Goals set but Bond boys didn’t try enough

BOND University have lived to regret a conservative approach as GPS coasted to a 41-16 Queensland Premier Rugby victory at Ashgrove.

Bond kept in touch with the hosts in the first half on Saturday courtesy of three Mitch Third penalty goals.

But the scoreline blew out after the break, leaving the last-placed Robina squad contemplating what could have been if they had searched for tries instead of three-pointers.

“We were guilty of probably being a bit too safe in the first half, taking three shots at goal,” coach Sean Hedger conceded.

“It is good to build scoreboard pressure but we recognised after the game we needed to score tries to win that game.

“We tackled ourselves to a standstill in the first half – that took its toll in the second.”

Hedger credited secondplaced GPS for being too good on the day and said his side had struggled to get out of their danger zone, handing over too much field position.

Lock Jake Upfield was a standout in a losing side, with Hedger impressed by the way the 22-year-old fared against the competition’s most efficient lineout.

Winger Michael Marshall scored Bond’s sole try. Young gun Angus Blyth started at premier grade level for the first time, in place of Cadeyrn Neville, who was called up to Super Rugby for Queensland’s 16-15 win over the Brumbies on Friday night.

Elsewhere, University of Queensland piled on the competition’s highest score in recent history, crossing 13 times to annihilate Souths 87-19.

University of Queensland are unbeaten from 13 starts this season with an average winning margin of 31 points.