It was an unseasonably hot weekend of rugby for Round 14 at the pointy end of the 2023 season. For some teams it was practice for the finals starting next weekend, for others it was their final match or one of the last. The common denominator was each Junior Dolphins team showing up and using the skills they’ve been building on throughout this season and previous ones. Here are some of the best match reports from a well-contested Saturday.
Under 14s – In a thrilling match that set the stage for the upcoming finals, the Noosa Dolphins U14s put on an incredible performance against their formidable opponents, Brothers. The young athletes showcased remarkable improvements in their gameplay as they unleashed their full potential on the field. Both their attacking and defensive strategies were executed flawlessly.
Right from the kick-off, Noosa took charge and established an early lead, demonstrating their dominance. The match proved to be an enthralling contest, with both teams delivering exceptional skills, few errors and a great show of each team’s spirit.
Despite Noosa’s valiant efforts, Brothers managed to secure a last-second score that ultimately tilted the score line in their favour. The nail-biting finish gave Brothers an achingly close 21-20 victory. This game was a testament to the extraordinary teamwork, unwavering intensity, and sheer commitment of both teams.
As the finals draw near, the Noosa U14s have cemented their position as a formidable force to be reckoned with. Despite the final score not being what the boys had hoped for, they can certainly hold their heads high after such an outstanding game of rugby.
Under 11s – Reds vs Brothers Blue and White. Having been smashed by Brothers in their previous match-up, the U11 Reds approached this formidable side with steely determination in Round 14. The boys were awake and ready for redemption, a dish best served hot and sweaty under warm Maroochydore skies.
The Reds dominated, possessing 80 per cent of the ball in the first half. Every tackle was made, scrum half Zac was everywhere all at once and the rucks improved yet again. Kai, Harry, Zac and Ryker all romped over the line before half time, each try flawlessly converted by Max.
The Reds began to tire in the second half, with Brothers rotating through their two U11 sides, playing the hated half game each. Our boys kept the fresh legs at bay with excellent defence, conceding just one try to Brothers in the entire match. The second half highlight was another Salty, kicked cross field by Max who also gave chase to pin the ball down, going on to convert his own try.
Domino’s Pizza Player of the Match went to Xavier for the intensity he brings to each match. Overall, another fantastic display from the boys, all that coaching and training is really starting to pay off.
Under 11s – Fins – by poet Dylan Tasker
The Fins travelled to Maroochydore to face the might of Grammar,
A perfect day for footy, also known as a glamour,
A warm up on the junior field to get the boys primed,
Followed by a pep talk to have the game plan refined.
The Fins kicked off and chased the ball down field,
Grammar, on the return, busted tackles and up the flank they peeled,
A valiant chase and dive from Max to no avail,
Grammar on the board early, the Fins left to chase their tail.
From the restart the Fins defence went click,
Pressuring the ball carriers with a wall of reinforced brick,
A midfield scrum left a wide blindside,
Perry, eyes up, stepped and took the opportunity in his stride,
Converting his try, the Fins confidence grew,
Harry and Seb charged forward with vigour anew,
The scoreboard ticked over with back-to-back tries,
Perry with some hustle and Jack with brute and size.
Bailey scampered down the sideline beating the cover defence to score,
His first try of the season, nobody deserved it more,
Riley’s hit-ups on the burst leaving Grammar players in his wake,
Opening up room for Ollie to barge over, the space he had to take.
Grammar never gave up and tried hard until the end,
The Fins withstood their withering late surge with defence that didn’t bend,
A stoic rear-guard performance whilst on the back foot,
A high price on their try line, the Fins have put,
Dual Players of the Match to Harry and Perry,
Both young tyros off to Dominos, I’m sure they will be merry.
Under 10s – Whites – A hot winter’s morning with Kings Beach beckoning, saw the Whites at Caloundra taking on the force of Uni. A tight few minutes saw Ben make a break and offload to Tom who scooted 40 metres to score under the posts for a promising 7-0 scoreline. The game settled down with neither side giving quarter, and Hunter and Duke working hard. Eric
made one of his trademark darts up the side with the hard-working Mason making inroads as ever. Emmerson was hungry for the pill with strong runs in close. Things were a little desperate though, and it was up to Jake to save a certain try out wide. Try as we might, we couldn’t get out of quarter. Our defence was ferocious, another try saver this time from Zion halted the Uni momentum, but not for long as Uni engineered a clever try next to the posts, 7-7. The Whites were still gathering themselves and Uni were over again, 7-14 and half time.
The half-time refreshments were welcomed by the boys who with only the single reserve, were exhausted. The second half started brightly with Hudson and Alex mixing it up and tormenting Uni at every chance. Taylor was extremely sharp and kept the backline moving well. Harvey stayed strong in defence as the team started to tire from the unseasonably warm day. Then we gifted a couple of back-to-back penalties and for next 10 minutes we were on our line. The Whites were magnificent repelling wave after wave of Uni’s attacks. There were tackles, turnovers, brave attempts to run from our in-goal, but we couldn’t get out of our quarter. Finally, the pressure tolled and Uni scored 7-21.
Not content to let it rest there the Fins rallied and after some great work from Duke and Taylor, we saw the ball to Ben onto Eric, but too much enthusiasm at the breakdown gave away a penalty. We were still in our own half though, and with the Whites’ never-say-die spirit we got possession and after a great run up the middle by Jake, we secured a rare penalty for us. Emmerson crashed over for a try in the final play of the match, final score 14-21. A rare loss maybe, but a fantastic defensive effort to stay in the game with so little possession. An effort to be proud of.
