Match Report: Jersey Flegg Cup Round 24 vs Rabbitohs

The home side took a 20-14 lead into half-time and didn’t let their advantage slip in the second stanza, with Chris Faagutu scoring a rare front-rower’s hat-trick in the impressive victory.

After right winger Dane Towns scored in the corner to open proceedings for Souths, a Rabbitohs penalty gifted Wests Tigers field position, and a looping long ball from Iverson Matai put winger Max Taotua over. 

Some good ball-playing from the Wests Tigers forwards gave them the lead shortly after, as Tom Fisher’s short pass sent Chris Faagutu bursting through a gap to score. 

After 15 minutes, a Bailey Smith grubber kick was fumbled by Wests Tigers, with the Souths No. 7 regathering the ball for the Rabbitohs’ second. 

The cardinal and myrtle team then went back-to-back when Palu Tausala crashed over under the posts. 

Wests Tigers did well to reassert their dominance on the match though, as Te Umuariki Heremia-Tukere burst through a hole and passed to Max Liles who was looming up in support to score. 

It was a piece of Jared Haywood magic for Wests Tigers’ fourth try, as the interchange hooker played down a very narrow short-side on the last tackle to send Heremia-Tukere down the left touchline, with the centre passing back on the inside to Haywood for the four-pointer. 

Archie Donnelly scored the first try of the second half for Souths, but Taotua showed a clean pair of heels to race down the sideline and grab a double. 

The powerful Chris Faagutu crashed over for a second in the 58th minute and his third try was almost identical, as the prop proved near unstoppable from close range. 

Zak Clarke’s fourth conversion made it 36-20, which was the final score at full-time on Saturday afternoon.