his class with a couple of tries on the weekend.”

Powerhouse centre Matt Mane began the game with a very strong tackle and, from that point on, the entire Pirates crew knew that it was going to be a deadly serious showdown.

It wasn’t long before fly half Macey and Mane busted through the visitor’s ranks.

Mane opened the campaign with some gutsy fending as he attacked the line and, before the supporters on the hill could consider seeking a second beverage, the score was 12-0.

Five minutes later, it appeared as though the Pirates’ backline was at training, with British centre Tom Emes pushing the side ahead 19-0.

Macey converted the try, albeit his goal kicking was troubled against the strong breeze.

The Pirates tried to consolidate but found prop Jamie Moore deep in the backline with a bullet pass, which went astray.

Even against the wind, the hosts were dominating and produced space for Darryl Thompson, who crossed, for a 26-0 lead.

Shortly before the break, the Pirates placed themselves in a confident 31-0 position.

The second half saw the home side hoist its mainsails.

The sheer tenacity by the Pirates’ gang was staggering at times and, even against a much larger forward pack, the scrums were tantalising to the supporting crowd.

Local stalwart Leon Anderson, who has played more than 200 games for the club, was on the hill and delighted with the performance.

When asked what he enjoyed most about the match, he replied, “the game of running rugby by the Pirates is excellent and the control and discipline by the forwards is inspirational.”

Almost as this short grab was being freely provided, flanker Ben Nolan seemed to demand his own park with a gut-busting run at full speed.

Aaron Robinson was both exciting and awe-inspiring to watch at scrumhalf.

Some elders of the club, who were celebrating Heritage Day likened “Robbo’s” effort to the great Rod McLean, which is a stunning comparison.

The reserve grade side put in their gutsiest performance of the year against the table-topping Goannas.

The front-row of Rhys Dutton, Josh Nolan and Adam Lysle obliterated Bowraville in the scrums, and were well backed up by the Tongan Loni Akaveka.

Gordon, who dominated in the centres, showed the visitors how to fend off some good defence and the halves, Danny Piesley and Dave Bailey, gave both the forward pack and the backline wonderful direction all day.

The under 19s sought inspiration from the memory of the tragic loss endured by the Turnham family to produce a fantastic result.

Great efforts were provided by the highly-regarded Martin Roods and Mat “Waldo” Walton but it was the halves again who laid the platform with Sam Meadows in stunning form.

Pirates v Kempsey
It was a game that the Pirates would much rather forget. The Westport Club sponsored Port Macquarie Pirates took the competition points, however, it was a game that was up for grabs right to the very end. The game was marred by dropped ball, misdirected passes and a general lack of cohesion amongst the Pirates.

The Kempsey Cannonballs kept the game up to the Pirates with strong defence and a aggresive style of play which did not allow the Pirates to slip into gear as easily as they have been doing in the competition so far.

To the Pirates credit, they stuck to their guns and relied heavily on last ditch defensive lines which thwarted scoring attempts by the Cannonballs.

Initially, the game looked that it might be another dominant performance by the Pirates with the ball being swung to the backline but the passes just did not stick or failed to find their mark.

The Cannonballs looked as though they were to be the first to score in the first moments of the game but a dropped ball by the outside centre with an overlap and the line open ended that movement.

The 10th minute saw an explosive run by Jordan Macey which found winger Scott Pagan in support came close to the line, however the Kempsey cover defence put and end to the Pirates attack.

The 19th minute of the game saw the first scoring points by the Pirates after the Cannonballs were seeking to run the ball from their half and a spilt ball ended up on the toe of Tom Emes who followed this up with a further well weighted kick which lobbed over the Kempsey try line and Emes was able to pounce upon the ball. The try was unconverted.

Again the Pirates forwards provided a strong platform for the backline. The Pirates lineout also gave crisp clean ball to the backs.

Unfortunately, the back line could not capitalise on this.

The speed of Tom Emes saved a certain Kempsey try. The ball was kicked through by Kempsey and after giving the Kempsey player a head start, Emes was able to smother the ball to dissipate the Kempsey scoring opportunity.

The break saw the Pirates with an unconvincing 5-0 lead.

The second half was dominated by scrappy play from both sides and numerous penalties.

It was not until the 35th minute of the game that Macey broke out of the Kempsey defence and found Tom Emes in support. Emes crossed adjacent to the posts. With the conversion by Matt Maney the Pirates were finally able to draw a sigh of relief with a 12-0 lead.

