What a morning of rugby at Griff Hunt Reserve. Eltham struck first and never really let go.
Nas got us on the board almost straight from the kick off, exploding through the line before Northern had settled. They responded quickly with a try of their own, and from that point we had a proper contest on our hands.
Alex put us back in front on 10 minutes with a superb long run down the field. Five minutes later came one of the tries of the day: a quick penalty from halfway, Orin breaking through and Fraser in close support the whole way. Orin added the extras, as he did all morning.
Worth saying that we did all of this with only three backs available. The forwards were shifted into the backline and simply got on with it. Kaden in particular was excellent in an unfamiliar position, and you would not have known it watching him.
The defensive effort deserves a mention of its own. The Eltham players made Northern work desperately hard for every single try they scored. Caleb and Roman W. were everywhere in the tackle, and Fraser was outstanding at the counter ruck as well as putting in some big hits.
Harvey then took over, crossing twice in quick succession on 20 and 23 minutes. Northern kept coming and got one back, but the momentum was black and gold.
The closing stretch belonged to Eltham. Alex grabbed his second on 35 minutes, capping a strong running display and continuing a season of real consistency from him. Fraser went over two minutes later, and Roman P. finished things off on 50 with a try that summed up the day.
Orin was immaculate off the tee, slotting six conversions from eight. Eight tries, a patched together backline that never looked it, and a side that kept backing each other all morning. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.
Tries: Nas, Alex (2), Orin, Harvey (2), Fraser, Roman P.
Conversions: Orin (6)
Player of the Match: Alex
A huge thank you to Maroondah Rugby Club for letting us use their field, and to everyone who made the trip out to cheer the kids on. The club runs on the generosity of its members, and days like this one show it. Let’s go Eltham!
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