Galloping Greens recover from late game stumble to beat Pirates

Follow Rugby Heaven on Twitter

Randwick survived a late spell of errors and missed opportunities to claim their first win of the Shute Shield season over West Harbour at Coogee Oval on Saturday.

Both sides came into the game off round one losses, but Randwick are now off the mark with a four-tries-to-one effort against West Harbour that led to a 24-13 victory.

Instrumental for the Galloping Greens was their five-eighth David Horwitz with his direction of play, ball running and disposal – not to mention his two first-half tries.

After leading 10-3 at half time Randwick extended their advantage to 15-3 about 10 minutes into the second stanza when winger Chris Taripo scored out wide. Horwitz's successful conversion – he missed his first two attempts – left the score at 17-3.

But the Pirates clawed their way back into the game with a try by winger Graeme Kolomalu that tightened the score to 17-10 after fullback Kiwi Kapene-Belcher's conversion.

Another successful penalty kick by Kapene-Belcher soon after brought them within four points with the score line reading 17-13.

As the Pirates sniffed a turn around, errors started to creep into Randwick's game as did opportunities to score go missing despite playing so much in the Pirates' half.

Although, it was a credit to West Harbour's defence that they kept Randwick out.

But fate eventually turned Randwick's way in the dying minutes when Randwick half-back Auvasa Falealii plucked a fumbled West Harbour ball and darted 55 metres virtually unchallenged to score the converted try under the posts to seal their victory.

Randwick's win was deserved, but West Harbour's fight back was impressive once the Galloping Greens lost the momentum that set them up so well it the first half.

In the first half, Randwick seized early possession. They were rewarded for it too with Horwitz's tries in the 8^th and 36^th minutes that while unconverted by the playmaker, kept the Pirates at bay with Kapene-Belcher's penalty kick at the 15^th minute giving their only points for the half.