Right on full time, Lucas Webb broke the tiring Cannonballs defence and again found Tom Emes in support. The unconverted try gave the Pirates the final score of 17-0.

The outstanding game by Tom Emes in both attack and defence earned the talented Englishmen the players player award.

Emes was very well supported by Chad Joseph and Andrew Lawrence.

The Port Macquarie Pirates Reserve Grade form were unable to recapture the form they displayed last week at Coffs Harbour and in an unconvincing display submitted to the Kempsey Cannonballs 25-3. The Pirates forwards tried hard all day but they met a formidable Kempsey team.

Rhys Dutton had another strong display and showed his many skills which included a very neat chip kick.

Morgan Fox attempted to enthuse his players but on each occasion Kempsey were able to cancel the Pirates advances.

Danny Piesley again showed his skill at half back.

Ashley Hocking had his usual strong game in the front of the scrum and in general play.

The U/19 Port Macquarie Pirates in facing their opponents from last years grand final displayed enthusiasm, confidence and ability to come from behind and record a strong 29-24 victory.

The Cannonballs had gone to the break with a 17-14 lead. The Pirates knew they were still in the contest. Unfortunately the game was marred by rough play from the Cannonballs which resulted in their having one player sin binned and another sent from the field.

The Pirates started the game slowly but gradually increased their momentum to snatch the well deserved victory over the U/19 competition front runners.

The try scorers for the Pirates were Scott Munro (2) Nick Maxwell and Matt Walton.

Justin Beeforth played strongly and was rewarded with the players player award for the day and also a spot on the first and second grade benches.

Sam Williams attacked and defended throughout the game. The reliability of Williams is a cornerstone of the Pirates success this year.

Luke Woodhouse, returning from injury, showed his talents in the custodial role at full back.

Scott Munro and Nick Maxwell were rewarded with best and fairest points.

This game was an exciting affair which had the crowd engrossed in a fine game of rugby. The game had the perfect combination of strong forward power and extensive use of the ball by the backline.

Pirates v Coffs Crushers
Saturday saw the Westport Club sponsored Port Macquarie Pirates again at Coffs Rugby Park for the clash with the Coffs Crushers. After playing the Breakers at Coffs Harbour a fortnight ago and several players being involved in representative fixtures last weekend, Coffs Rugby park is beginning to become quite familiar to the Pirates players.

From the kick off the Pirates showed a domination that would further evolve as the game progressed.

The first points on the board went to Matt Mane who chipped a neat field goal in the sixth minute. The 3-0 advantage was looking to be short lived as from the resumption in play the Coffs Crushers attacked the Pirates line, however, the Pirates defence remained intact. Coffs Crushers were awared a penalty in this passage of play but the attempt passed wide of the posts.

The individual brilliance of Jordan Macey came to the fore in the 12th minute when he chipped ahead, regathered and placed the ball across the Crushers line to extend the Pirates lead to 10-0.

The pressure applied by the Pirates forwards forced many errors amongst the Crushers causing turnovers to keep the Pirates in an advantageous position.

Through this passage of play neither team were able to dominate their opposition.

Darryl Thompson had an inspirational game. Thompson was awarded the "players player" award for his outstanding performance.

In the 31st minute Thompson broke several tackles and weaved his way through the Crushers defence only to have the ball knocked from his grasp as he went for the line.

From the ensuing scrum, which resulted in a win for the Pirates forwards, the ball was swung wide to the backs with Thompson drawing the defence and sending a neat pass to Scott Pagan who crossed in the corner. The try was unconverted and the Pirates had the advantage of a scoreline of 15-0.

Just as the players were about to break for half time, the Pirates were attacking the Crushers line when Macey received the ball and then held the ball up perfectly to tease the Crushers defence and put a deft pass into the hands of Thompson who ran on to the ball and scored adjacent to the posts. Macey converted and the Pirates went to the oranges with a 22-0 lead.

The second held saw a rejuvenated Crushers side dominate from the commencement of play as they tried to reduce the deficit from the first stanza. The Pirates defence remained intact.

In the 12 minute of the second half, the Crushers were penalised for a lifting tackle on Tom Valentine, which caused injury to Valentines ribs. Valentine resumed play after medical attention.

Matt Mane who continues his run of top form put a perfectly weighted kick in behind the Crushers defence which allowed Macey to regather and score. This try was converted by Thompson.

A short four minutes later Tom Emes received the ball from broken play and showed his acceleration to outpace the Crushers defence and add to the Pirates try tally. The conversion by Thompson gave the Pirates an unassailable lead of 36-0.

