Why? Do you reckon Pat could give me a game there if I came out retirement? haha.
Gallopers and Magpies headline round two of Queensland Premier Rugby
By Amy PriceAfter torrential rain incited a hard-fought opening round, Queensland Premier Rugby teams will continue to prove their early form this Saturday during the second round of the competition, headlined by an intriguing battle between early leader GPS and emerging dark horse Souths at Yoku Road.
The encounter between Souths and GPS is set to be a blockbuster, with Jeeps four-try haul against Norths sending them to the top of the Premier Rugby ladder while Souths scored an upset win over defending premiers Sunnybank in their postponed game on Tuesday.
GPS electrified the crowd last week with Queensland Reds backrower Radike Samo storming the field for the full 80 minutes in a starring performance; but with Samo returning to the Reds camp this week, Souths will enter the game on a level playing field and confident after their impressive showing against Sunnybank first-up.
The performance of the Magpies defence, headed by captain Sam Denny, will again be crucial this week as they attempt to quell the Jeeps try-scoring machine when they take to the field at 3:20pm on Saturday.
The standout performer of the match will also receive the new Musashi ‘High Performer of the Week’ award, won in round one by Brothers scrumhalf Dave Campbell.
Campbell helped the Brethren launch a solid start to bettering their runners-up performance of 2011, coming back from an 11-0 deficit against a dangerous Easts side to clinch a 20-17 win in difficult conditions.
The Brethren will meet Wests in round two, who showed impressive form in a postponed opening round against University, going down 23-19 to the defending Minor Premiers in what was former Queensland Reds coach Phil Mooney’s first game with the club.
But, with just four days between games, the Bulldogs will have to recover quickly in order to match the impressive Brothers outfit when they meet at Jack Ross Oval this Saturday.
The Gold Coast secured the biggest winning margin of round one, with the 29-15 success over the Sunshine Coast indicating a solid improvement from last year under the guidance of Sunnybank’s former premiership-winning coach Rob Nowlan.
The Breakers will have a chance to set their mark on the competition this week when they face an injury-hit Easts side, who despite being valiant in their opening round loss to Brothers, will take the field without injured flyhalf Matt Brandon, as Sam Cox steps up from the back-line to take his place.
Sunnybank will be desperate to prove they are still the force that saw them win the 2011 Hospital Cup when they take on the Sunshine Coast, after losing their opening encounter to Souths in a 25-20 upset on Tuesday.
Sunnybank will have to get past the Sunshine Coast at Oldmac Oval while the Stingrays will be determined to move on from their 14-point loss to the Gold Coast at the weekend.
Norths will look to regain confidence in their defensive line this week after conceding four tries in their loss to GPS on Saturday, despite losing captain Carlos Gavidi from their pack.
They face a tough prospect against the clinical University in round two at St Lucia, who will look to build on their four-point win over Wests to continue the devastating form that has earned them the past two Minor Premierships.
Each week RedsTV will review the past round of Queensland Premier Rugby and take a look at the game’s ahead. Make sure you check it out at - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjEMlnnWZ8E.
2012 Queensland Premier Rugby - Round 2 on Saturday 5 May
Brothers v WestsJack Ross Oval at 3:15pm
Easts v Gold CoastDavid Wilson Field at 3:00pm
Sunnybank v Sunshine CoastOldmac Oval at 3:00pm
University v NorthsSt Lucia at 3:00pm
GPS v SouthsYoku Road at 3:20pmFull Queensland Premier Rugby fixtures and results can be found here:http://www.redsrugby.com.au/PremierRugby/FixturesResults.aspx.
