Nick, I have a report on Jermaines game on the weekend. Seems you kermies may have scored big time. Congratulations, hes a good buy.
First Half
The game started with both side feeling each other out, just completing their sets and getting their kicks away. The Dragons though had the first real attacking chance when they started pounding away on our goal line, when halfback Peter Taylor pulled of a corker of a tackle, knocked the ball loose, picked it up and raced 70 metres up filed in a slashing run. The cover ran him down, which was a pity cause if he had stayed alive for another few metres his support players would have been there. It was a case of our defence scrambling well to deny the Dragons.
The first try of the match came in the 13th minute, when centre Jermaine Ale (who was our right hand side centre), got into dummy half and took off down the right hand side of the field from dummy half getting a nice 15-20 metre gain, then with 2 defenders hanging off him, managed to stay on his feet and slip the ball to a flying Aidan Kirk, whom the cover managed to tackle 20 metres out from their line. Heath Lestrange then darted from dummy half, and linked with a straight running Luke Fatnowna who powered from 20 metres out through 3 defenders to crash over next to the posts. Halfback Peter Taylor converted for a 6-0 lead.
Three minutes later some clever play saw the boys in for another try. It started with the Dragons failing to find touch from a penalty kick due to a great diving bat back by the unnamed No. 18 who was over on our left wing. The ball then went through the hands straight across the park on the halfway line to right hand side centre Jermaine Ale, who streaked down the field, before slipping the ball to his winger McConkie Tauasa. Tauasa then streaked down the western touchline until he came to the cover defence 10 metres out from the Dragons line, but he then threw a nice pass back to Jermaine Ale (who had backed up on the inside) for Ale to crash over in the south western corner and a 10-0 lead (as Peter Taylor didnt convert). It was a damn fine try.
Unfortunately from the kick off the boys knocked on, on their own 20m line. 3 tackles later the Dragons scored in the north eastern corner, and it was 10-4.
The 22nd minute saw the boys extend their lead when again Jermaine Ale went over for another try. The boys had field position due to some ill discipline from the Dragons. The ball went across the park to halfback Peter Taylor over on the eastern side of the ground 30 metres out from the Dragons line. Taylor slipped as he got the ball, which resulted in a tackler missing him and opening a big whole which Taylor scrambled through, and the cover only just managed to pull him down 5 metres out. Ale got into dummy half, picked up the ball, through a dummy, and plunged over. The try was unconverted for a 14-4 lead.
In the 30th minute the Dragons knocked on 10 metres out from their own line. From the resulting scrum, the ball came out to Mickey Paea on the 20 metre line, who ran towards the north eastern corner and was pulled down just short of the line. From the play the ball, the pill came out to Peter Taylor who from 15 metres out stepped and swerved through the defence to touch down next to the posts. He converted his own try for a 20-4 lead.
The boys had a couple of chances which didnt go their way. Heath L-estrange had a fine game, but he knocked on just inches short of the goal line in the 33rd minute, whilst Jermaine Ale had a chance to score but he spilled a quality off load from William Tupou on his own 40 metre line. The Dragons ended the half by scoring again, and at half time the scoreboard was Roosters 20 - Dragons 10.
Second Half
In the second half poor old Heath still couldnt get across for a try as he was stopped inches short of the goal line in the 3rd minute. Also Jermaine Ale kept terrorising the Dragons with his defence when in the 8th minute he hit his opposite in a crunching tackle, the ball came loose, he picked it up and scooted down field. Alas he didnt score but the Dragons couldnt contain Ale in attack or defence. Mickey Paea continued his rich vein of form by pulling off a great jolting tackle which lead to a turn over too, as well as making some damaging runs. This kid has future first grader stamped all over him.
The next try came in the 45th minute when after a great run from Mickey Paea, Jermaine Ale got into dummy half at the play the ball on his own half way line, took off Upfield, ran for 10 metres, and with two defenders hanging off him did a great impression of Michael Cronin by standing in the tackle and delivering a sweet pass to Adam Schubert (who was on the field from the bench playing lock) who ran through unscathed to score next to the posts. The try was converted and it was 26-10.