During this passage of play the intensity of the game took its toll with injuries forcing Heath Morgan,Tom Valentine,Lucas Webb and Jordan Macey from the field.

The final ten minutes of the game saw the Crushers put two tries on the board to give the final score of 36-12.

Prop forwards John Nicholson and Rob Mooney had outstanding games and their strength and support from the remainder of the Pirates pack paved the way for victory.

The Reserve Grade saw the Pirates encounter the Southern Cross University Marlins. This game saw the larger Pirates forward pack gain an ascendancy which allowed the backs to capitalise on the forward movement and space that was made available to them.

Morgan Fox was the first try scorer for the Pirates. This was converted by Chris Turnham whose current form must surely be giving the selectors something to think about.

The 18th minute saw Danny Peisley take the ball from a Pirates scrum win and dart twenty metres to score untouched by the students.

Russell Thomas scored a further Pirates try after a sharp backline movement which, with the conversion took the Pirates to a half time lead of 19-6.

Simon Anderson was the first to score in the second half after taking the ball from a Marlins knock on and crossing the Marlins line. Anderson converted his own try.

Further tries were scored in the second half by Kyle Miller and Russell Thomas.

An all in brawl marred the second half of this entertaining match. The brawl started after Pirates prop forward Rhys Dutton was stomped on the head during a maul. It took some time for the match officials to restore order. It resulted in the sin binning of the Marlins offender.

The final result was a well deserved victory to the Pirates to the tune of 40-6.

The outstanding players in the Reserve Grade team were Russell Gardner, Billy Dietrich, Russell Thomas and Danny Piesley.

Unfortunately, the Pirates u/19 team could not be part of the victory celebrations on the day after they suffered a 44-19 loss to Coffs Rugby. The kicking game by the Pirates was not at its best. The Pirates repeatedly failed to find touch from kicks or alternatively placed it straight into the hands of the Coffs attack. Coffs centre Josh Rayner repeatedly caused problems for the Pirates defence and crossed for the Coffs team on two occasions and repeatedly set up attacking moves and tries for his team.

The Coffs team raced to a 20-0 lead by the 29th minute. Just prior to the break Sam Williams burrowed through the Coffs defence to put the Pirates on the scoreboard.

The second half start saw Jack Goreham save a certain Coffs try with strong defence that thwarted an overlap that Coffs had created.

The sixteenth minute of the second half saw hooker Nick Maxwell get under the Coffs defence and score after a fine attacking move created by Sam Meadows. The conversion of this try saw Coffs retain a lead of 34-12.

Coffs scored again in the 19th minute. to take their lead to 39-12.

Sam Meadows was rewarded with a five pointer after an evasive run which evaded the tight Coffs Rugby defence. With the score now at 39-19 the young Pirates did not give up and continued to provide opposition to the Coffs team.

Right on full time the Coffs team crossed for another unconverted try and this gave the final score of 44-19.

Although outclassed on the day the young Pirates are looking forward to the return match in Port Macquarie in round 13.

The day ended with the Pirates completely outclassing the assembled Coffs teams and winning the "boat races".

Pirates v Coffs Breakers
The dismal weather conditions of last week which played havoc with sport in the Mid North Coast did not deter the Port Macquarie Pirates in their continuation of the good form they have displayed in the Mid North Coast Rugby Union competition this season.

The Pirates traveled to Coffs Rugby Park to engage the Coffs Harbour Breakers.

The match was played on a muddy and slushy second field as the main field was unplayable. This was expected to have the game played in tight conditions dominated by close play and any advantage going to the team which could maintain possession on the less than desirable playing surface.

The Westport Club sponsored Pirates outfit not only adapted to the conditions but delivered an awesome display of wet weather rugby.

The Pirates accounted for the Breakers with a resounding 48-7 victory.

The Pirates had relinquished their home ground advantage for this game to allow the Breakers to have the game at Coffs Harbour due to ground unavailability later in the season for the Breakers.

In another display of forward power, the smaller Pirates front men dominated the larger Breakers forward group.

Of the forwards Andrew Lawrence gave another impressive display. He was ably supported by Chad Joseph and Ben Nolan. These players all received points in the best and fairest points.

Again the backs showed their class by playing dry weather football in wet weather conditions.

Jordan Macey and Tom Emes each came away with a hat trick of tries.

Macey started with an intercept try after the Pirates had forced play well into the Breakers half. As the Breakers attempted to move play from their line after a line out win. The skillful hands of Macey combined with his pace, saw Macey start the account for the Pirates.

