Port Pirates Match Reports

Match reports - Grand Final 2008

Fitting finale for Pirate giant

Port News - 25/08/2008 4:00:00 AM

Peter Besseling, one of the ornaments of rugby union, bowed out of the game a premiership winner when Port Pirates retained the Barry Stent Shield in a nerve-shredding 18-14 climax to the Mid North Coast’s northern pool premiership on Saturday.

The occasion was made all the more remarkable as the 38-year-old former Waratah lock left Stuart Park for the last time, five minutes before the bell, to a rousing reception from the hill after being red-carded by referee Matt Blackham.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever been sent off,” the two-metre giant lamented as he nursed a badly broken nose from a collision with a Coffs Harbour kneecap.

“It’s been great, wonderful, but I think this is a good note to finish on. With a rearranged nose like this, they’ll be able to hang me beside Reg Smith.”

Smith was the former Wauchope dairy farmer who became a tremendous Australian Test representative lock and premiership-winning captain of Northern Suburbs in Sydney in 1975.

Besseling was ordered off after referee Blackham issued him a second yellow card. The first came for his refusal to release the ball as Coffs Harbour attempted to take a quick tap and the second for his reaction to what he believed was a deliberate kneeing in the face.

Besseling has been an absolute monolith of rugby union, one of the most respected men and players in the game, a 27-time representative with the NSW Waratahs and the Ken Catchpole Medallist of Sydney in 1999.

Prematurely concluding his career with the Waratahs due to local officials’ lack of foresight, Besseling undertook a professional career in Japan.

With the Pirates needing rejuvenation, he played club rugby in Port Macquarie, winning first grade premierships in 1995, 1997 and 2007 as well as a reserve grade premiership in 2006.

“I didn’t realise until I came back to club rugby how much I missed it, the atmosphere, the passion of the players and supporters. I really have loved it,” he said.

It was due to Besseling’s inspirational performance in the second half that Port Pirates clung on to win, personally winning lineouts, driving the ball forward and making a sensational head-on tackle, resisting a mighty Coffs challenge as the visitors whittled away the 18-0 lead in the first 58 minutes with two converted tries.

“Port Pirates won that premiership due to Peter Besseling,” remarked NSW Country president, Bruce Worboys. He never spoke truer words.

The Pirates might well have lost the game in the dying seconds but for centre Jerad Reinhardt’s booming tackle to end a sweeping Coffs midfield attack.

This was a grand final for the connoisseur, an absorbing scrummaging encounter with man-of-the-match Willie Kuki and Irish prop Liam Casey having a whale of a battle with Mid North Coast representatives, Hugh Campbell and Nick Joyce.

Two tries all indicates the closeness of the game, Pirates capitalising on the southerly to run in a 13th minute try, initiated by Kenyan speedster Gibson Weru joining in from the blind side for centre Tim Platt to step inside the cover defence and score under the posts.

With hooker Lucas Wall’s conversion and two penalties, Port led 13-0 at the break for Besseling to win a lineout and prop Kuki to maul the ball over for the crucial try.

But No.8 Paul Butcher’s forwards rallied with the wind as their ally and centre Peter Kocek and then flanker Mark Hine ran in tries only for Besseling and the tackling tencacity of backrowers Michael Cook, Marc Sky and Adam Suitor to withstand the onslaught.

Port Pirates 18 (T Platt, W Kuki tries, L Wall goal, 2 pens) beat Coffs Harbour Red 14 (P Kocek, M Hine tries; B Wallace 2 goals).

Player of the grand final: W Kuki

MNC player of the Year: Nick Joyce

MNC representative for 2008: Hugh Campbell

Match reports - Prelim Final - Vikings (Reserves) & Coffs (U18's)
The Port Macquarie Pirates showed why they are the premier rugby club on the Mid North Coast with a fighting 15 to 6 victory over Hastings Valley in the reserve grade preliminary final at Coffs Harbour on Saturday.

The Vikings must be rueing their decision to forsake any chance of a First Grade grand final birth by stacking their reserve grade side with their best first graders in the likes of David Tunstead, Simon Dunn, Jeremy McKinnon and David Barnes. Having easily accounted for South West Rocks the previous week, the Vikings must have considered themselves near certainties against an aging Pirates outfit. What they didn't realise was that the experienced Pirates team know how to play rugby and how to win big matches, with the likes of Daryl Wink, Brett Rosenbaum, Frank Walsh, Damon Richards and Dave Bailey all having achieved what the Vikings have never managed - First Grade premierships and plenty of them.

