Shamrocks Second Grade Are One Step Away From A Grand Final After A Gripping Minor Semi-Final

Woonoona Shamrocks 2nd Grade have booked their place in the Preliminary Final of the Illawarra 2nd Grade competition, overcoming a determined Bowral 2nd Grade side 30-25 in a hard-fought and extra time, minor semi-final at Shoalhaven Rugby Club.

The victory, built on a strong set-piece foundation and clinical finishing in attack, sees the Shamrocks progress to face competition heavyweights Shoalhaven 2nd Grade next weekend, with a spot in the Grand Final on the line.

Resilience and Character the Key

In a tight and tense affair, the Shamrocks displayed tremendous resilience and character to grind out the result. Shamrocks opened with a series of well-worked tries to take control of the contest. However, Bowral refused to go away, mounting a spirited fightback that kept the outcome in the balance until the final whistle. It was actually, in what appeared to be extra time, that Bowral gave away a penalty right in front of the posts with Bowral leading, 20 – 17. Ben Ridgway kicked the penalty and the whistle blew with the scores at 20 all. In previous years, that would have been it with Shamrocks being declared the winners because of the position on the table, but now, 10 minutes each way of extra time had to be played, and none of that Golden Point nonsense! The next ten minutes were frantic, and Shamrocks scored first. Another successful penalty shot in this time slot meant that Shamrocks went to the break leading 30 – 20. Very tense! Bowral were quick to score after the return to the paddock but were unsuccessful with their conversion, and the scoreboard was showing Rocks 30 Bowral 25. The next 8 minutes saw the game see-saw around with both teams getting a chance but, on a number of occasions it looked as if Bowral would be the ones to cross the line with plenty of attacking pressure. Shamrocks gave away about 4 penalties as the clock ticked down and finally the whistle signalled the end of the game – Shamrocks 30 – Bowral 25! What a win!

Veteran playmaker Ben Ridgway was instrumental in steering the Shamrocks ship, slotting two conversions and two penalty goals to complement the team’s four-try haul. Bailie Leonard had an outstanding game with a standout performance, crashing over for a hat-trick of tries to showcase his growing influence.

Prop Jacobus Newhouse and winger Killian O’Leary also crossed the whitewash, underlining the attacking threats across the Shamrocks lineup. Upfront, the forward pack laid the foundation with a dominant display in the set-piece, winning 30 scrums to Bowral’s 25.

Finals Momentum Building at the Right Time

This hard-fought victory builds on the Shamrocks’ recent strong form, which has seen them climb to fourth on the Illawarra 2nd Grade ladder. After crushing the Vikings 46-0 in their previous outing, the Shamrocks have now produced another clutch performance when it mattered most.

As the business end of the season approaches, the Shamrocks appear to be peaking at the right time. Their combination of set-piece dominance, individual match-winners, and collective resilience makes them a formidable proposition for any opponent. The challenge now is to translate this momentum into a Grand Final berth next weekend against the table-topping Shoalhaven 2nd Grade.

FIXTURE RESULTS