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The penultimate round of the 2016 National Rugby Championship is upon us this weekend, and for the teams in contention for the finals, the intentions are clear.
This is not the weekend to be dropping games. With just five points between second and fifth, the mid-table team that doesn’t turn will quickly find themselves out of the top four. It’s rubber to the road round, pedal to the metal – start slow and you may not catch up at all.
Or it would’ve been ‘pedal to the medal’ round, if the first team named didn’t include a certain aging rookie.
Just a note about Sunday’s games – the streamed game on www.foxsports.com.au is the Perth-Brisbane City game at 5pm AEDT, which follows the Melbourne-Western Sydney TV broadcast game at 3pm. Also remember that Daylight Savings starts in Australia Sunday morning, so it’s actually a 2pm kick-off in the west.
SATURDAY – Queensland Country v NSW Country Eagles v Perth Spirit; Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba, 1pm AEST
The Round 6 headlines were assured when the Queenslanders named former All Blacks lock Brad Thorn in the starting side, replacing injured youngster and Toowoomba local Phil Potgeiter. Thorn’s selection “will add a lot of experience to the starting side,” Country coach Toutai Kefu said, in one of the great rugby understatements of 2016. Western Force-bound prop Ben Daley also comes into the starting side.
For the Eagles, Darren Coleman has looked to get game time into fringe players, with Sonny Satuala, Clarrie Moore, and Ryan McCauley all starting in the pack, and with Sam Figg and Rowan Perry also back in. Jake Gordon drops back to the bench to give Mitch Short a start, while Andrew Deegan is back at 10. Ned Hanigan will have a week off before the Finals, as will Andrew Kellaway, who I’m told should be back for the semis.
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY (1-15): Ben Daley, Alex Casey, Taniela Tupou, Izack Rodda, Brad Thorn, Ted Postal, Maclean Jones, Angus Scott-Young, James Tuttle, Mack Mason, Liam McNamara, Duncan Paia’aua, Tyrone Lefau, Liam Jurd, Tom Banks.
Bench: Feleti Kaitu’u, Richie Asiata, Sef Fa’agase, Tyrell Barker, Liam Wright, Scott Malolua, Mitch Third, Matthew Gordon.
NSW COUNTRY: Sonny Satuala, Clarrie Moore, Paddy Ryan (c), Tim Buchanan, Ryan McCauley, Sam Figg, Rowan Perry, Mark Baldwin, Mitch Short, Andrew Deegan, Christian Kagiassis, Kyle Godwin, David Horwitz, Charlie Clifton, Reece Robinson.
Bench: Luke Holmes, Jed Gillespie, Cameron Betham, Rohan O’Regan, Tom Cusack, Sam Ward, Tayler Adams, Tom Hill.
Sydney Rays v Uni of Canberra Vikings; Pittwater Rugby Park, Sydney, 3pm AEST
Chris Alcock gets his first start for the Rays, but the big news is that bracketed players are back! Josh Turner needs to overcome a niggle to take his place at fullback, and so that makes sense. But in the Rays’ media release, Lochie Creagh and Harry Jones were bracketed on both wings! Which I assume means both wingers may or may not play on either flank!
The Vikings have given a swag of club guys a run this week, with Josh Mann-Rea, Jarrad Butler, and Andrew Smith sitting this one out, while Joe Powell drops back to the bench. It means that Tom Staniforth moves into lock after starring so far at 6, Nick Jooste finally comes back into flyhalf, and hooker and maul pilot Robbie Abel starts after having last week off. Son-of-a-gun Alex Horan could come off the bench for his NRC debut.
SYDNEY: Ezra Luxton, Damien Fitzpatrick, Alain Miriallakis, Connor Vest, James Brown, Jack Dempsey, Chris Alcock, Michael Wells, Matt Lucas (c), Angus Sinclair, Harry Jones, Irae Simone, Con Foley, Lochie Creagh, Jonathan Malo/Josh Turner.
Bench: James Hilterbrand, Rory O’Connor, Angus Ta’avao/Lawrance Hunting, Adrian Hall, Michael Smith, Dewet Roos, Sam Lane/Johnathan Malo, Seb Wileman.
UNI OF CANBERRA: Faalelei Sione, Robbie Abel, Raymond Dobson, Blake Enever, Tom Staniforth, Jordan Smiler, Dan Penca, OJ Noa, Brent Hamlin, Nick Jooste, Lausii Taliauli, Jordan Jackson-Hope, Jake Rakic, Eli Sinoti, Robbie Coleman (c).
Bench: Connal McInerney, Sione Taula, Nick Dobson, Darcy Swain, Dean Oakman-Hunt, Joe Powell, Alex Horan, Andrew Robinson.
SUNDAY – Horan-Little Shield challenge: Melbourne Rising v Western Sydney Rams; Harlequin Oval, Melbourne, 3pm AEDT
Melbourne have been nicely boosted for their first Shield defence of the season, with Toby Smith and Dom Shipperley coming back into the starting side. Nic Stirzaker is still battling a head knock from a few weeks ago, giving Mick Snowden another start. Impressive backrower Harley Fox will miss his first game of the season after suffering a foot injury, with Jordy Reid coming back to no.8.