The Pirates stuck to their game plan and despite Tunsteads prescence they totally dominated the set pieces with Byron Linn and scrum guru Adrian Palmer very prominent. And with the Richards brothers in top form the Pirates were well in the match despite being down 6 to 3 in a tryless first half.

The Pirates went into the second half confident of victory after centre Jeremy Tydd showed that he was more than capable of thwarting any attacking moves by the big reputations in the opposition backline. The turning point came with a cowardly king hit by a Vikings back rower on Pirates teenager Daniel Brynes that resulted in a sin binning. The Pirates capitalised with tries to winger Simon Martin and veteran foward John Nicholson to put the game beyond doubt.

With the veteran half combination of Glen Towle and Bailey taking control the Pirates shut the game down to book their grand final birth and a rematch with the exciting young Bowraville outfit. Coach Ian Wall has the tactics to win but it will still take a mighty effort from the Pirates to overcome a very pacy Goanna's outfit.

Unfortunately for the Pirates the dream of having all 3 grades in a home grand final didn't come to life with the under 18's going down to Coffs Harbour after the bell 13 to 11. Down 10 to 3 at half time the young Pirates showed plenty of courage to fight back and lead 11 to 10. With no time left on the clock the Coffs Harbour team were awarded a penalty in front which they converted to snatch victory. Coach Nathan Cargiulo was very proud of his young charges and the Pirates can be bouyed by the fact that nearly all of the team will be available for the under 18's again next year.

Match reports - Major Semi - Coffs Red (Stuart Park)
The Port Macquarie Pirates overcame adversity at Stuart Park on Saturday
afternoon to defeat Coffs Harbour 33 to 15 in the Mid North Coast Rugby
major semi final. The minor premiers and defending champions showed that
they are working towards their best with what on the scoreboard ended up
being a comfortable victory.

The score board didn't tell the real story and the victory was all the
more impressive after the Pirates lost open side flanker Marc Sky prior
to the match, No 8 Michael Cook played with a hand broken in several
places and Willie Kuki was hampered by a hamstring injury. Then after
only 10 minutes their forward leader and main lineout option Peter
Besseling was forced from the field after sustaining an injury to his
eyelid that resulted in him temporarily losing sight in his eye.

And just to make matters worse the referee decided to hammer the Pirates
in the penalty count. Coffs Harbour took the lead 3 nil courtesy of a
penalty goal before Matt Maney latched onto a dropped ball and beat
several defenders in an impressive 40 metre sprint to the line for such
a big man.

Besseling was replaced by teenager Jamie Moore, who along with veteran
Andrew Freeman did an oustanding job in Besselings absence.

The Pirates capitalised on a Freeman lineout win to send the ball wide
with Fullback Nathan Ives chiming in to put winger Chris Matheson over
in the corner. Lucas Wall continued his good kicking form to convert and
give the Pirates a handy 12 to 3 lead. The Pirates were struggling to
get into a rythym courtesy of a determined Coffs outfit and a heavy
penalty count against them. When the Pirates finally received a few
penalties of their own they converted field position into more points
when strong man Ken Clinch barged over from close range following
another dominant Port scrum which was making the most of Coffs prop Nick
Joyce's decision to fly to New York for a wedding.Wall converted to give
the Pirates a 19 to 3 lead and the Pirates looked like getting away with
the game, even with Beselling still on the sideline.

The referee and touch judges seemed determined to make it a close match
and they soon evened things up by sending Moore to the sin bin for a
minor infringement. Adding to the Pirates woes were a string of lineout
losses as hooker Wall lost his confidence with the throws. And Coffs
Harbour confirmed what the Pirates knew to be their real strength with a
very well constructed try from a set piece that saw their fullback Dylan
Hurley chime in beautifully to cross under the posts and narrow the
scores to 19 to 10 at half time.