The Breakers leveled the score shortly after as the Pirates went through a flat period.

From that point on it was all Pirates.

The defence of the Pirates was outstanding. In one period in the second half, The Breakers hammered the Pirates line for a through many phases of play, only to be repulsed each time.

Matt Mane suffered a dislocated finger and switched to the wing with Tom Emes moving to the centres. Emes again showed his immense skill in this position, constantly worrying the Breakers defence.

Aaron Robinson had a strong game at half back.

Captain Coach Jordan Macey said " Our speed off the defensive line continually thwarted any attacking chances the Breakers may have had"

The Reserve Grade team despite having a full team and a full bench struck the inform Coffs Rugby team and went down 27-0. The Coffs team have been playing strongly all year and this continued on Saturday. The Coffs team ran to a 20-0 lead at half time. However, the Pirates Reserves stuck to their guns and contained the Coffs team to a 27-0 scoreline.

With a general bye next weekend to allow for representative fixtures, The Pirates who are not involved in the representative fixtures can have a well earned rest before traveling to Coffs Harbour the following weekend to take on the Coffs Harbour Crushers.

Pirates v Vikings
The day did not start well with constant rain and overcast conditions. The Westport Club sponsored Port Macquarie Pirates ventured across town to the lair of the Hastings Valley Vikings. The two teams held first and second position on the Mid North Coast Rugby Union competition. It was always going to be a hard day.

From the outset the Port Macquarie Pirates attempted to utilise the speed and finis of their outstanding backline. The Vikings were not going to let the Pirates have their own way. Each foray by the Pirates backs was counter matched by the Vikings as they continued to turn the ball inside for their big men to do the hard yards.

The game started on a sour note for the Pirates with Darryl Thompson incurring the wrath of the referee for a dangerous tackle and being shown a yellow card and having to spend ten minutes in the sin bin. During this period the Pirates continued to attack the Vikings defence.

When the Vikings had charge of the ball they encountered resolute Pirates defence.

A penalty goal in the 23rd minute of the First Grade fixture saw the Vikings trouble the scorer for the first time in the day.

The Pirates came back in the 27th minute with Jordan Macey showing his brilliance and speed to completely outwit the Vikings defence to score wide out and then convert his try with a sensational conversion from the sideline. The try was the result of clever kick through which changed the momentum of the play to the Pirates advantage.

This gave the Pirates a 7-3 lead.

Three minutes later Dave Dunstead crashed over for the Vikings to give the Vikings a 8-7 lead.

Right on the half time bell Jordan Macey converted a penalty to additional points to give the Pirates a 10-8 advantage at half time.

The first minute of the second half saw bullocking Pirates centre Matt Maney give the Pirates some breathing space with a try in the south western corner of the field. Macey converted to take the Pirates to a handy 17-8 lead.

Four minutes later the Vikings received a penalty within kicking distance and chose to take a kick at goal rather than test the Pirates defence. This penalty brought the Vikings within 6 points of the Pirates.

The Vikings game lifted and they constantly attempted to breach the Pirates defence, however, without success.

In the 30th minute of the second half Jordan Macey put the seal on the game for the Pirates with a brilliant individual try where he ran a deceptive attacking line, showing several dummy passes, each one drawing the Vikings defence, before he scored untouched adjacent to the goal posts. The try was not converted by Macy but the 11 point gap gave the Pirates a confidence boosting lead.

In the latter part of the game some illegal play entered the game. A scuffle between David Barnes and replacement forward Jamie Moore earnt the pair a yellow card each. The scuffle between the players continued over the side line resulting in referee Dave Miller intervening between the miscreants.

The Pirates continued to attack the Vikings line putting further pressure on their opponents.

The 40th minute of the game saw the biggest "hit" of the game when Chad Joseph lined up a Vikings forward. Unfortunately this resulted in a yellow card for Joseph.

The final score was in the Pirates favour to the tune of 22-11. This now gives the Pirates a bigger gap in the competition table and a handy start to the second round of the competition.

The lighter Pirates forwards showed great determination against the Vikings. The fitness of the forwards was a contributing factor in their ability to control the Vikings forwards, who have troubled all the other teams in the Mid North Coast competition.

The ability, speed and cohesiveness of the Pirates backs continues to cause problems for their opponents. The speed and brilliance of Tom Emes, Darryl Thompson and Tom Valentine combined with the power and strength of Matt Maney had the Vikings troubled all day. the halves combination of Aaron Robinson and Jordan Macey created many opportunities for the outside men.

