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Round 1 of the NRC produced no great upsets, but it was clear that teams have upped their defensive intensity and base fitness levels; no doubt major lessons learned from last year.
We had 36 tries across the weekend’s four games, at an average scoreline of 33-30. This further emphasised the point I made on Tuesday of the importance of kicking three-point conversions.
And there were yellow cards everywhere, carrying on from last year, proving that cynical penalties won’t be tolerated.
The second weekend of the competition sees the University of Canberra Vikings play their first match of the season, while several teams have been hit by players being selected for the Barbarians to face Samoa in London on Saturday, with half a dozen or more players out of their NRC sides.
Action kicks off at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney tonight – there’s the after-work drinks venue sorted – with three more games to follow on Saturday afternoon and evening.
Get out to a game this weekend if you can, or get your www.FoxSports.com.au account sorted early and tune into the three live streams via NRC on demand.
Tonight: Sydney Stars v Queensland Country at Leichhardt Oval, Sydney; 7:35pm (AEST)
The Stars started with a impressive win last week against North Harbour – their second straight win, in fact – and they’re a good chance to jag their first ever win at home tonight.
New coach Peter Playford has his team playing a good brand of rugby for each other, with a nice mix of youthful backs and experienced forwards.
Queensland Country pushed Melbourne in the first half last week, and they’ll fancy their chances tonight, too.
Sydney have a few tweaks here and there. Hooker Tolu Latu played loosehead prop, but is out of the side this week, with Jeremy Tilse coming into the starting side and Al Ryan on the bench. Balmain backrower Ofa Finau also comes in for Jake Wainwright on the bench. James Hanson looks like he’ll squeeze one more NRC game in, too; my mail is that he’ll fly out with the Wallabies squad bound for Chicago on Friday afternoon.
Country have been hit by Saia Fainga’a’s BaaBaas selection, with Campbell Wakely – who played throughout last season – coming back into the pack. In another blow, Radike Samo is also out, but young Jack Cornelsen moves to Number 8, and Australian Under-20s flanker Maclean Jones earns his first Country start at blindside in an all-Uni of Queensland backrow with Conor Mitchell. Rockhampton product Duncan Paia’aua comes into the starting side at 12.
Sydney: Jeremy Tilse, James Hanson, Tom Robertson, Andrew Leota, Matt Philip, Dave Dennis, David Hickey ©, Pat Mccutcheon, Jake Gordon, Angus Roberts, Harry Jone, Andrew Robinson, Jim Stewart, Henry Clunies Ross, Tom Kingston (vc).
Reserves: Tom Coolican, Al Ryan, Matt Sandell, Rohan O’Reagan, Ofa Finau, Richard Draper, Jordan McGregor, John Hale.
Queensland Country: Haydn Hirsimaki, Campbell Wakely, Sef Fa’agase, Phil Potgieter, Richie Arnold, Maclean Jones, Conor Mitchell, Jack Cornelsen, James Tuttle (C), Sam Greene, Izaia Perese, Duncan Paia’aua, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Tom Pincus, Jamie-Jerry Taulagi.
Reserves: Alex Mafi, AJ Campbell, Reuben Leilua, Milton Sikuea, Tyrell Barker, Scott Gale, Dion Taumata, Matt Gordon.
Referee: Graham Cooper
Tickets: At the gate, or via www.starsrugby.com.au and start at $15 for adults, with kids under 12 free. You can also snap up a four-game undercover seating membership for $50 – head to www.sydneystarsrugby.com.au/membership/ for all the details.
Saturday: Melbourne Rising v Brisbane City at Harlequin Rugby Club in Ashwood, Melbourne; 2pm (AEST)
For about half an hour last Sunday the Rising were in a bit of trouble against Queensland Country on the Gold Coast, and the Horan-Little Shield looked like changing hands on its first challenge.
It didn’t in the end, and Brisbane City will get a crack at it at Melbourne’s first home game this season.
And there’s plenty of motivation for City, too; the Queensland Rugby Union would love nothing more than for their heavily-anticipated Round 3 Country vs City match at Toowoomba next weekend to be a challenge for the Shield, in front of a big crowd who first saw the two great centres playing as schoolboys.
Melbourne have been hard-hit by the Barbarians selectors, with Tom English, Dom Shipperley, and Luke Jones all in line to face Samoa in London. My Melbourne spies tell me prop Tim Metcher is out with a hamstring problem, and that with all the changes, there could be anywhere up to five debutants, one of which I hope is the brilliantly named scrumhalf Maradona Farao, from the Harlequin club in Melbourne.
