The NRC is becoming a wacky and unpredictable competition, with Melbourne plummeting back to the earth last weekend, and the fancied Perth Spirit no match for the unfancied North Harbour Rays.
I’m certainly glad we’re not running a tipping comp.
Round 3 pits the ambitious Rays against the wounded Rising in tonight’s Fox Sports TV game, while Sydney versus Perth on Saturday afternoon shapes as an interesting battle.
Canberra host the Greater Sydney Rams in their first home game of the season, and then on Sunday all eyes will be on the Queensland grudge match, County versus City in Toowoomba.
Now, I’m going to type this next bit slowly. Follow-up questions that indicate ignorance of information once again presented will be mocked.
To watch the three games on the weekend, you’ll need full access to the Fox Sports website, or to the Fox Sport NOW app on Apple TV. NRC live streams can be accessed by Fox Sports Digital subscribers and News Plus subscribers, or they can be viewed a day after the game at The NRC website.
Most Foxtel subscribers qualify for free Fox Sports Digital access but need to generate a new username and password by clicking here.
You cannot access the streams with just your Foxtel TV login details.
Do we have it now?
Tonight: North Harbour Rays v Melbourne Rising at Manly Oval in Sydney; 7:35pm (AEST)
The Rays rocketed back into the NRC top four with their impressive win in Perth, and having watched their imposing young backrow of Sam Ward, Boyd Killingworth and Jack Dempsey get the better of the Spirit’s Western Force combination, there’s no reason they can’t challenge Melbourne’s all Super Rugby combination.
For the home side, young Tyson Davis gets a start on the left wing ahead of Warringah teammate Michael Adams, Northern Suburbs prop Lawrance Hunting will start in place of Wayne Borsak, who has a lower back complaint, and lock Mark Johnson swaps with Gordon clubmate Harry Rorke to start alongside the experienced Cameron Treloar. Flyhalf Sam Lane has been given another week to recover from his nagging ankle injury.
Melbourne have named Australian Under 20s loosehead prop Fereti Sa’aga to make his NRC starting debut, after four games off the bench in 2014 and 2015.
In the only other change to the side beaten in Round 2, Brisbane Brothers prop Tom Moloney has relocated to Melbourne, and will come off the bench in place of Tim Metcher, who tore a hammy off the bone and won’t play again in the NRC this season. Remarkably, Moloney could become Melbourne’s 17th debutant this season alone.
Impressive flanker Jordy Reid will return to his old Manly Marlins stomping ground against some familiar faces.
North Harbour: (15-1) Reece Hodge, Alex Northam, Dennis Pili-Gaitau, Tom Hill, Tyson Davis, Hamish Angus, Josh Holmes, Sam Ward, Boyd Killingworth, Jack Dempsey, Cameron Treloar , Mark Johnson, Lawrance Hunting , Luke Holmes (c), Mitch Lewis.
Reserves: Vance Elliott, Rory O’Connor, Nick Fraser, Harry Rorke, Harry Bergelin, Tim Donlan, Michael Adams, Richard Woolf.
Melbourne: (1-15) Fereti Sa’aga, Pat Leafa, Duncan Chubb, Murray Douglas, Steve Cummins, Jordy Reid, Scott Fuglistaller (C), Colby Fainga’a, Ben Meehan, Jack Debreczeni, Stacey Ili, Lloyd Johansson, Leo Taliu, Justin Marsters, Jonah Placid.
Reserves: Mitch Andrew, Tom Moloney, Matt Onesemo, Sam Jeffries, Pom Simona, Maradona Farao, Sione Tuipulotu, Filipe Vilitati.
Referee: Michael Hogan
Tickets: Available at the gate, Adults $20, concession and students $15, and kids under 17 free.
Saturday: University of Canberra Vikings v Greater Sydney Rams at Viking Park in Erindale, Canberra; 2pm (AEST)
After having the bye in the opening round, the Vikings started their NRC campaign in very impressive form last weekend against NSW Country. The Vikings have all the intensity you’d expect of a Super Rugby-laden side, but that platform is allowing some lesser names in key positions – flyhalf Rod Iona and fullback Isaac Thompson immediately come to mind – to stand out and show their wares.
