Toowoomba claim 47th Battalion

The Toowoomba Clydesdales have regained the 47th Battalion trophy following a close 16-14 win over the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

In a thrilling game to end the carnival, the Clydesdales held out the Falcons in the dying minutes after a late second half surge by the defending premiers.

Both teams were evenly poised in the lead-up to the match, with many predicting the big dance was going to be a close affair.

Dwayne Duncan was first to score for the Clydesdales in the first two minutes to get Toowoomba on the board.

It was 12 minutes later before the Falcons broke the drought through Esera Esera who found a hole in the Clydesdales goal line defence.

The boys in blue were quick to hit back through Denis Burgoyne, using his size and strength to muscle over the Falcons line, giving the Clydesdales a slim 12-4 lead at halftime.

The Falcons needed points early in the second stanza to remain in the contest and four minutes into the second half, Haydan Lipp delivered, scoring a converted try to bring the deficit to just two points.

Hard and fast footy was played in the middle for the next 10 minutes before Alex Ambia scored near the eastern touchline to extend the Clydesdales’ lead to six.

It was a tough kick for Jarrod Lee on the sideline into the wind to make the contest an eight-point affair and despite giving it a red hot go, the conversion was waived away, keeping every spectator at the ground and watching at home on the edge of their seats.

Jarrod Lee of Toowoomba with the ball.

With only seven minutes to go, the Falcons attacked both sides of the field, trying everything to keep the trophy on the coast … then cue Nathanaell McGavin.

In what can be described as the try of the carnival, McGavin showed his athleticism and dived in the air to produce a stunning try on the western touchline to get his side within fingertips of the trophy. It was all up to the boot of Lipp to lock the game up at 16-16.

You could cut the tension with a knife as Lipp lined up to convert and even though he struck the ball well, it was waved away and the Falcons still trailed by two points with five minutes to go.

The Falcons were given plenty of opportunities in the dying minutes but sadly for them, dropped the footy one too many times and at fulltime, the trophy returned to the Darling Downs as the Clydesdales defeated the Falcons 16-14.

Both hookers in Eli Wickham (Toowoomba) and Sam Burns (Sunshine Coast) were outstanding for their respective teams and provided plenty of go forward - but it was Toowoomba’s Jarrod Lee who was announced player of the final for his leadership in the middle, steering his side around in the halves.

In the plate final earlier, the Rockhampton Rustlers defeated Central Highlands 32-12 to claim the inaugural plate and bragging rights against their rivals west of the Capricorn Highway.

Despite trailing 12-10 at the break, a four-try exhibition by the Rustlers’ Cody Grills and Billy Gilbert knocked the wind out of a depleted Central Highlands side who were riddled with injury in the second half.

 Central Highlands Women’s side

It wasn’t all bad news for the Central Highlands though as the Women’s side redeemed last year’s defeat in the big dance to bring home the trophy 26-8 against the Rustlers.

A three try haul from former Queensland representative Carly Bell and a strong showing from halves Tegan Rolfe and Bonnie Walsh allowed for the Central Highlands to be crowned the number one Women’s team in Central Division.

Not to discredit the Rockhampton side, the Rustlers should be proud of their efforts in their debut year, particularly knocking off defending premiers, Sunshine Coast on Saturday night and will be a threat in years to come.

At the conclusion of the carnival, the Division named its Central Crows Men’s and Women’s sides to play at the upcoming state carnival on the Gold Coast on June 2, 3 and 4.

In a first for the Division, an emerging women’s team was also named to face the South East Queensland emerging team at the carnival.

A big congratulations and thanks must go to the Yeppoon Seagulls Junior and Senior clubs and the Rockhampton Rugby League for the hard work contributing to a successful 47th Battalion.

A special thanks must go to carnival sponsors: NRG, JRT, Coal Train and the Livingstone Shire Council.

Without their support and generosity, events like this simply just can’t happen.

The Division congratulates all players who took part in this year’s carnival and looks forward to the 2018 47th Battalion set to be held in Toowoomba.

DAY 1 MEN’S RESULTS

GAME 1: SUNSHINE COAST 60 (Henderson Godrey 2, Haydan Lipp, Blake Mara, Sam Burns, Paul McKewin, Esera Esera, Jordan Remfrey, Nathanaell McGavin, Ambrosio Navori tries; Haydan Lipp 9, Daniel Murphy goals) defeated NORTH WIDE BAY 0

GAME 2: BUNDABERG 20 (Billy Stefaniuk, Daniel Moran, Star Masae, Heti Kofoa tries; Logona Vetemotu 2 goals) defeated CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 4 (Andrew McGregor try)

GAME 3: TOOWOOMBA 36 (Corey Blades 2, Steven Franciscus, Jason Wardrop, Jackson Green, Cameron Millar, Alex Ambia tries; Jarrod Lee 4 goals) defeated ROCKHAMPTON 6 (Nathan Young try; Cody Grills goal)

GAME 4: SOUTH WEST COUNTRY 16 (Ricky Wright, Brent Hearne, Alex Coonan tries; Alex Coonan 2 goals) defeated GLADSTONE 12 (Caleb Van Lawick, Dayn Richards tries; Aaron Fairweather 2 goals)

