Eden Tigers RLFC News Article

Under 18s win at Cooma

July 26th 2009

It was with some trepidation that the Tiger Cubs headed to Cooma last Sunday to take on the Cooma side. Eden was missing four key players and Cooma always seem bigger and faster when playing at their home ground.The game had barely started when Cooma received a penalty ten meters from the Tigers line and barnstorming five eighth Greg Reid scored a soft try to give Cooma an early 6-0 lead. Eden struck back quickly when livewire hooker Matt Evelyn crossed and with Dylan Fletcher's conversion the scores were locked at 6 all.
Cooma's Jake Dietrich crossed out wide after a Cooma penalty, and an excellent conversion saw the Stallions take a 12-6 lead. Things got a bit quiet on the Tigers bench when Greg Reid scored his second try and Cooma had run out to a 16-6 lead. While the Cooma side appeared to be tiring, the young Tigers lifted their intensity and with some decent possession began looking dangerous. Tyrone Thomas was getting involved in the game from fullback and scored Eden's next try after a good run by Dylan Wheeler who was also having a great game. Tyrone was in again in the next set when Andrew Evelyn, debuting at five eighth, threw him a beautiful cut out pass to set him free down the left wing, but the best was yet to come! Tyrone took the ball from a kick through and with no attacking options , began running across field about 20 metres out from the Cooma line. As he crossed the field he beat player after player, even running back towards his own line at one stage, until he reached the far side winger whom he beat with a huge step, and all of a sudden there was no one left in front of him so he changed direction 90 degrees to the left and sprinted across for a spectacular try, covering about 80 metres to score from 20 out!
The score at half time was 22-16 to the Tigers, and Coach Col Clarke congratulated his side for their efforts and application., urging them to continue to work hard in defence where the game would be won or lost.
When the boys started the second half the game stayed tight with both sides completing and kicking until Toby Timms took on the Cooma outside backs and charged down the left side to score a great solo try. The Tigers were playing out of their skins, Matt Evelyn and Rob Geraghty were leading by example in attack and defence, jake Young had a real hard go, Cory Stewart and John Kendall were hitting the ball up hard and Nic Rowe and Reisey were also getting stuck right in!
Nick Struidruik was also heavily involved and scored the next try after a kick by Tyrone was regained, and then very shortly after converting the last try Dylan Fletcher scored his first under 18n try and Eden had an unassailable 38-16 lead.
Cooma lifted their efforts and Eden probably relaxed a bit from this point in the game, and Cooma scored four late tries to threaten a glorious comeback but it was not to be and at the final whistle Eden had triumphed with a great 38-36 victory to hold on to second spot on the ladder. Fantastic effort boys, and also possibly an historic one...when was the last time the under 18's were the only Eden side to come home victorious???