The Vikings are tipped to be mostly unchanged from last weekend’s win, though Ben Alexander will earn his first NRC start after playing from the bench last week. Les Lealua’iali’i-Makin will drop back to the bench, and I will apologise in advance for almost certainly mispronouncing his name when he comes on.
James Dargaville went off early last weekend, but is expected to resume his starting place at inside centre. There’s also word that Brumbies recruit Aidan Toua could debut from the bench.
With the bye last weekend, the Rams took their squad and coaching staff to the Milson Island sport and recreation camp on the Hawkesbury River, in what was the first opportunity for many of the side to get to know each other. There were tough training sessions, rope challenges, and a chance to finally establish just how they want to play in the NRC.
New combinations are expected when they name their team today, but it won’t feature Jed Holloway or Marcus Carbone, who are both said to be another week or two away yet.
Teams to be announced today. Referee is Will Houston. Commentary team is top notch.
Tickets: Tickets at the gate, or via the website – Adults from just $10, kids $5. Also, you can get a four-game membership for $50 via Eventopia which includes a Vikings cap, and drink vouchers for each of the four games. Score!
Saturday: Sydney Stars v Perth Spirit at Leichhardt Oval, Sydney; 3pm (AEST)
The Stars played in front of, well, a crowd in absolutely no danger of having their personal space invaded last Thursday night, and they’ll be hoping the warm, early spring weather and sunshine can tempt rugby lovers out in their thousands on Saturday afternoon.
And with an unbeaten start the competition, there’s a lot to like about the Stars. Two more wins from their remaining six games and we’ll be having conversations about finals, which seemed unlikely not that long ago.
The Stars are growing in confidence, though, to the point where they weren’t keen to give too much away around their team ahead of time. What we do know is that winger Henry Clunes-Ross is definitely out, and highly unlikely to play again this season after that terrible ankle break and dislocation last Thursday night. Wallabies add-on hooker James Hanson is also out after departing for Chicago last weekend.
Aside from that, though, coach Peter Playford is adopting the Michael Cheika method, declaring that all spots would be up for grabs at training last night. I guess we’ll see soon enough.
Perth are desperate for a win to reignite their season, and it sounds like they will give chances to some unheralded players, with up to seven or eight changes likely. One of them will be a starting debut for 17 year-old flyhalf Nick Jooste from the Hale School and the Cottesloe club in Perth.
Coach Tai McIsaac told me this week he’s still battling with Jooste’s teachers to get him to enough training sessions, but at 190cm and 95kg, it’s all upside.
Palmyra backrower Onehunga Havili was awarded a Future Force scholarship this week, and is set to be unleashed on the wing for the Spirit, where they think his blockbusting running game could become anything. Power!
Teams to be announced today. 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: at the gate, or via The Stars website and start at $15 for adults, with kids under 12 in free.
Sunday: Queensland Country v Brisbane City at Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba; 3:30pm (AEST)
This is it. The century-old rivalry (so the Queensland Rugby Union TV ad tells us) with Country and City playing for the Andy Purcell Cup, named for the man instrumental in the establishment of Darling Downs Rugby and the creation of the Queensland Country Rugby Union 50 years ago this week.
Country enjoy a 10-day break before this clash, having played last Thursday night, and will name a largely unchanged side. Fullback JJ Taulagi picked up a knee injury last week and will miss the derby. Saia Fainga’a is back from Barbarian duty and available, while Radike Samo will also be back, having missed last week’s match for work commitments. Jack Cornelson will likely switch back to blindside. And speaking of backrowers, Ed Quirk is still another week or so away, after picking up an injury during the Brisbane club rugby finals series for Easts.
City will be boosted by the return of Liam Gill from the BaaBaas, while Karmichael Hunt will also likely slot straight into outside centre in place of Toby White, who picked up a hip injury last weekend in Melbourne.
Coach Nick Stiles will likely continue his ‘squad approach’ and may introduce some new blood onto the bench from the club ranks, particularly with just a four-day turnaround from this match until they host North Harbour at Ballymore next Thursday night.
James O’Connor picked up a knee injury while playing for the World XV side a few weeks back. He hasn’t been training with the side of late, and a return date remains unknown at this stage.
Teams to be announced today, and the referee is Damien Mitchellmore.
Tickets: Adults $15 when purchased online via The Reds website, and kids under 16 free. Adults $20 at the gate.
NSW Country Eagles have the bye.
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