16/08/2010
Burnside battle to crucial win
Print by Adam Holmes
Burnside all but confirmed their spot in the SA Rugby Premier division finals with a comfortable 30-6 win over Southern Suburbs in wet and slippery conditions on Saturday.
Burnside appeared to adjust to the conditions better than Souths, with powerful forward Stephen Kim-Davies brushing aside two opponents to score the first try of the match.
Souths defended stubbornly however, and were kept in the match thanks to some precision penalty-taking from Ryan Tromans and desperate defending led by Patty Williams, going into halftime trailing 8-6.
Burnside came out firing after the break, scoring two quick tries thanks to some individual brilliance from brothers Mikaele and Joel Tauffao.
The skills of Burnside were much cleaner, and they benefited from a well-organised defence as a frustrated Souths struggled to work the ball past halfway.
Two late tries completed the comprehensive 30-6 victory, giving Burnside their fourth win in a row and some much-needed confidence ahead of next week’s match against league-leader Brighton.
Southern Suburbs are still in the hunt for a finals berth, as they travel to struggling Woodville next week, hoping to find some form just two weeks out from the finals series.
In other results, Onkaparinga kept the pressure on Brighton at the top of the ladder with a 30-19 win over Woodville, while Brighton demolished Adelaide University 83-7.