Defending premier Wests-Subiaco gained a crack at its fourth consecutive Home Building Society premiership title when it defeated a gallant Associates team 35-23 in the minor semi-final at Rugby Park, Floreat, today.
In a match of fluctuating fortunes in occasional showers, Wests ran away with the game early and led 15-0 after 15 minutes, but the young Associates team came back at them to score 23 unanswered points. The composure of the defending premier showed later in the match, with assured tactical kicking and opportunities seized to retake the lead, and then put it beyond doubt.
Once again wily Wests had a slow start to the season but appear to be peaking at the right time. The win sends them through to next Sunday's preliminary final against the winner of tomorrow's major semi-final between minor premier Nedlands and this year's bolter, Palmyra.
Wests-Subiaco roared into the match, driving up to Associates' line and from a penalty lineout and a maul, lock Hamish Grace plunged over on the blind for a try in the corner after three minutes.
Five minutes later centre Craig Hogan scored close to the posts from a kick and chase. Flyhalf Aaron Broughton converted the easier chance and added a penalty for offside after 14 minutes as the defending premier raced to a 15-0 early lead.
Soaks finally managed to reply with a 30 metre penalty to goal-kicking prop Damien Elton for preventing release 25 minutes into the half, as both teams opted for positional kicking when the slippery ball proved hard to handle.
Wests maintained the pressure and kept the play down the opposition end of the ground until inside centre Ross James broke out to give the Swanbourne club attacking ball. Elton missed a penalty kick shortly after but then added two easier kicks in quick succession, both for offside, as Associates closed the gap to 15-9.
From the kick off Soaks number eight Luke Nelson stormed up the pitch, ball in hand, and passed in to openside flanker Tristan Winnal for the final ten yards and the try. Elton added the extras and the young Associates team hit the front at 16-15, and took the slender lead into the break five minutes later.
After a muddled start to the second half, Broughton kicked through to put Wests hard on attack, compounded by a Soaks blunder when the ball was passed back into in goal and touched down. Fortunately for the Swanbourne club, Wests conceded a penalty from the resulting five metre scrum and Soaks kicked clear.
Minutes later Soaks wing Dave Dunstan collected an up and under and surged down the touch line, passing in to flyhalf Sam Parker for a try in the corner. Elton converted from the side line and Soaks surged ahead 23-15 after 15 minutes.
But five minutes later Wests kicked into Associates' 22, the Soaks defender fumbled the catch into the arms of Wests' wing Mike Taberer, who raced 20 metres to score. Taberer took over the kicking and converted his try, and the game was back on a knife edge at 23-22.
Wests were back on the scoreboard after 25 minutes when number eight Greg Plimmer charged up, the ball went back and forth before passing blind where Wests had a two man overlap and Hogan scored his second. The conversion missed but the defending premier seized the lead 27-23 going into the final 15 minutes.
Wests consolidated the lead when a perfectly weighted corner kick from Broughton caught the Soaks defence out and right wing Leon Felton scooped up the ball and raced into the corner for a try with five minutes to play.
Wests almost scored again minutes later following a turnover and a run and kick ahead by Taberer but the ball beat them all over the dead ball line. Instead Taberer added a penalty kick to take Wests ahead 35-23 and the match finished minutes later.
“We got away to a good start, in the conditions,” Wests coach Tony Ladbrook said after the game.
“We don't normally start that well. Then they came back at us.
“A string of penalties put them back in the game and shifted momentum their way.
“But our forwards got us home. People always doubt our forwards but they got us there although the surface was very poor.
“We'll be rethinking our strategy if we have to play here in conditions like this next Sunday,” Ladbrook said.
“But now we can sit back and watch the game tomorrow. We'll worry about next week when we know the result of that.”
In other semi-finals Cottesloe came home 20-17 over Associates in extra time in second grade; Mandurah defeated Wests-Subiaco 3-0 in third grade; Perth-Bayswater defeated Bunbury 20-8 in fourth grade; Perth-Bayswater defeated ARKs 22-0 in fifth grade; Curtin defeated Wanneroo 12-7 in sixth grade; Wests-Subiaco defeated Rockingham 10-5 in Under 19 Div 1; Nedlands Gold defeated ARKs 11-8 in Under 19 Div 2; and Wanneroo defeated Kalamunda 10-0 in the women's semi-final.