In the forward pack Bruno Bourke, Rob Mooney, Heath Morgan, Lucas Webb, Andrew Lawrence, Chad Joseph and Ben Nolan each played themselves to a standstill against the heavier Vikings pack.

1ST GRADE PIRATES 22 def VIKINGS 11.

RESERVE GRADE.

With second grade captain coach Robert Duffy sidelined for Saturdays fixture, Duffy endured the pain of not being involved personally in the game with his charges. Duffy however gave his team a game plan and they stuck to that plan.

The forward power of the Pirates big men John Nicholson, Loni Akaveka and Adam Lysle caused constant worry to the Vikings. On the bench was the awesome power of Nigel Thurston, who when injected into the game caused havoc to the opposition.

The game was played amongst the forwards for most of the early part of the game.

A quick break by the Pirates backs resulted in Mark harris crossing the try line only to be recalled for an earlier forward pass.

Billy Dietrich was every where in attack and defence. From Dietrich's game on saturday it is assured he will have the first grade forwards looking over their respective shoulders.

A wide out try by Adam Mascord put the Pirates on the score board. This try was not converted and the Pirates Reserves went to the break with a 5-0 lead.

In the second half back Chris Turnham showed his ability and class with a very good backline try which he also converted to give the Pirates the edge at 19-0.

In the 22nd minute of the second half classy half Chris Cain took the ball from a scrum win and darted through the clutching Vikings defence to score adjacent to the posts. Chris Turnham converted to give the final score of 19-0 to the Pirates.

Outstanding for the Pirates reserve team were Chris Cain, Chris Turnham, Danny Piesley, Monty Davis and Nigel Hurlston.

Coach Robert Duffy said after the game. "The lads have excelled themselves. This was always going to be a very hard game and they have achieved everything I have asked of them".

RESERVE GRADE PIRATES 19 defeated VIKINGS 0

U/19

The day started with a dour game between the future talent of the Pirates and the Vikings. The only time the scorer was troubled during the game was as a result of a penalty against the Vikings which Justin Lowe converted to points. The score was 3-0 to the Pirates at half time.

Sam Williams played his usual high class game in both attack and defence. Scott Munro's reliability in attack and defence was ever present.

The Pirates as a team clearly outplayed the Vikings but could not convert the advantage to points. The Pirates attacked for lengthy periods only to be thwarted by last ditch Vikings defence.

The game was played in a stop start fashion with referee Shaun O'Brien constantly interfering in the flow of the game.

Some of the decisions drew the ire of the partisan crowd.

For the Pirates the best on the field were Ben Mailo, Zac Shore, Justin Lowe. The well deserved players player went to Sam Meadows.

PIRATES 3 def VIKINGS 0

The only let down for the Pirates on the day were the Vintage Ports who could only manage a draw against the Wrinkled Horns.

Pirates Fire
The Westport sponsored Port Macquarie Pirates Rugby Club enjoyed a dusty afternoon at Stuart Park on Saturday against the Kempsey Cannonballs and the First XV came out of the sheds 'Firing'.

Initially both sides spread the ball left and right and the Referee was even leading the cheer squad until the Pirates delivered the first blow with a try and a confident conversion by Jordan Macey. With a spreading and threatening backline working the eastern side of the ground, the locals quickly swapped sides with confidence and scored twice again together with the later try being converted by the Pirates' Captain.

As the dust was drifitng over the warm Stuart Park ground, the Pirates utilised a Penalty to add to their early points to open the score up to 22 - 0 after only 20 minutes passing. With the confidence displayed in these early stages, the Pirates seemed to think that a short nap on the quarterdeck was now in order.

A few moments of quick play by the visitors caused the Pirates to take some hesitating breaths as Kempsey crossed the line twice in a short period of retaliation. The Pirates were puzzled as the score closed to 22 - 12.

Some frustrating moments for both sides followed as penalties became the order before a combination of Matty Mane and Tom Vallentine opened up Kempsey's backline and gave the cheering Mothers a breath of fresh hope.

Eventhough the visitors continued to keep the Pirates in their own half for some time, the Pirates safe hands of their back line found open space again only to fall short of the line in front of their clubhouse. This was only a short pause though as Scott Munro crossed the line leaving the half time score at 29 - 12.

The coaching staff at half time were happy with the Pirates' effort overall and encouraged the home side to stay sharp and remember their defensive strengths shown in earlier games of the season.

