Daramalan College pulled off a brilliant second half comeback to beat Canberra Grammar 24-20.
Trailing for most of the game, and down to fourteen men following a red card, Daramalan executed a remarkable conclusion to the match to steal the points.
Fly-half William Goddard, fresh from his heroics at the National Schoolboy Championships, got the ball rolling for Canberra Grammar making no mistake in kicking a penalty goal to give his team a three-point lead early in the first half.
The boys in the blue continued to dominate in the early exchanges of the match making the most of having an extra man due to an early yellow card for Daramalan.
Just when it looked like Daramalan’s defence was going to hold out a determined Canberra Grammar attack, Lachlan Osborne barged over in the corner scoring the first try of the night. Goddard then added the extras with ease pushing his team out to a 10-point lead.
Jackson Stewart provided the spark Daramalan needed to get back in the game, running a brilliant line to split Canberra Grammar’s defence in half and score next to the posts. Thomas Haddad then reduced the margin to three-points successfully converting the try.
Just as Daramalan looked to be getting back on track their night took a turn for the worst when Isaac Baz earned himself a red card for an offence off the ball.
William Goddard made it three from three with the boot kicking a penalty to end the half the same way he started it and give his team a 13–7 lead at the break.D
espite running out one man short for the second half Daramalan wasted no time crossing for their second 5-pointer of the night making it a one-point ball game.
Daramalan kept their foot on the accelerator and took the lead for the first time when Mathew Clifton found himself on the end of a pinpoint perfect kick. An unsuccessful conversion left the score line at 13–17 in favor of Daramalan.
The boys in the red and black continued to prove that they didn’t need a 15th man to get the job done when they crossed for their third try of the half.
Haddad’s conversion gave Daramalan an 11-point lead, the biggest of the night with only 10 minutes left on the clock.
Grammar wasted no time hitting back, scoring a try off the back a kick to keep the game alive. Goddard continued his perfect night with the boot converting the try to reduce to gap to just two points.
Daramalan managed to hold on for the final five minutes and earn themselves a brilliant 24- 20 come from behind win.
