Vikings Snatch Late Win Over Rocks
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 8:40 am
Report As expected the Round 16 IDRU Builders Club Premiership match at Ocean Park lived up to expectations with another traditionally hard fought encounter between the two great rival clubs. Vikings snatched a last second victory with a converted try to win 20 – 19 after a sometime fiery match in front of a very vocal crowd. With four yellow cards handed out by Referee Craig Conway, and a fifth which became a red, there was plenty of feeling in an absorbing match. With both sides putting up strong defensive efforts, line breaks and open play was at a minimum with players from both sides guilty of showing some poor options in attack and a lack of support play.
The match was four minutes old when
Vikings left winger Ryan Anderson showed blistering pace to race away down the left flank in a fifty meter run to the line to score the first try of the match under the Rocks posts. Halfback Michael Maidment converted and added a penalty goal for Vikings to lead 10 – 0 after ten minutes.
The first yellow card came out for Shamrocks playmaker phone number list Tristram Storm for a professional foul at the thirteenth minute mark but it was the Rocks who posted next points two minutes later. The ever busy Iszak Lunney toed through a loose ball after a Vikings fumble and winger Matt Gauna won the race to the ball to score beside the posts. Gauna converted the try and the Rocks trailed by three.2014 21a August 16 Shamrocks V Vikings
Shamrocks were awarded a
Penalty Try just before the break when veteran Flanker, Jordon Whitehead chased through a grubber kick from close range only to see the ball swept from under his nose over the dead ball line by a Vikings defender. Referee Conway adjudged that Whitehead would have scored had the ball not been illegally made dead by the Blue defender. With the conversion added by Gauna, the Rocks went to the break leading 14 -10.
The second half had plenty of feeling with several scuffles breaking out as both sides struggled to get their attacking game in order as referee Conway was kept busy adjudicating at the breakdown. Ten minutes into the half Vikings Lock Chris Isles was sin binned for repeated infringements and three minutes later was followed by team mate Hooker David Capp as Shamrocks were storming the Blueys line. With the Vikings players struggling to regain composure after the send-off, Rocks hooker Anthony Allport took a quick tap and scored to take the score to 19 -10.
Even though they were two players down
Vikings managed to have the better of the sin bin period with Maidment adding a penalty goal to close the margin to six for the Blueys to remain in the game. Vikings threw everything at the Rocks once they were back to full strength but the Rocks defense which has been outstanding all year would not yield. Even when young front-rower Kyle Heycott earned his side’s second yellow card, the Rocks defense remained strong urged on by their very vocal supporters, repelling Vikings best efforts to bridge the gap.
Going into the final minutes of the match Vikings were camped in the Shamrocks quarter searching for the winning opportunity to keep their finals hopes alive. Once again after a prolonged period of pressure from the Blueys, Referee Conway reached for the yellow card to sin bin Shamrocks forward Ben Robinson for repeated infringements. The card turned to a red as Robinson was sent off and will face a charge of verbal abuse of the Referee.
Two minutes later with the final whistle beckoning
Vikings attack finally paid off as fullback George Rixon finished off a wide backline raid to score in the infamous north east corner in front of the Shamrocks faithful. With the local crowd giving Maidment plenty of encouragement with his conversion attempt from the touchline, he was not fazed as the ball just cleared the crossbar for Vikings to snatch a last minute victory over the Rocks for the second time this year.
The match was four minutes old when
Vikings left winger Ryan Anderson showed blistering pace to race away down the left flank in a fifty meter run to the line to score the first try of the match under the Rocks posts. Halfback Michael Maidment converted and added a penalty goal for Vikings to lead 10 – 0 after ten minutes.
The first yellow card came out for Shamrocks playmaker phone number list Tristram Storm for a professional foul at the thirteenth minute mark but it was the Rocks who posted next points two minutes later. The ever busy Iszak Lunney toed through a loose ball after a Vikings fumble and winger Matt Gauna won the race to the ball to score beside the posts. Gauna converted the try and the Rocks trailed by three.2014 21a August 16 Shamrocks V Vikings
Shamrocks were awarded a
Penalty Try just before the break when veteran Flanker, Jordon Whitehead chased through a grubber kick from close range only to see the ball swept from under his nose over the dead ball line by a Vikings defender. Referee Conway adjudged that Whitehead would have scored had the ball not been illegally made dead by the Blue defender. With the conversion added by Gauna, the Rocks went to the break leading 14 -10.
The second half had plenty of feeling with several scuffles breaking out as both sides struggled to get their attacking game in order as referee Conway was kept busy adjudicating at the breakdown. Ten minutes into the half Vikings Lock Chris Isles was sin binned for repeated infringements and three minutes later was followed by team mate Hooker David Capp as Shamrocks were storming the Blueys line. With the Vikings players struggling to regain composure after the send-off, Rocks hooker Anthony Allport took a quick tap and scored to take the score to 19 -10.
Even though they were two players down
Vikings managed to have the better of the sin bin period with Maidment adding a penalty goal to close the margin to six for the Blueys to remain in the game. Vikings threw everything at the Rocks once they were back to full strength but the Rocks defense which has been outstanding all year would not yield. Even when young front-rower Kyle Heycott earned his side’s second yellow card, the Rocks defense remained strong urged on by their very vocal supporters, repelling Vikings best efforts to bridge the gap.
Going into the final minutes of the match Vikings were camped in the Shamrocks quarter searching for the winning opportunity to keep their finals hopes alive. Once again after a prolonged period of pressure from the Blueys, Referee Conway reached for the yellow card to sin bin Shamrocks forward Ben Robinson for repeated infringements. The card turned to a red as Robinson was sent off and will face a charge of verbal abuse of the Referee.
Two minutes later with the final whistle beckoning
Vikings attack finally paid off as fullback George Rixon finished off a wide backline raid to score in the infamous north east corner in front of the Shamrocks faithful. With the local crowd giving Maidment plenty of encouragement with his conversion attempt from the touchline, he was not fazed as the ball just cleared the crossbar for Vikings to snatch a last minute victory over the Rocks for the second time this year.