After some powerful scrum work early in the second half, the ball was passed out yet again which led to Jordan Macey finding the scoring zone and converting his own try. Moments later, the Pirates swapped sides again and spread it wide to put Scott Pagan over the line purshing the score out to 43 - 12.

Some cheeky responsive play by the Cannonballs threw some caution in the Pirates' sails again but the home side held their ground this time and kept the visitors on their back feet. A try came shortly after for the Pirates with Darryl Thompson adding to the points tally pushing the score out to a dominating 50-12.

A gutsy attempt by the visiting backline down the eastern side of the ground was put down by an even better response by the best and fairest player, Nick Dobson as he managed to get the ball back into play after it was kicked deep in the corner of the Cannonballs' scoring zone.

Some fresh blood off the bench for the Pirates saw Mark Harris and Justin Lowe defending their side of the ground well but the Cannonballs persisted and broke through to score late in the second half making the score 50 - 17.

The Pirates' Sam Williams led some great defence of their line as the Cannonballs found some new ammunition. This inspired a great line break in the middle of the park which resulted in a try to finalise the scoreboard at 57 - 17.

The Pirate's reserve grade side held their ground well despite a gutsy effort by the visitors leaving the full timescore at 5 - 5. This side, now led by the hatrick scoring Robert Duffy has been flushed with the return of some local greats and a number of fast backs like Danny Peisley. The under 19's defending premiers were troubled with their loss to the Cannonballs albeit Zac Shore and newcomer Christo Wicken played strongly. The final score for the young side was 26-15 in favour of the visitors. More details about these games will be in Wednesday's edition.

With the First XV now clearly dominating the ladder before the bye, their next test will be their game against South West Rocks Gaolers in two weeks. If the Pirates win this game, they will have played each opposing team and won producing an unquestionable undefeated status. Notwithstanding, this will make the rest of the competition keen to demast the Pirates in future games so the local side will need to hold their guard.

Pirates Crush Crushers
The Westport Club sponsored Port Macquarie Pirates returned to Stuart Park Port Macquarie on Saturday after having defeated last years Mid North Coast Zone Rugby Union premiers the Coffs Harbour Breakers. The task for this Saturday was to challenge the other grand finalist from last year.

The Crushers arrived with a large forward pack to contain the Pirates.

The scoring started in the second minute of the game with a penalty goal to the Crushers after a Pirates ruck infringement.

The Pirates replied very quickly with an expansive backline movement which found Lucas Webb supporting his back line and evading the Crushers fullback to take the opening honours for the Pirates with a wide out try.

The Pirates forwards continued on with their impressive form of past weeks to easily match the Crushers forward power.

New boy Tom Emes who replaced the injured Matt Mane and had only just stepped of an international flight the day, before inspired the Pirates with his strong defence.

The Pirates backs consistently pressured the Crushers defence forcing the Crushers into errors which created an imbalance amongst the Crushers backline.

Pirates winger Simon Anderson made an impressive side line run after a fast passing movement across the Pirates backline. This run threw the Crushers defence into disarray. At a crucial moment adjacent to the Crushers try line the ball was spilt by the Crushers attack. The ensuing scrum saw the power of the Pirates pack as they pushed the Crushers backwards.

The Pirates back line perhaps tried too hard in the early stages of the game and handling errors crept into the game.

An error by the Crushers in the 22nd minute saw a penalty attempt by Jordan Macey which added three points to the Pirates score.

The forwards were ably led by Rob Mooney whose crushing defence continually had the Crushers looking for him.

The dominance of the forward's allowed the Pirates to spin the ball wide to their elusive backs.

An injudicious kick by the harried Crushers backline was taken by Tim Platt who carved the Crushers defence and then kicked ahead. The kick resulted in a Crushers knock on. A penalty from the scrum deep in Crushers territory saw the ball spun wide to Platt who crossed the try line to take the score to 15-3 with the conversion attempt unsuccessful.

The Pirates forwards defence plan was working extremely well. Each forward did his job in defence and then quickly regrouped to participate in attacking play.

In defence Ben Nolan, Nick Dobson, Chad Joseph were relentless, giving no space to the Crushers forwards. Heath Morgan also tackled himself to a standstill to such an extent that any attempts by the Crushers to break out was quickly thwarted.

The Crushers when faced with any ball being kicked through failed to attack the ball in defence and this allowed the ball to bounce and give some opportunity to the Pirates.

The Crushers back line continued to kick to Tim Platt who each time made huge inroads into the Crushers defence.