With Besseling returning to the field in the second half the game turned
into a real arm wrestle. The Pirates completely dominated field position
and only further crooked lineout throws and determined defence stopped
the Pirates from scoring more points. Coffs only entered the Pirates
half on one occasion in the first 20 minutes of the second half as the
score remained unchanged, yet the game was still in the balance with the
speedy outside Coffs backs looking like they could capitalise if given
the opportunity.

The Pirates kept the ball tight with some excellent driving mauls and
finally the pressure became too much with prop Willie Kuki barging over
following another Clinch run, and Wall's conversion giving the Pirates a
match winning 26 to 10 lead with 18 minutes remaining. Not long after
centre Tim Platt showed a touch of class to beat his opposite and put
Matheson away. Matheson was ankle tapped close to the line and Platt
backed up to dot down for try no 17 for the season and seal the Pirates
victory.

With 10 minutes remaining the touch judge decided to inject himself into
the game again and prop Liam Casey was sent to the sin bin for a rest
after another sensational game, highlighted by strong scrummaging and
some very good work around the rucks in attack and defence. "Liam is a
big match player and a great communicator. His combination with Willie
Kuki is one of our greatest assets." Pirates coach Brett Gilbert said.

"We had plenty of good players out there today. Andrew Freeman stepped
up to the plate in the first half when Besso was off and I think it was
his best 40 minutes for us. Skipper Tom Valentine was simply sensational
in leading and organising the team and his running game was back to its
best." Gilbert said.

The Pirates would have also been happy with another dominant performance
from fly half Maney and some classy moments from Platt in attack and
defence when a touch of class was needed.

Despite the convincing score the Pirates know that Coffs have plenty of
scoring potential and will be better up front with the return of Joyce
for the decider at Stuart Park in 2 weeks "We certainly won't be going
in over confident as we have had 4 tough matches with them this year and
they still believe they are a 20 point better side than us, so we still
have something to prove" Gilbert added.

Match reports - Vikings (Stuart Park)

The Port Macquarie Pirates dusted off some cobwebs in preparation for the finals with a comprehensive 54 to 7 win over cross town rivals Hastings Valley at Stuart Park on Saturday. In a good day for the most successful club in the 34 year history of rugby on the coast, the Pirates also picked up the points in reserves and under 18's to win the club championship and cement a position for all three grades in the major semi final.

The first grade clash was never going to be a contest after two earlier 50 point thrashings by the defending premiers, however the Pirates did need to win to secure the minor premiership and the crucial home ground advantage against Coffs Harbour next weekend.

The Pirates scored 4 tries in each half and showed that they have plenty of individual class, however the team performance left a lot to be desired and will need to improve significantly if they are to earn the right to host the 2008 decider. The Pirates scored some soft tries through the power of Matt Maney and class of Tim Platt but they will need a more cohesive team effort to win this years title.

"We tried a few things today which didn't work after two weeks off and if we play like that next week we will get beaten by plenty. But I'm confident the run will do us good and we will play a different style next week." Pirates coach Brett Gilbert said.

Although they dropped plenty of ball and made many mistakes their were also positives for the Pirates. The defence was solid with the Vikings chancing their arm much more than in previous encounters and as in the last round the only Vikings points came when the Pirates were one short courtesy of a Willie Kuki sin binning. The form of man of the match in flanker Adam Suitor and hooker Lucas Wall would also have given the Pirates coaches something to smile about, as would have Wall's 7 goals from 8 attempts. "Goal kicking could be crucial in the finals and I've got plenty of faith in Lucas so its good to see him find form" Gilbert added.

Both of the Pirates veteran second rowers in Peter Besseling and Andrew Freeman had very solid games whilst props Liam Casey and Willie Kuki were also good but looked as though they had their minds on next weeks major semi final.

In the backs, skipper Tom Valentine and winger Gibson Weru were the pick with very busy games,
whilst Jared Rienhardt was rewarded for a non stop effort with 2 tries.The race for top try scorer also continued with Platt crossing before Chris Matheson bagged a double to make it 16 all.

The Pirates do have some injury concerns in the back row with Marc Sky suffering a seemingly serious shoulder injury and Michael Cook a hand injury. Luckily the Pirates were able to run out last years grand final man of the match in Ken Clinch as a replacement, following a non stop effort in the reserve grade encounter which the Pirates won 31 to 5.

