May 17, 2025

Home Team 57 – Shamrocks 1st Grade 17

Woonoona Shamrocks 1st Grade endured a difficult afternoon on Saturday, going down 57-17 against a clinical home side who capitalized on their opportunities in a high-scoring encounter. With so many Shamrock players unavailable and involved in the NSW Country Championships at Tamworth – it was always going to be a difficult day.

Despite the margin of defeat, there were several positive moments for the Shamrocks Club. The team crossed for three tries through Robbie Coso, Benjamin Stewart, and Corey Chinnock Clark, demonstrating their attacking capabilities against a formidable opponent. The most encouraging part of the day was watching so many Shamrock players stepping up to fill gaps and play out of position to ensure the Club could fulfil their commitment to supporting the Camden Club’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

The match began with early pressure from the home side, resulting in Apaola Tea Lama crossing for the opening try. Shamrocks responded quickly as winger Robbie Coso showed his pace to score in the corner, leveling the scores at 5-5.

The home team regained the lead when Austin McCourt crossed the whitewash and added the conversion for a 12-5 advantage. Shamrocks remained competitive, with center Benjamin Stewart powering over for a well-worked try, converted by Ryan Schoupp to bring the score back to 12-12.

However, the home side began to assert their dominance before halftime, with Patrick Reynolds scoring the first of his eventual hat-trick of tries. Keeran McCourt’s conversion and subsequent four penalty goals pushed the lead to 28-12, giving Shamrocks a significant deficit to overcome.

The second half saw the home team extend their advantage through tries from Ethan Gillion and two more from Reynolds, each complemented by McCourt’s accurate boot. Despite being under pressure, Shamrocks continued to show determination and were rewarded when replacement Corey Chinnock Clark, who had earlier come on for Oskar Watson, found space to score the visitors’ third try.

The match was marred by ill-discipline, with Camdens’ Ioane Luafutu and Tuiraviravi Daveta both receiving yellow cards for foul play.

Coach Paul Ridgway made several tactical changes throughout the contest, introducing fresh legs to combat the home side’s momentum. The replacements, including Tyreece George, Thomas Ah Tong, and others, added energy but couldn’t stem the tide of a home team in full flow.

Despite the scoreline, there were individual performances worth noting for Shamrocks. Ryan Schoupp’s goal-kicking was reliable, while the forward pack competed strongly at set-piece time. The backline showed flashes of creativity that will give the coaching staff something to build on heading into next week.

The result is a setback for Shamrocks 1st Grade, but with the competition still in its early stages, there remains plenty of time to address defensive issues and build on the positive aspects of their attacking play.

By Shamus Ruckus, Woonoona Shamrocks RUFC