Just prior to the half time break the ball was passed out wide to winger Chris Turnham who evaded two Crushers defenders, kicked ahead, regathered and scored to have the half time score at 20-3.

The second half commenced at an intense rate with heavy defence by both teams.

Scott Munro was everywhere in defence. The allround defensive game of the Pirates was impressive to Captain Coach Jordan Macey.

After a succession of penalties awarded against the Pirates, Coffs Harbour were able to cross the Pirates try line in the corner but were unable to convert the try. The scores remained at 20-8.

Will Anderson had a strong game but unfortunately succumbed to an injury in the 15th minute of the second stanza.

The Pirates appeared to back off for a short period by this was soon corrected with a passing movement that covered the width of the field. Ben Nolan, who had an outstanding game backed up the attack perfectly to receive a pass that saw him sprint across the try line to score his first try for the Pirates.

The conversion attempt by Darrell Thompson was successful and it gave the Pirates a 27-8 advantage.

After the scoring of this try a short period of intense defence by both teams ensued.

The Pirates appeared to be stuck in their 22 metre area until a precise kick through saw the Crushers forced to kick the ball into touch. The Pirates won the line out and applied pressure to the Crushers defence and this resulted in a try being scored on the opposite side of the field to the lineout by exciting centre Tom Emes. The conversion was unsuccessful and the Pirates led by 32-8.

The Pirates appeared to be inspired by this passage of play and at the 35 minute mark another wide passing movement saw Darrell Thompson score under the posts to give an easy conversion to Jordan Macey and allow an impressive 39-8 lead to the Pirates.

Two minutes later Tom Emes showed great power and speed to burst through the Crushers defence and place the ball over the Crushers try line for the final score of 44-8.

The Pirates were impressive in all aspects of their play. The play was bright, skillful and entertaining to the good crowd who came along to enjoy the sunny autumn afternoon.

Aaron Robinson had a strong game at half back. Tom Emes formed a solid combination with Darrell Thompson. Tim Platt played his usual strong game that constantly worried the Crushers.

Port Macquarie Reserve Grade started their game against Southern Cross University with strong defence by both teams. The game seemed to be stalled in the centre of the field for some time until Steve Adams broke out and scored the Pirates first try in the 16th minute.

Veteran forward Robert Duffy crashed over for the Pirates second try to take the Piartes to half time with a 12-0 lead.

Duffy who is virtually unstoppable close to the opposing line crashed over again in the 8th minute of the second half to take the Pirates to a 17-0 lead in a somewhat disjointed game.

In a very good period of play Mark Harris was the recipient of some good ball work to cross the line and give the Pirates an unassailable lead 22-0.

The University scholars came back with a good try to put their first points on the board for the day.

However, the game was not over for Robert Duffy who crossed for his third try in the latter moments of the game.

Duffy was taken from the field to be given a well earnt rest after his huge display.

The final score saw the Pirates victorious to the tune of 27=7.

The U/19's unfortunately were not to be part of the winning celebrations for the Pirates.

The game was tight and the both teams were evenly matched. Nick Maxwell crashed over for the Pirates to give the Piartes a 5-0 lead in the 6th minute.

An attempted clearing kick in the 11th minute saw a charge down by the Coffs Crushers. The subsequent try was converted by the Crushers to give them a 7-5 lead.

Both teams were equal to their opponents. A feature of the game was strong defence coupled with some exciting attacking play.

It is always worth coming to early games to see the enthusiasm of the younger players. Skills are in evidence aplenty.

The 25th minute saw the Crushers youngsters score wide out to take a 12-5 lead.

Immediately on resumption of play in the second half the Crushers forced the ball out wide to score in the corner. The score was 17-10 to the Crushers

The remainder of the second half was a torrid affair. Many attempts were made at scoring opportunities but no points were put on the board.

The final score favoured the Coffs Harbour Crushers to the tune of 17-10.

Best on the field for the Pirates were Nick Maxwell, Sam Williams, Scott Munro, Luke Woodhouse. Martin Roods. and Justin Lowe.

Martin Roods continues to impress with his speed and confidence in both attack and defence.

Pirates Rolls On (Port News 26/3/10)

AFTER a strong hit-out in the first trial game of the year, the Westport Port Macquarie Pirates rugby union team enjoyed solid training sessions this week.

Captain-coach Jordan Macey indicated to his players that he was looking to build on combinations in tomorrow’s matches against Barraba and Muswellbrook at Stuart Park.

The only injury concern from last weekend’s encounter was bruising to the neck, and chest soreness, to dual tryscorer Simon Anderson.