5 minutes later the Roosters were in again when from a scrum on the Dragons 40 metre line, the ball spun out along the backline towards the eastern touchline and into the hands of who else but Jermaine Ale. Ale bumped off the first tackler, sped through the line, then pushed off the cover tackler to score in the north eastern corner for a 30-10 lead. The conversion missed as it hit the cross bar.
The Dragons though didnt give up when their winger Edwin Asotasi sped down the western touchline and beat both Aidan Kirk and Luke Fatnowna to score in the south western corner, and to peg the scoreboard back to 30-14.
However the boys hit back in the 60th minute with another try. On the 5th the ball was on the Dragons 30 metre line, Aidan Kirk skirted down the western side of the field, passed back in field to Mickey Paea who powered upfield before offloading to No. 18. No. 18 tried to get through the defence, but when he realised he couldnt he put up a wobbly crossfield kick which was caught infield by five eighth Trent Carruthers. Carruthers was set upon by the defence, so he though a wild pass out the back which was cleaned up by fullback Casey Conway, who then proceeded to run straight across field towards the eastern side of the field where he linked with Peter Taylor who took the ball to the line before passing to a steaming Jermaine Ale, who then drew the opposing winger and passed to McConkie Tauasa who scored in the north eastern corner without a hand being laid on him. It was a really great try to watch. It deserved to be converted, but yet again the kick hit the cross bar, so that left a score of 34-14.
5 minutes later the boys were in again when Casey Conway capped a fine game by slamming the ball down over the line for a try. From a play the ball on their own 40 metre line, Jermaine Ale steamed onto a good pass from Heath Lestrange and broke through the defensive line. He passed the ball outside to a flying McConkie Tauasa, who then passed it back inside to Trent Carruthers who was backing up, before he found Ale again who was eventually pulled down by the defence 15 metres out from the Dragons line. From the resulting play the ball, Conway hit the lien at pace first pass off the ruck, and with his long arms managed to slam the ball down over the line for a 38-14 score. Again the conversion was missed.
The boys ended their scoring in the 69th minute with a very classy try. William Tupou charged onto the ball on his own 30 metre line, ran to his own 45 where he found Heath Lestrange lurking in support. Lestrange darted up field before threading a clever grubber kick down field that was chased hard by Aidan Kirk and Trent Carruthers. The Dragons fullback fumbled the kick, Kirk scooped up the ball on the Dragons 30 metre line and took off down the western touchline before passing the ball inside to Trent Carruthers who was backing him up. Carruthers managed to jink past the cover and scored next to the posts. Peter Taylor duly converted and it was 42-14.
The Dragons managed to jag a try right on the bell, and the Fulltime score was 42-18.
There were plenty of great performers on the paddock for the Roosters today. In the forwards Steve Meredith, Michael Burns, Mickey Paea, and William Tupou had great games both in attack and defence, whilst Luke Fatnowna was a handful whenever he was on the field. Heath Lestrange was dangerous with the ball too. In the backs Peter Taylor guided the side around the park well, whilst Trent Carruthers had a solid game at five eighth. Aidan Kirk continued to impress with a fine game in attack and defence. Aidan looks comparatively small next to his team mates, but in attack he is hard to put down, and his defence is immaculate, 3 times in the first half he picked up and drove a bigger opponent backwards when tackling him. However for mine the best on the park was centre Jermaine Ale. This kid was everywhere in attack and defence, as one independent observer said to me at the ground, that kid is terrorising the Dragons. Im sure the Dragons wont be forgetting his name in a hurry believe you me.
The game was a good game as the Dragons tried hard, and believe me they have some real big boppers in their side. They were just beaten by a team at the top of their form.
So in summary the result was Sydney Roosters 42 (Jermaine Ale 3, Luke Fatnowna, Peter Taylor, Adam Schubert, McConkie Tauasa, Casey Conway, and Trent Carruthers tries; Peter Taylor 3 goals) defeated St George Dragons 14.
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