The Pirates reserves needed to win with a bonus point to ensure a major semi final birth and were able to cash in on a significant edge in class in the backs to have the bonus point secured by half time. Youngsters Cameron Sales and Richard Locke had fine games in a team full of much older colleagues, whilst man of the match was Chris Cain in one of his best games for the club.

The under 18's secured their top two spot the hard way after trailing for most of the game. Down 10 to 5 with time running out and running into a firm breeze, the young Pirates kept their composure. With only moments remaining on the clock the Pirates received a penalty 5 metres out from the Vikings line. Dan Byrnes showed his experience to take the quick tap and dive over to equalise the scores. Byrnes then calmly slotted the match winner to end the third close encounter of the season between these two willing teams.

Pirates 57 (Matt Maney 2, Chris Matheson 2, Jared Reinhardt 2,Gibson Weru, Tim Platt tries, Lucas Wall 7 goals) def Hastings 7 (David Tunstead try Jeremy McKinnon goal).

Match reports - Coffs White (Port)
The Port Macquarie Pirates enjoyed one of the more unusual afternoons at
Stuart Park on Saturday, running in 10 tries to defeat Coffs White 58 to
10. On a perfect winters day the large crowd was entertained by 350
singing world youth day pilgrims who created a fantastic atmosphere for
the attacking rugby played by the Pirates.

Desite the scoreline it wasnt all plain sailing for the Pirates, with
the visitors leading 3 nil early courtesy of some ill discipline and a 6
to 1 penalty account. The Coffs White team featured 6 or 7 from the Red
team the Pirates played the week before including NSW Country prop Hugh
Campbell and some quality backs.

The Pirates opened their account with a brilliant 70 metre effort
following some good interchange between Michael Cook, Tom Vallentine,
Tim Patt and Chris Matheson. Vallentine showed great pace to back up on
the inside for the try. The Pirates then piled on the points, scoring a
further 6 tries in the final 20 minutes of the first half to lead 39 to
3 at half time, the only concern being an ordinary day at the office for
goal kicker Lucas Wall who couldnt find his mark at all in the first
half.

Pirates number 8 Michael Cook continued his solid form over recent weeks
and was easily the best on ground with some great work in attack and
defence. Cook seemed to be in everything from taking the the kick offs,
to bagging a good try of his own and the Pirates will be looking for him
to continue that form in the finals. Skipper Tom Valentine also turned
in his best performance of the season and is someone who can win matches
on his own if given space.

The Pirates pack was dominant again, and the team work is really taking
their game to a new level. Hooker Wall had a very strong game in attack
and defence, whilst flanker Adam Suitor was able to shrug off a calf
injury and turned in another wholehearted effort.

In the backs, young fly half Dan Brynes enjoyed his return to first
grade and he provided plenty of opportunities for his outside men. The
battle between Tim Platt and Chris Matheson for the leading tryscorer
title added some interest with Platt throwing a dummy to Matheson to
cross for his 15th five pointer of the year. Matheson however made the
most of Platt's early shower to cross for a double of his own and take
his tally to 14. Centre Jared Rienhardt turned in another very robust
effort, with his charges over the gainline crucial to the Pirates
gaining momentum early in the game.

The second half was almost an anti climax, with the game well and truely
over and with the singing pilgrims departing it was as if the game
should have been called off. To their credit Coffs didnt give in and
with virtually their top backline in place they gave the Pirates
something to think about come finals time.

"We had a good hit out and were able to put into practice some of the
things we have been working on at training. And hopefully now the boys
are getting the message that ill discipline will cost us come finals
time" Pirates runner Paul Trotter said.

Match reports - Coffs Red (Coffs)

The Port Macquarie Pirates travelled to Coffs Harbour on Saturday expecting a tough match and they weren't disappointed with an epic 20 all draw played out in one of the best games played on the Mid North Coast for a couple of seasons.

After a good start by the Pirates the Coffs Red outfit posted first points when they moved the ball well to the right flank and with good support play and some pace were able to cross for what was only the third try conceded by the Pirates this year. The Coffs goalkicker converted from the corner to give the home side a 7 nil lead. The Pirates stuck to their game plan of mauling the ball and were soon rewarded with a try of their own to Willie Kuki. Lucas Wall failed to convert and the Pirates trailed 7 to 5, which soon became 10 to 5 after a Coffs penalty goal.