Anderson is confident he will be fully fit – and hoping to add more five-pointers to his tally.

Meanwhile, Tom Vallentine also returns to the team tomorrow.

“I’m really keen to have a run,” he said.

That showed at training where Vallentine’s speed and elusiveness was evident in several planned moves.

“This week we’ve focused on building cohesion and combinations,” Macey admitted.

“I’m hoping to, after tomorrow, have a clearer picture on the First XV for the opening competition game against the Hastings Valley Vikings on April 17.

“Heath Morgan and Greg Everson trained particularly well and deserve inclusion in the top team.

“Forwards training was vigorous and each player knows that a 100 per cent commitment is required both in matches and on the training paddock.

“In the backline, Darrell Thompson combined well with Tom (Vallentine).”

Another player determined to shine in 2010 is Lucas Webb.

The 21-year-old is relishing his return to the Pirates.

Webb, born in Port Macquarie, is the son of club stalwart Max Webb.

The youngster, currently studying medicine at the University of New South Wales, is working at Port Macquarie Base Hospital as part of his studies.

“Lucas has played in the First XV for Barker College Barker Old Boys and also for the Gordon Colts’ first team,” Macey said.

“So, he’s a very handy addition to the ranks.”

Tomorrow’s trial format is still being developed with Barraba and Muswellbrook, however, kick off will be at 3pm.

With the high standard of rugby displayed seven days ago, and the number of players available for selection, it is expected that this benchmark will continue this weekend.

2009 AGM

The Port Macquarie Pirates Rugby Union Club held its AGM on Monday 26th October.

The meeting was well attended at the clubs Stuart Park Clubhouse where office bearers for season 2010 were elected.

With overwhelming support, popular club veteran Denis Roberson was elected president. Denis has been involved with the Pirates for over two decades and after a four year hiatus recently returned to Port Macquarie. Life Member Max Webb was elected Vice president, Peter Gerity retained his role as treasurer, and Adam Lysle was elected club secretary.

The executive will be well supported with a very enthusiastic committee of Charlie Brown, Bob Laing, Dale Hubbard, Scott Marks, Danielle Martin and John Nicholson.

After taking the chair, Roberson thanked the outgoing committee including former president Peter Besselling for the good shape the club was in.

The Pirates will be looking to continue their run as the premier club in Mid North Coast Rugby, having won a record 15 first grade premierships in the competitions 35 year history.

Coaching staff are expected to be announced shortly for season 2010.

Pirates future looks bright (Port News 7 September 2009)

THE future of the Port Macquarie Pirates looks bright after the under 19s upset the Kempsey Cannonballs 20-14 at Coffs Harbour on Saturday.

The 2009 grand final was played in front of a large crowd, which included Wes Carr, winner of Australian Idol.

In the opening minutes, the Pirates gave away three consecutive penalties, giving the Cannonballs easy metres. Kempsey’s Matthew Carter crossed over the line and the successful conversion enabled them to lead 7-0.

Kempsey made another great break from the kick-off, looking to increase their lead, but a try-saving tackle by Martin Roods saved the Port Macquarie outfit.

A few minutes later, Roods sprinted 40m, chipped the ball over the Cannonballs and captain Chris Turnham regathered and scored. Daniel Byrnes missed the attempt from the sideline and the side trailed 7-5.

The constant work from the forward pack gave the backs plenty of room to weave their magic, and Turnham, Byrnes and Roods combined well to put pressure on the Cannonballs out wide.

Minutes before the break, the Pirates’ forwards drove the Cannonballs backwards, crossing the line twice, however both tries were disallowed.

Straight after half-time, Port Macquarie had another disallowed try.

A scrum penalty against Kempsey gave the Pirates the advantage 5m in front, but the Cannonballs’ pack proved too strong on this occasion, winning the ball against the feed. With some great passing, Carter ran the length of the field and scored under the posts. Scott Ritchie converted to extend the margin to 14-5.

The Pirates refused to surrender.

Thanks to some constant, basic rugby, the team drove the Cannonballs backwards with Beau Tobler touching down to reduce the advantage to 14-10.

With only minutes remaining, a penalty against Kempsey allowed Port Macquarie to make easy metres. Following a big push from the forwards, Tobler went over for his second try of the day. Byrnes kicked the conversion, allowing the Pirates to hit the lead 17-14.

Then, with seconds left on the clock, a second-row feed – against the Pirates – gave the Cannonballs a short-arm penalty five metres from the tryline. But, some desperate defence kept them at bay.