GAME 5: CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 48 (Ray Ebsworth 2, Sebastian Stiegler, Kerrod Page, Will Mohr, Isaiah Huet, Tom Murray, Rhys Giles, Davin Turner tries; Ray Ebsworth 6 goals) defeated NORTH WIDE BAY 12 (Luke Hedges, Phillip Lindsay tries; Luke Hedges 2 goals)

GAME 6: ROCKHAMPTON 50 (Sam Lollo 2, Matt Jarvis 2, Lance Kuveu 2, Brent Kelly, Peter Rogers, Billy Gilbert, Jayce O’Neill tries: Dean Allen 4, Cody Grills goals) defeated GLADSTONE 4 (Barry Blackman try)

GAME 7: SUNSHINE COAST 44 (Nathanaell McGavin 2, Haydan Lipp, Jack Cornford, Murray Goldsworthy, Paul McKewin, Henderson Godfrey, Jordan Remfrey tries; Haydan Lipp 6 goals) defeated BUNDABERG 4 (Aaron Flanagan try)

GAME 8: TOOWOOMBA 30 (Dwayne Duncan 3, Billy Jackwitz, Eli Wickham, Ronnie David tries; Jarrod Lee 2 goals) defeated SOUTH WEST COUNTRY 18 (Alex Coonan 2, Brent Hearne, Chris Gelhaar tries; Alex Coonan goal)

DAY 1 WOMEN’S RESULTS

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 18 (Mariah Storch, Melissa Micallef, Elle Waters, Miranda Baker tries; Mariah Storch goal) defeated BUNDABERG 6 (Kady Tinker try; Payge Talbot goal)

ROCKHAMPTON 38 (Sarah Field, Sharni Upton, Nicole Collins, Brianna Shillingsworth, Nadine Hattingh, Lauren Moss, Hannah Burke tries; Tashina Ketchup 5 goals) defeated SOUTH WEST 12 (Sam Leisha, Tamara Gibbs tries; Kirilee Sires 2 goals)

GLADSTONE 16 (Meagan Wex, Kristal Johnston, Rikarra Benjamin tries; Meagan Wex 2 goals) defeated BUNDABERG 8 (Kady Tinker, Levinia Robinson tries)

SUNSHINE COAST 16 (Nina Varani, Amalee McClellan, Courtney Lockwood, Sarah Walker tries) defeated SOUTH WEST 10 (Molly O’Connell 2 tries; Kirilee Sires goal)

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 24 (Mariah Storch, Kailah Rogers, Carly Bell, Tegan Rolfe, Kiri Samson tries; Mariah Storch 2 goals) defeated GLADSTONE 4 (Meagan Wex try)

ROCKHAMPTON 18 (Brianna Shillingsworth 2, Tashina Ketchup, Lauren Moss tries; Tashina Ketchup goal) defeated SUNSHINE COAST 16 (Courtney Lockwood, Sarah Walker, Nathalie Browne tries; Courtney Lockwood 2 goals)

WOMEN’S LADDER AFTER DAY 1

DAY 2 MEN’S RESULTS

GAME 9: NORTH WIDE BAY 16* (Daniel Alberts, Mitchell Thorburn, Nathan Leather tries; Luke Hedges 2 goals) defeated GLADSTONE 16 (Dayn Richards, Amani Tofaeono, Jack Cameron tries; Caleb Van Lawick 2 goals)

*As per the 47th Battalion rules, North Wide Bay were deemed winners as the first try scorer.

GAME 10: BUNDABERG 32 (Jayden Alberts, Kevin Sheriff, Shaun Collins, Jack Horder, Andrew Lamkan, Chris Ford tries; Jayden Alberts 3, Logona Vetemotu goals) defeated SOUTH WEST COUNTRY 12 (Alex Coonon 2, Chris Gelhaar tries)

PLATE FINAL: ROCKHAMPTON 32 (Cody Grills 3, Billy Gilbert 2, Jayce O’Neill tries; Cody Grills 3, Dean Allen goals) defeated CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 12 (Tom Murray, Clayton Kilpatrick tries; Isaiah Huet 2 goals)

TROPHY FINAL: TOOWOOMBA 16 (Dwayne Duncan, Denis Burgoyne, Alex Ambia tries; Jarrod Lee 2 goals) defeated SUNSHINE COAST 14 (Haydan Lipp, Esera Esera, Nathanaell McGavin tries; Haydan Lipp goal)

DAY 2 WOMEN’S RESULTS

3RD v 3RD: SOUTH WEST 32 (Molly O’Connell 3, Samartha Leisha 2, Emily Young tries; Kiralee Sires 6 goals) defeated BUNDABERG 0

2ND v 2ND: GLADSTONE 14 (Vassa Hunter, Amy Popal, Jill Kornbrekke tries; Krystal Sulter goal) defeated SUNSHINE COAST 6 (Peleiupu Faalogo try; Courtney Lockwood goal)

WOMEN’S FINAL: CENTRAL HIGHLANDS 26 (Carly Bell 3, Tegan Rolfe, Elle Waters tries; Mariah Storch 3 goals) defeated ROCKHAMPTON 8 (Sarah Field, Nicole Collins tries)

RANKINGS FOR 2018 47TH BATTALION

To view the full carnival results, visit bit.ly/47thBattalion.