Melbourne University’s George Bradley and Endeavour Hills’ Raanch Brown, right, contest a lineout in their Victorian Rugby Union Premier One encounter at Frog Hollow Reserve on Saturday.By Marc McGowan
TWO heartbreaking tries in the dying minutes denied Endeavour Hills a third Victorian Rugby Union Premier One victory at Frog Hollow Reserve on Saturday.
The Hills had led all day before University’s Ben Taylor evaded the home team’s defenders to score out wide and give his side the lead for the first time with just five minutes left.
The visitors added another only moments later to seal their come-from-behind 29-20 win and hand Endeavour Hills its sixth loss in seven outings.
But the Hills’ progress this season has been obvious and it easily could have triumphed in three of those games, including the weekend clash.
Oge Toala opened the scoring courtesy of a penalty goal before open-side flanker Loni Folau finished off an Endeavour Hills power surge to record the first try of the afternoon.
Toala then snuck the ball inside the right post for the conversion to give the Hills a 10-0 advantage.
University scored a try either side of another Toala penalty goal to leave Endeavour Hills 13-12 ahead at half-time.
With the contest in the balance, some individual brilliance was required and Toala was up to the challenge.
University appeared to be launching a routine attack only for Toala to sensationally intercept and run almost the full distance of the field to place the ball underneath the uprights.
The margin was cut back again when Malifa Taeleipu was stripped of the ball, resulting in University crossing for its third try to make it 20-17.
The teams traded penalty goal misses in the ensuing minutes before Taylor’s last-gasp score saved University.
Endeavour Hills coach Jeff Lemalu was shattered after the match.
“I reckon it’s been the story of our year,” he said.
“We’re playing well, but just not carrying on with the game plan for 80 minutes and that’s our downside at the moment.
“It’s one of those disappointing things that a coach hates, but, as I mention every week, it’s a rebuilding year for us and we didn’t think we’d go as well as we have.”
The Hills has a break over the Queen’s Birthday weekend before returning to action against Harlequin at Holmesglen Reserve, Ashwood, from 3.15pm on Saturday, 14 June.
