Maccabi Rugby’s season gains momentum
MACCABI has moved up one place to third on the Jeffrey Cup ladder after easily accounting for the Sydney Convicts at Lyne Park last Saturday, winning 35-12 – their third win in a row.
The men in sky blue and white dominated possession and territory from the outset, camping the Convicts in their own half, where they conceded two penalties which were calmly turned into points via Dean Friedlander’s boot.
The Maccabi goalkicker and captain scored and then converted a great try minutes later that followed a sweeping multi-phase move spanning both sidelines and many pairs of hands.
More Maccabi pressure led to forward Aaron Muller crashing over to score, before the Convicts took advantage of a brief period of good possession to score a converted try just before half-time to make the score 18-7.
The second half was a scrappy affair, with both teams struggling to stay on the referee’s good side.
Maccabi scored an almost carbon copy of their first try, with Friedlander selling a dummy and scooting over near the posts.
Home crowd favourite Joshua Hoffman was then the beneficiary of some good build-up play, adding his name to the try-scorers’ list.
Maccabi’s final try came from a turnover, with big man Joji Kurosaki intercepting the ball and touching down between the sticks, and the Convicts scored a consolation try in the final minutes.
Friedlander, who was named Most Valuable Player, said the win was important for maintaining momentum going into the long weekend bye, which marks almost the halfway point of the season.
“This was a real team effort, and it makes my job very easy when the guys around me are doing the hard work to get us front-foot ball, which we can use out wide,” Friedlander said.
“The whole team is loving their footy at the moment.”
Maccabi’s next match will be against second-placed North Cronulla at Forshaw Rugby Park from 3.15pm on June 15.
AJN STAFF
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