Woy Woy hosts union finals

Central Coast opened up this season's campaign in the NSW Country Rugby Championships with a resounding win against Central North at Woy Woy Oval on March 20.

The final score was 27 points to seven, after the halftime score was only seven points to nil in favour of the home side, according to Central Coast Rugby Union president Mr Larry Thomson.

"The first 40 minutes was a quite even affair," Mr Thomson said.

"Both teams had their chances to score and each side dominated certain periods of that half.

"The opening 20 minutes saw both teams try to gain the ascendancy in the forward exchanges but to no avail.

"The Central Coast set pieces however were very good.

"The line-outs were excellent with locks Peter Steele and Adam Winter both winning their own ball as well as on several occasions winning the opposition throw.

"The further the game went on the stronger the Central Coast scrum became. "Several tightheads were taken and this certainly aided the home side's cause. "Twenty minutes into the first half the first points were scored.

"A good break saw prop Shannon Beavan cross under the posts to make an easy conversion for fullback Jono Hirst.

"This made the score seven points to nil and that remained the halftime score.

Mr Thomson said he believed the best players for Central Coast were the two locks Adam Winter and Peter Steele, while five-eight Adam Carlisle proved very strong both in his organisational skills and defence.

"Carlisle was certainly getting his backline into action," Mr Thomson said.

"He worked in great combination with halfback Justin Staben.

"Central Coast started strongly in the second half and began to assert their dominance on the scoreboard.

"Winger Declan Shepherd crossed for a try within the first 10 minutes of the start of the second half, and this try was quickly followed by another to outside centre Ben Shine.

"Declan Shepherd and Ben Shine scored another try each to increase the lead further so that Central Coast led by 27 to Central North nil with only a few minutes to go.

"Fullback Jono Hirst had an excellent game both with his general running as well his long clearing kicks in general play.

"He did only convert one of the five tries but there were no easy conversions for him in the second half.

"Central North scored a consolation converted try in the final few minutes."

However, despite a convincing win against Illawarra in the semi-final on March 27, Central Coast qualified for the final only to be defeated by a strong Newcastle side 13 to nil.

The Central Coast Colts also had a great win at Woy Woy Oval, according to Mr Thomson.

"Despite being down 13 points to three at the half time break, the home side put on a blistering second half," Mr Thomson said.

"They scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to run out winners by 30 points 13.

"The team really did put it altogether in the second half and scored four great tries in the second stanza.

"The further the game went on the stronger they got."

However, the young Central Coast side were defeated by 36 points to 12 in the playoff for third and fourth positions against Central West.

"The Coast team was never really in the match although they did surge midway through the second half and got close," Mr Thomson said.

"But Central West finished the game stronger.

"The Colts had finished fourth in the championships.

"The team (Illawarra) that defeated them in a close fixture the day before won the championship so the Central Coast was not far behind the top teams despite the two losses over the final weekend."

Press release, 21 Mar 2010 Larry Thomson, Central Coast Rugby Union