Premiers Leave Tigers In Wake
4/07/2010 2:27:07 PM
IT was a case of no rep players; no worries for the Sunshine Coast as they defeated the Easts Tigers 38-12 at Langlands Park yesterday.
Despite the eventual scoreline – it was an engaging game and it took a determined effort from the Sea Eagles to record the win over an enthusiastic Tigers outfit.
However, it was their eagerness that would prove their undoing early on with a chip kick ahead finding the arms of Sea Eagles winger Michael Chapman who ran down the right sideline to open the scoring.
The Sunshine Coast were in again on the other side of the field – this time through Tyrone Coppedge – once more through an attacking Tigers play that did not come off.
The Tigers had made a great bust through the middle of the park, but the pass back to the inside was collected by a Sea Eagle, and with the ball back in their attacking zone, the visitors worked it left for the slippery Coppedge.
At 10-0 down, the Tigers fought back well and were able to apply some pressure which resulted in the home side scoring a try of their own thanks to Steven Thorpe.
However, that work was undone when Chapman and then Coppedge picked up their doubles before the break to give the Sea Eagles a healthy 20-4 lead.
But as they had threatened to do all afternoon – the Tigers put together an impressive attacking display and were the first to score at the resumption of play.
From just inside their own half, skipper Jace Van Dijk fired a pass to Liam Campbell who then combined with fellow speedster Adam Breen who raced away to score.
The Tigers continued on the attack and managed to convert their good field position into points through Isaac Kaufmann to narrow the gap to 20-12.
But that was as close as it got for the Tigers, with the Sunshine Coast proving to be too big, too strong and too fast.
The next to cross for the Sea Eagles was Jason Wardrop, who crashed over the line dragging defenders with him.
Dennis Sandow then put the result beyond doubt not long after with his 10th try for the season, while recent recruit Karl Johnson capped his debut for his new club with a barnstorming run to the line in the dying stages to underline their authority on the game.
SUNSHINE COAST SEA EAGLES 38 (Michael Chapman 2, Tyrone Coppedge 2, Dennis Sandow, Karl Johnson, Jason Wardrop tries; Michael Chapman 3, Dennis Sandow 2 goals) def
EASTS TIGERS 12 (Adam Breen, Isaac Kaufmann, Steven Thorpe tries) at Langlands Park.
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