The Brothers juggernaut continued to roll on with the Butchers Stripes taking seven wins from nine games to retain the Eales Wilson Shield in Round 11 at Crosby Park.
Having tipped over into the second half of the season, and with all teams capable of making finals, Brothers were quick to stamp their authority on the fixture, carrying their form across the grades. The results were well received by the enthusiastic Ladies Day crowd camped at the Crosby Road end of the ground, cheering the home teams who were resplendent in their special pink and blue strip.
In First Grade, Brothers overcame the concession of an early try and a nine-point lead at half time to crush East’s defiance with a second half try scoring blitz to win 57-17.
There were try-scorers across the roster, with only barnstorming Number 8 Brad Hemopo able to score a brace. He was monstrous in attack all day, coming alive minutes after half time and being an enormous handful for the Tigers.
Leading try-scorer Dom Fraser once again troubled the scorekeeper with yet another rolling maul try, with five-point regulars Ben Dalle Cort, Finn Prass, Isaac Tarabay and Will Cartwright all adding to their growing tallies. Perhaps the two most impressive scores however were from No. 13 Seb Hanna, regathering a marvelous chip and chase whilst flirting with the sideline to stake a claim for Try of the Round.
He would have had the honours too, had debuting Loosehead Liam Fletcher not made a 40m break to score in the twelfth minute, reinforcing the unwritten rule that any time a prop outruns one or more backs is an automatic qualification for the top of the highlight reel.
In other results, Second Grade played an entertaining brand of rugby to storm home 42-26, Third Grade continued their unbeaten run to come home 38-20 winners, Fourth Grade annihilated a depleted Tigers 104-7 and Fifth Grade stamped their claim to the Top 4 with a 43-10 victory. In the Colts, Colts 1 were upset by a high-energy and well drilled Easts side 12-26, Colts 2 continued their recovery winning 22-12, and sitting just outside the play-off positions, and Colts 3 had a confidence-boosting 53-5 win. Brothers Women pushed Easts early in the first half against a side that has a genuine shot at the Premiership, before losing mometum and being defeated 5-57.
Brothers play Souths in a high staked Round 12 on Saturday the 22nd of June at Chipsy Wood Oval.
