The New Zealand Falcons have won the Bingham Bowl 25-19 over an Irish-American side in a show of grit and determination in an exhausting encounter at the Bingham Cup. Picture / Leif Wauters The win over the Emerald Valkyries was sealed with a try in the final 30 seconds of the game and celebrated with a haka which rang across the Sydney ground. The Auckland-based side had a tough start, with the Valkyries scoring an early try and the Falcons then losing their goalkicker Andrew Quinilvan to injury. He was replaced by the team’s hardy number 8, 50-year-old James Kolose, who moved into the backline. The Falcons quickly levelled the game with a try – then scored again just before half time to lead 10-5. Early on the game was slowed down by the slippery conditions, which also made for a scrappy affair, with a solid chunk of the match spent with the ball in set-pieces and away from the explosive Falcons back three. Lack of ball control counted against the Falcons at times, as did slow arrival at the breakdown – understandable after three days of games. Numerous penalties against the Irish-American team for offside play, and infringements at the breakdown, helped the Falcons’ cause. The New Zealanders were also able to use their size and strength to keep the pressure on and nearly scored just after half time, but a runaway player slipped over and knocked on after making a break. The Valkyries then scored, before the Falcons hit back and regained the lead with a converted try of their own, in a patch radio commentators described as including “a few glimpses of Kiwi magic”. The northern hemisphere team initially played for territory with a game focused on kicking deep into the Falcons’ half. They kept the ball in hand more in the second half, and displayed some great quick play, as the intensity of the game lifted. Falcons’ ‘WAGS’ on the sideline cheered their men on with a rowdy chant. A yellow card with six minutes to go was costly for the Falcons, with the Valkyries scoring under the posts to bring the game to within one point. Then poor handling in the slippery conditions let the Falcons down with four minutes to go, as they took a quick tap from a penalty but knocked on just before the line, and again in the dying minutes when another break ended in a dropped ball. The Kiwis’ ultimate forward dominance at the breakdown was crucial in the victory, which was sealed with a dramatic try in the final 30 seconds by fullback Junior Fa'ata. UPDATE: The Sydney Convicts have claimed the top prize, the Bingham Cup, convincingly beating the Brisbane Hustlers. The Melbourne Chargers beat the San Francisco Fog for the Bingham Plate. Earlier, the Sydney Convicts C beat the Chicago Dragons 12-5 to win the Bingham Shield. The Philadelphia Gryphons beat the Ottawa Wolves 19-7 in the Hoagland Cup, while the Southern USA Ba Bas beat the Boston Ironsides 26-5 to claim the Hoagland Vase. The Bingham Cup wraps up with an awards night and closing party at Sydney’s Ivy tonight. Jacqui Stanford, with pics from Leif Wauters - 31st August 2014
Credit: Jacqui Stanford, with pics from Leif Wauters
First published: Sunday, 31st August 2014 - 3:57pm