The Pirates then had some good field position and their scrum was very solid in a big turn around from the last encounter with Coffs. It was from a scrum 15 metres out that fly half Matt Maney used his power and pace and a good dummy to stroll over under the posts and give the visitors the lead 12 to 10.

The Coffs team didn't let the Pirates get into a rythym and just before half time a Pirates lineout error 5 metres from their own line gifted Coffs number 8 Paul Butcher a try which was converted to give the home team a 17 to 12 lead at half time.

The Pirates knew that they would have to dig deep in the second half and the task was made harder with a Coffs penalty goal following a Maney high tackle and the homeside were full of confidence at 20 to 12.

The Pirates were thankful for captain Tom Valentine's exceptional pace when he ran down the Coffs fly half who looked certain to score what would have been a match winner following a turnover by the Pirates.The Pirates clawed their way back into the game through some powerful running from props Kuki and Liam Casey and some good rolling mauls. Maney used his size to barge over from close range following another good driving maul. Wall was unable to convert and the score was 20 to 17 with 20 minutes to play.

The Pirates then threw everything at Coffs and the backs started to find some space. Tim Platt and Gibson Weru both had some good runs however the Coffs defence was up to the task. With 5 minutes remaining and the Pirates dominating field position they crossed the line again from a driving maul for what everyone on the field except the referee thought was the winning try.

The Pirates were then awarded a penalty with only a couple of minutes left on the clock and after knocking back earlier opportunities Valentine handed the ball to Wall, realising that a draw would be enough for the Pirates to stay on top of the table in the race for the minor premiership. Wall calmly slotted the goal to tie things up.

" Liam Casey was the best on ground with Willie Kuki and Coffs Harbour's Hugh Campbell not far behind" Pirates coach Brett Gilbert said, emphasising the torrid upfont battle."The improvement in our scrum transferred to general play and our pack did very well against another good pack. The Coffs backs surprised me and we have plenty of work to do on our backline even though individually Simon Martin, Matt Maney and Tom Valentine did some good things today" Gilbert added.

The Pirates will now be regrouping and will work on their game for what is promising to be a very tight and entertaining finals series between these two evenly matched teams. If the Pirates can win their remaining 3 games with a bonus point they will secure the minor premiership and the home ground advantage for the semi final.

The Pirates reserve grade woes continued with a 7 to 5 loss to a Coffs team packed with more talent than usual as a result of the Coffs White V Hastings game being deferred. The under 18's suffered their first loss of the season going down 5 nil, emphasising just how tough it is to win in Coffs Harbour.

Match reports - Kempsey (Home)
The Port Macquarie Pirates enjoyed an afternoon out at Stuart Park on
Saturday at the expense of the Kempsey Cannonballs, running out
comprehensive winners 79 to nil.

The Cannonballs were without several first graders and even a Pirates
team missing the likes of Peter Besseling and Matt Maney had little
trouble in putting them away. The Pirates started with a 40 metre
rolling maul then spun the ball wide for Chris Matheson to pick up the
first of another 2 tries and take his season tally to 12. The Pirates
welcolmed the return of Irishman Liam Casey who was in everything in the
first half as was front row partner Willie Kuki who's work rate for the
game was exceptional.

The makeshift backline didn't operate as smoothly as the Pirates may
have liked but it didn't stop Tim Platt from having a feast with another
4 try haul to go with his 4 the last time these teams met. Amazingly
Platt had never played fly half before and he was performing after an
all night shift at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital where he works as a
doctor. " Tim is simply a class above this level of rugby. Its just an
afternoon stroll in the park and he makes it all look so easy". Pirates
backs coach Peter Gerathy said. Platt is deceptively quick, very well
balanced and steps off both feet which will make him a handful for even
the best defences.

The match also saw the return to first grade of Michael Cook who turned
in a barnstorming performance at number 8 to pick up two best and
fairest points and there were several in the crowd who thought Cook was
unlucky not to be named man of the match, which was awarded to Platt.
Flankers Marc Sky and Adam Suitor also had strong games with Sky in
particular showing that he has plenty of pace and attacking ability when
given the chance.

