WYNDHAM City Rhinos will not get any style points for their 36-11 win over Melton Warriors in the Victorian Rugby Union second division at Mossfiel Reserve on Saturday.
The Rhinos were forced to grind out a victory against a tactically apt Warriors outfit that did well to stifle the home side’s running backs and turn it into a back and forth struggle in the
middle of the park.
Rhinos coaching director Darren Taylor said it was only some individual brilliance that allowed his side to scoot away with a second consecutive win.
“It was ugly at times,” he said. “Our boys didn’t stick to their structures.
“Both teams played rugby that wasn’t really going anywhere so the ball was stuck in the
middle of the field.
“We got what we went for and we’ll take the five points.”
The Rhinos may appear to have cruised to a 25-point win, but it was far from the case as they were pinned back in their own half for much of the game.
The fancy footwork of Naisa Takitaki and
Filisione Pouta alleviated the pressure.
Taylor quipped that the dancing feet of
Takitaki had “more steps than the Sydney Opera House”.
It was a tough day for the Rhinos forwards to try and gain territory.
Conrad Meredith and Apineru Malia worked overtime for their metres.
Andre Petaia is another forward who injected some energy off the bench.
Just when the game appeared too hard for both sets of players, up stepped Tommy Leau, who made the game look effortless with two game-breaking tries.
“He came on off the bench and just brought the right attitude,” Taylor said. “He had an instant impact.”
The kicking game of Tipene Pihere was a
feature of the Rhinos win.
The quiet achiever has perhaps been the most consistent player for the Rhinos this season.
“At times, he’s keeping us in games,” Taylor said. “He’s a cool customer.
“He’s a good solid kicker and a very good young player.”
The Rhinos have bounced back from their slow start with back-to-back wins. They will start a tough three-week block of road matches against Eltham on Saturday.
■ Log on to wyndhamweekly.com.au for a
picture gallery from Saturday’s big game.
Second division: Wyndham City 36 Melton 11.
