#SIRU2014 Round Thirteen Preview:
While the Steamers hosting Waratahs is an easy pick for the Match of the Round this week, there are still plenty of important matches around the grounds in SIRU Rugby. CSU v Ag College will be important for the Premier Division while City v Coota will be important for all the teams in the First Division as they chase the top two spots in the second tier competition. Temora probably don’t want a bye at this stage of the competition as they are really maintaining good contact with the top two teams at the moment. I think we’ll see a topsy turvey ladder over the next few weeks as teams continue to jostle for position leading into the finals.
Round Thirteen is an interesting round in terms of venues too, with a double header on the cards at Conolly Park this weekend with Tumut and Griffith playing at a neutral venue due to the Round One washout at the Coro Club. This is Wagga City’s home game and they have generously waived the entry fees for this weekend’s 6 match blockbuster at Conolly Park.
The Brumbies Provincial Team will have some SIRU Coaches sweating on their players coming through unscathed this Friday night also (Griffith, Waratahs, Albury, Ag College all come to mind). Congratulations to all the SIRU players who have been selected in this match, it’s a really good opportunity to showcase what you’re made of on a higher stage, give it everything you’ve got!
PREMIER DIVISION:
CSU (4) v Ag College (6)
While the scoreline was well against CSU last week, there were enough positives to come out of that game for Coaches Wakeling and Spain to take into this traditional on campus grudge match against Aggies. CSU’s normally strong lineout may need some tweaking but their scrum was solid against a pretty handy Steamers pack which is a good sign for the students.
Reddies will be hurting with the loss of Justin Wakeling (collarbone) at halfback, who has been providing some good service to Paul Hood this season. The halves combinations will be an interesting match up this weekend with Jack Burey having spent some time on the sidelines recently and also poised to play for the Brumbies Provincial team, this could be an opportunity for the Reddies to exploit.
Albury (2) v Waratahs (1) – Match of the Round
This match could be a case of “last man standing” as there are a number of rep players backing up from the Brumbies Provincial Match on Friday night to trek back to Albury for what will be a tough hit out down at “Fortress Murrayfield”. No doubt Coaches Mick Raynes (Steamers) and Hugh Palmer (Waratahs) has taken this into consideration when planning for this match – and I’m sure both will have a cunning backup plan in place!
Tom Boyle has been making a good account of himself at hooker for the Steamers this season and will want to be on top of his game this weekend. The set-piece has been a key ingredient for Albury and they will have their work cut out for themselves against what is a pretty big Waratahs pack. Waratahs will need to dig deep to cover the loss of Chris Murray in the front row this weekend, although he has been ably replaced by the evergreen Mick Gooden in the front row.
Waratahs backline has shown enough this season to put the competition on notice, but have been hurt by injuries at key stages this year. At this stage of the competition, it’s the time to start solidifying combinations and positions which is not a luxury that they have had, now is the time to hit their straps. Manion leads his team well at 10 for the Steamers and will make sure he’s got his kicking boots on for this match.
Albury have potentially flown under the radar to a degree this season, but I would suggest that the spotlight will start shining a little brighter on the Steamers as they seem to be building at the right time of the year. Waratahs have felt the warm glow of the spotlight for the majority of the season after a first round loss to the Steamers in Wagga, some of this glow has potentially worn off but they have managed to keep plugging along at key moments in the competition.
Another wet weekend has been tipped for tomorrow and I would argue that this plays into the hands of the Steamers. Home ground advantage, stinking cricket pitch in the middle of the field and a large contingent of Waratahs having to back up after rep commitments might make the legs weary in the later stages of the match. Having said that, Waratahs forward pack have been setting a good platform for their backs to attack from and they take pride out of their effort on the field so the wet weather may actually play into their hands. I would tip that rolling subs will be the order of the day for both these clubs and the timing of these substitutions may actually be very important tomorrow.
Tumut (3) v Griffith (5) – Double Header @ Conolly Park Wagga
Will the Bulls be able to snatch a victory from the Blacks again? One would hope that the Blacks are on their toes for this match. Dan Rawaqa has not been present for Griffith in recent weeks after travelling back to the islands mid-season, I wonder how he will pull up after playing the Friday night for the Brumbies Provincial Team?
While the Bulls don’t have a team full of rep players, they definitely have a team that has found some spark this season. They snuck home against the Blacks last time round and will be keen to emulate that performance again.
FIRST DIVISION:
City (7) v Coota (10) – Double Header @ Conolly Park Wagga
A danger game for the Boiled Lollies no doubt. Although the Tri-Colours have had a slow start to the season, they are doing everything they can to bag a place in the First Division Finals Series and nothing would help that cause more than a win over Wagga City.
Missing out on the Premier Division by one competition point will have stung the City Men and will surely be a motivator against a determined Cootamundra outfit here. Wagga City need James Curgenven to come through Friday night unscathed to help guide them round the park in this one as I’m hearing good stories out of Cootamundra about their English 5/8.
Temora (9) v Deni – 2nd Grade Only
Leeton (11) v Young (8)
The Yabbies need to take maximum points here to keep some distance between themselves and the Tuskers who are only trailling the Yabbies by 3 competition points. The Phantoms will put up a gallant showing at home in this one and will be keen to take a scalp or two before the season is over.