The game saw some great long distance tries with fullback Nathan Ives
featuring strongly and winger Simon Martin continuing his good season
with a 70 metre effort. Centre Jarod Rienhardt was very solid in attack
and defence, whilst his centre partner Gibson Weru had a quiet day at
the office.

The Pirates used the game to work on several aspects of their game and
the little improvements in execution of the game plan and scrummaging
were just as pleasing for the Pirates coaches as the scoreline. And for
the 6th consecutive game the Pirates didn't concede a try. The only
concern was the lack of discipline in the second half which saw top
referee Matt Blackham penalise the Pirates on 8 consecutive occasions in
20 minutes. The Pirates hardly touched the ball during this period and
will be punished if they repeat that effort against Coffs Harbour in two
weeks.

With Besseling, Maney, Ken Clinch, Rohan Lisle, Stephen Bullock and
Mitchell Lewis all available for this weeks match the Pirates will be at
full strength for the first time in 2008.

Match reports - Coffs Harbour White (Home)
The Port Macquaire Pirates continued on their winning way with a comprehensive 31 to nil victory over Coffs White at Stuart Park on a wet and gloomy Monday afternoon. The Pirates had a disrupted preparation for the match and the White team turned up for the encounter with half a dozen of the Coffs Red team including NSW Country prop Hugh Campbell, and so what looked like being a simple repeat of the previous weeks clash was suddenly a real danger match for the top of the table Pirates.

Unlike the previous encounter where the Pirates struggled to gain the ascendancy, the game was put beyond doubt with a stunning batch of tries in the opening 25 minutes. Flanker Marc Sky showed a beautiful set of hands to put fullback Nathan Ives away, and Ives then gifted Kenyan flyer Gibson Weru another five pointer. Further tries to Weru, centre Tim Platt and ever present flanker Adam Suitor saw the Pirates secure the bonus point well before half time.

The Pirates lineout was a little disjointed with Peter Besseling home in bed with the flu, however Andrew Freeman and youngster Jamie Moore gradually improved the set piece to provide enough ball to secure the victory. Both second rowers played well in general play, with Moore in particular seemingly in the thick of every encounter. The year eleven Port High student was coming of a week of rugby in Sydney for North Coast Combined High Schools, and was voted man of the match and players player in only his second run on start in first grade.

Front rower Willie Kuki turned in another wholehearted performance, with a typically busy and aggressive game in general play and some solid scrimmaging. The match also saw the return of Corey Waters at hooker and it was almost as if he hadn’t missed a game or a training session. Waters and No 8 Lucas Wall did plenty of good work in tight to repel the determined Coffs forward pack which didn’t give an inch all day. Veteran front rower John Nicholson showed what a great club man he is by holding up the scrum for 60 minutes before being replaced by the still youthful Byron Linn.

The second half only saw one further try to winger Chris Matheson who like fullback Ives didn’t put a foot wrong all day. The game deteriorated from that point on with the greasy conditions starting to take its toll. Captain Tom Valentine stayed busy and will be better for the run after what was only his second full game for the season and his blind side dart to set up Suitors first half try is what the Pirates will be expecting more of as the season progresses. American centre Jared Reinhardt was very solid in attack and defence in his run on debut, whilst young fly half Daniel Brynes had an up and down game with some good touches in the first half before the greasy ball got the better of him in the second.

“The most pleasing aspect of today’s performance was the mental and physical approach to the first half in difficult circumstances and that we kept the opposite team tryless for the 5th consecutive game. If we keep our defence solid we will be hard to beat no matter what we do with the ball.” Pirates coach Brett Gilbert said.

The Pirates now have a week’s rest which will be much needed with the likes of Matt Maney, Liam Casey, Stephen Bullock, Rohan Lisle and Peter Besseling all still recovering from injury or illnesses.

Port Pirates 31 (Gibson Weru 2, Tim Platt, Adam Suitor, Chris Matheson tries, Lucas Wall 3 goals) def Coffs White nil.

Match reports - Coffs Harbour White & Bowraville (Away)

The Port Macquarie Pirates continued on their winning way with a 41 nil
victory over Coffs White at Coffs Harbour on Saturday. Although they went
into the match without 6 regular first graders the Pirates were never
troubled by the home team which were determined to put up a good fight.

