Eden upset defending champions Suburbs 23-21 at Shadbolt Park this afternoon, but it wasn’t quite enough to claim a semi-final berth.

With other results not quite going their way, Eden required a bonus point to sneak into the top four, and despite a valiant effort playing 70 minutes with only 14 it was at the end, a bridge too far. 

Eden looked every bit like a top four side in the match, Costa brothers Ignacio and Nicholas masterfully controlled their team, while Brody Lam ran in three impressive tries.

Suburbs, to their credit, managed three tries of their own, despite having very little territory and possession.

The first half was played almost exclusively in the Suburbs half. While territory changed hands regularly, Eden opened the scoring, from a turn over.

Quick hands between Max Leeana and Jorge Asi gave Brody Lam some room to dance down the sideline for his first. Costa was unable to convert but Eden held a 5-0 lead.

He was able to knock over a penalty midway through the half for a 8-0 lead which Eden would hold until the break.

Dramatically, Eden lost a player to a red card shortly after, making their task all the more difficult as they were forced to play out the match with only 14 men.

The ledger was evened for 10 minutes when a Suburbs forward found himself sin bin but neither team scored during this period.

Leeana proved a handful for the Suburbs defence and regularly broke the line.

Costa opened the second half scoring with another penalty to Costa, before Suburbs sprung into action.

With possibly their first real attacking opportunity of the match, Carl Perry did a neat chip over the defensive line and regathered the ball. From the following phase Jona Sawailau  sliced through the Eden line for the try.

Perry converted and Eden’s lead was just 11-7.

Sawailau’s try started a tit-for-tat try scoring flurry, with Lam again showing his classy footwork to score Eden’s second only minutes later.

Not to be outdone, both Milford Keresoma and Caleb Clarke showed their goods off the bench for the home team, Clarke instrumental in setting up Vara Duisokosoko midway through the half. 

Eden led 18-14.

Brody Lam was in again with just 10 minutes on the clock, intercepting a high pass and sprinting away for his hat trick. Eden had the lead 23-14, the fourth try all they needed for an historic semi-finals berth.

It wasn’t to be however, with Suburbs holding them out and finishing the match with a try under the posts to Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz.

Despite the loss, Suburbs claim the Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield and home advantage in next week’s semi-finals.
The top five teams; Suburbs, University, Ponsonby, College Rifles and Eden all finished round robin with a five win – two loss record, bonus points the difference.

Eden 23 (B Lam 3 tries, N Costa conv, N Costa 2 pen) 
Suburbs 21 (J Sawailau, V Duisokosoko, J Fa’anana-Schultz tries, C Perry 3 conv) Halftime:8-0