There’s a bit of excitement around Box Hill winger Filipe Vilitati, too, who could be the second graduate of the Island Breeze Rugby Plus program which last year unearthed none other than ‘Super’ Sefanaia Naivalu.
Brisbane City have also been hit, with skipper Liam Gill on BaaBaas duty, and some uncertainty around Samu Kerevi’s availability, having been named in the Wallabies’ train-on squad. I think he’ll play though, based simply on the fact that he’s not with the Wallabies in Sydney this week though several other extended squad players are.
Coach Nick Stiles has been talking about needing to give everyone in the squad game time, so we could see several changes when the side is announced. One change will be bench backrower Criff Tupou, who went off with a knee problem last week against Perth.
Teams to be announced today, and the referee is Angus Gardner.
Tickets: Tickets at the gate, or via www.melbournerising.com.au. Adults $15, kids under 12 free.
Saturday: NSW Country Eagles v University of Canberra Vikings at Woollahra Oval, Sydney; 3pm (AEST)
NSW Country only won by a point last weekend against the Greater Sydney Rams, but sitting on the sideline, I never really thought they were in danger of losing. Still, they need to be better against a Canberra side laden with Super Rugby-contracted players.
The Eagles have a couple of players needing to get through training today before being named later this afternoon, my Akubra-wearing spies tell me. And there will be at least one forced change for Country, being Wallabies training squad lock Sam Carter, who after a successful comeback from a knee medial ligament last week is likely to be on the plane to the US on Friday afternoon.
The Vikings are blessed with options to the degree that if Ben Alexander doesn’t start, as is being rumoured, they could still name a forward pack with seven contracted Brumbies. One of them will be Ita Vaea at No.8, who will be lining up against the side who regenerated his rugby career this time last year. Young Joe Powell will almost certainly get first crack at the no.9 jersey, as he launches a bid at the same number for the Brumbies in 2016.
One reason to head out to Woollahra on Saturday will be the first of four food and wine festivals at Eagles home games around the state this year. Before, during, and after the game you’ll be able to enjoy some proper country hospitality, with all the major food groups covered: craft beer, fine wine, beef jerky, and cup cakes.
I’m a little dirty I have the weekend off commentary duty now…
Teams to be announced today, and the referee is Mike Lash from New Zealand, in Australia on a trans-Tasman exchange, which will also see a couple of Australian refs doing ITM Cup games.
Tickets: Tickets at the gate, or via www.nswcountryeagles.com, with adults $15 and kids under 16 free.
Sunday: Perth Spirit v North Harbour Rays at McGillivray Oval, UWA Park, Perth; 5:30pm (AEST)
I was really impressed with Perth in last week’s opening game, and particularly their second half in which they finished with clear dominance at the scrum.
Bench prop Jermaine Ainsley was really good in this regard, and he even backed up to play in Nedlands’ grand final win on Sunday. Hooker Heath Tessmann was making breaks for fun, and if some of the young guns start firing, the Spirit will become a handy side in no time at all.
North Harbour were out of the blocks in a flash against the Stars, but faded worse than my 3-iron and were essentially out of the game by halftime. The Rays believe their performance was probably indicative of the limited time the side had preparing together.
Flyhalf Luke Burton will be out for a few weeks after suffering a broken nose in the first few minutes at Ballymore, and though its understood Kyle Godwin will named later today, it will likely be in the centres. It seems there will be as many as six changes from the side that played in Brisbane last week. Ian Prior was very good, but I’ll be interested to see if Ryan Louwrens starting in the no.9 is one of those changes.
The big-ticket item for the Rays is the return of Manly flyhalf Sam Lane. Melbourne Rebels-bound Reece Hodge will also come back into the side at fullback, after Dave Feltscheer picked up a broken hand that may well rule him out for the season. There’s likely to be a few changes out wide, and I’m told young lock Harry Rourke impressed in the Rays’ development side’s game, to the point he might be elevated to the NRC pack alongside the evergreen Cam Treloar.
One blow for the Rays is that lock Ed Gower is off to the UK to take up an opportunity with Premiership club Saracens.
Teams to be announced today, and the referee is Andrew Lees.
Tickets: Available at the gate at McGillivray Oval, where the Spirit want you in numbers to #FillTheHill. Adults $15 and kids under 16 free, or you can pick up a 4-for-3 Spirit season tickets for just $45 at www.westernforce.com.au/product/perth-spirit-season-ticket.
Greater Sydney Rams have the bye.