Some resolute defence by the home side and very slippery conditions
meant that the points did not come freely in the first half and the
Pirates only led 12 nil at the break. The highlight of the first half
was a 30 metre blind side run by flanker Adam Suitor to put Chris
Matheson away for a try.

Tight head prop Willie Kuki was busy from the outset and made many
strong charges throughout the game to help lay the platform for a second
half points blitz. With flanker Marc Sky proving a usefull link the
backs clicked iinto gear with Kenyan flyer Gibson Weru finding space to
cross for three second half tries.

Fullback Nathan Ives had another sound game and winger Simon Martin had
perhaps his best game in first grade for the Pirates, underlining the
great backline depth at the club this year.
And that depth was extended with the arrival during the week of centre
Jared Rienhardt and half Brad Saville from Montana USA. Rienhardt showed
that he will be a more than handy inclusion in the Pirates backline with
some good touches when he replaced an injured Rohan Lisle in the second
half.

The Pirates youngsters Daniel Brynes and Jamie Moore both had great
games against very experienced opposition. Moore was in the thick of
everything and presented the ball well time after time for the half back
whilst Brynes conducted proceedings with maturity and ran the ball very
effectively.

Pirates reserves travelled to Bowraville for a top of the table
clash against the Goannas. The match was hard fought, literally, with
several brawls erupting as each forward pack tried to assert dominance.
The Pirates scrum dominated on the day with the front row Adrian Palmer, Ian
Wall and Brett Rosenbaum tacking tight heads at will. Both teams play
contrasting styles, the Pirates tried to keep the ball tight and close
to their forwards, whilst Bowraville tried to spread the ball wide to their
young backs at every opportunity. The game come down to the bell where
Bowraville kicked a penalty with only a minute remaining to take the
match 11-10. Flanker Cameron sales was man of the match, closely followed by
newly arrived Americans Jerad Rienhardt and Brad Saville. Adrian Palmer was
players player. Robert Duffy ensured one particular opponent knew he had played a rugby match.

Match Report - Coffs Red

Pirates take to table top (Port News 26 May 2008)

THE Port Macquarie Pirates have taken top spot on the Mid North Coast Rugby ladder after overcoming arch rivals Coffs Harbour Red 15-6 at Stuart Park on Saturday.

It was a game for rugby purists, at times dour, and rarely pretty, but an intense battle between Mid North Coast Rugby’s title hopefuls.

Pirates coach Brett Gilbert was pleased to have kept the visitors tryless as the match was a true indication of his team’s standing this year.

“It was a very fierce contest,” Gilbert said.

“If it does show us something it is probably that we are not as good as we thought we were,” Gilbert admitted.

The Pirates found it hard to play positive rugby in the second half as they continually got pushed off their own ball in the scrum.

“They deconstructed our scrum in the second half and that hurt us,” Gilbert told the Port News.

In their last start against the Vikings a week ago, the Pirates were happy to trust their skills and keep the ball in hand.

On Saturday quality opposition forced the team into more errors, and substantially more kicking than will make the coach happy.

“I probably wouldn’t care so much if it was quality kicking, but I think it is more an indication to the type of game it was, it was a torrid affair.”

Kenyan Gibson Weru made a solid debut on the right wing setting up a try for Adam Suitor, who would have been close to best on ground with his tireless work at the breakdown and in defence.

“It was a harder game than we are used to, but the team is starting to join together well as we have a lot of new players,” Suitor said.

“It was great to get over the line though, a few of the boys reminded me that it has been 18 months since I last scored, so that is great.”

After piling on 110 points in the last two weeks, Saturday’s game gave coach Gilbert a better understanding of his team’s position in the competition.

“The most pleasing aspect of this win is that it was against quality opposition and we still have players to return to the line up,” Gilbert said.

The team was made to work for the win in the second half reduced to 14 men for what appeared to be a very long 10 minutes when Steve Bullock was given a rest after a high shot.

“Today we showed that we have a lot of work to do to be playing the rugby we want to.

“But we are on top of the table and that is exactly were we want to be,” Gilbert said.

The Pirates will travel to Coffs Harbour to take on the Coffs White outfit next weekend.

Port Macquarie Pirates 15 (A. Suitor, M. Mane tries: L. Wall conv, pen) def Coffs Harbour Red 6 (B. Wallace 2 pen)