The Rams have done something that I’m wondering might be an NRC first: they’ve named an unchanged starting XV. It may well have been done before, but I genuinely can’t recall the last time a coach named the same side as the week before. Fijian Sevens star Vatemo Ravouvou is back on the bench, and the Rams will be looking for a new reserve hooker, too, after Nathan Charles this week took up a short-term medical replacement contract with Clermont in France.
MELBOURNE: Toby Smith, Pat Leafa, Tim Metcher, Sam Jeffries, Steve Cummins, Ikapote Tupai, Sione Taufa, Jordy Reid, Mick Snowden, Jack Debreczeni, Tom English (c), Lloyd Johansson, Sione Tuipulotu, Dom Shipperley, Jonah Placid.
Bench: Siliva Siliva, Cruze Ah-Nau, Tyrel Lomax, Alex Toolis, Rob Valetini, Keisuke Yamada, Ah-mu Tuimalealiifano, Isaiah Leota.
WESTERN SYDNEY: Matt Gibbon, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, David Lolohea, Will Skelton, Vaitoa Senio Toleafoa, Rhys Allen, Tupou Sopoaga, Tyrone Viiga, Waldo Wessels, Paul Asquith (c), Luke Smart, Mau David Minute, Apolosi Latunipulu, Roland-Keni Kotobolavu, Albert Nikoro.
Bench: TBC, Andrew Tuala, Jack Payne, Tom Alexander, Jodan Tuapou, Harrison Goddard, Vatemo Ravouvou.
Perth Spirit v Brisbane City; UWA Sports Park, Perth, 2pm local / 5pm AEDT
Dwayne Nestor has beefed up his pack for a potentially huge game for the Spirit. Pek Cowan is back for his first NRC in two years, and Heath Tessmann his first start this season. Ryan Louwrens and Billy Meakes are back in the starting side, too, but the Spirit will be without Jono Lance this week. Ian Prior starts at flyhalf.
Brisbane City have shuffled a few spots, with Queensland U20s utility Jayden Ngamanu getting a start at fullback, pushing Brad Lacey to 13 against his old side. Another Reds U20s product, Tuaina Tualima replaces injured flanker Jack de Guingand on the bench.
PERTH: Pek Cowan, Heath Tessman, Shambeckler Vui, Kieran Stringer, Ross Haylett-Petty, Brynard Stander, Richard Hardwick, Ben McCalman, Ryan Louwrens, Ian Prior, Ammon Matuauto, Ben Tapuai, Billy Meakes, Marcel Brache, Manihera Eden.
Bench: Anaru Rangi, Laione Mulikihaamea, Jermaine Ainsley, Onehunga Havili, Russell Burges, Michael Ruru, AJ Alatimu, Semisi Masirewa.
BRISBANE CITY: Pettowa Paraka, Andrew Ready, Sam Talakai (c), David Findlay-Henaway, Lukhan Tui, Luke Beauchamp, Michael Gunn, Isi Naisarani, Moses Sorovi, Jake McIntyre, Alex Gibbon, Patrick James, Brad Lacey, Chris Kuridrani, Jayden Ngamanu.
Bench: Matt Mafi, Markus Vanzati, Feao Fotuaika, Criff Tupou, Adam Korczyk, Angus Fowler, Mitch Felsman, Tuaina Tualima.
Fox Sports will broadcast both 3pm games each Saturday and Sunday (Ch 502), and the 1pm live streamed games can be viewed via www.foxsports.com.au, via the Fox Sports mobile app, or via Apple TV or Telstra TV through the FOX SPORTS NOW app.
To access the streams, you’ll need a Fox Sports online account, which is not the same as your Foxtel pay-tv account.
If you have a Fox Sports (TV) subscription, or a digital subscription to any of the News Limited mastheads, you could be eligible for a free FOX SPORTS Digital Subscription that gives you full access to the NRC live streams. Head to www.foxsports.com.au/fox-sports-subscription to find out more, create your online account, and then you’re away.
If you created an account last season to access the streams, then you’re already good to go.
NSW COUNTRY 23, SYDNEY 18, MELBOURNE 15, CANBERRA 14; Perth 13, Western Sydney 7, Brisbane City 5, Queensland Country 2.
Last week: Geoff, Brett and The Crowd 3 each; Paddy 2
Brett
Even with a few changes and tweaks and resting players here and there, I can’t see NSW Country dropping this game to their Queensland counterparts. And I was always going to be shaky on the Canberra Vikings after last week, but now that they’ve promoted the club guys for a game, they’re to be avoided like the plague. Rays.
Perth will miss Jono Lance, no doubt, but have actually strengthened in other areas, so they shouldn’t have any trouble with Brisbane City, and that just leaves Melbourne who, right now, are my competition smokey. They might just be timing their run to perfection, and will hold onto the Shield for another week at least.
Geoff
“Unfortunately, this isn’t a good round to try to make up lost ground, with four clear picks and little reason to tip any upsets. (Click to Tweet)
“Team 8 isn’t going to upset team 1, particularly when team 8 played 8 extra minutes last week – NSW Country all the way. Rays to win the TV game – I’m not sure what to make of the Vikings and I’m not sure they know what to make of themselves.
“Brisbane can’t win at home so I doubt they’ll be winning in Perth. Brett thinks Melbourne are a smokey – which is a bit like saying if Pippa Middleton tidied herself up a bit, boys might be interested in her. Of course they will win and win well – if you’re in Melbourne come out to Harlequins and have a look at a good team playing some really good rugby. And you might even get to help me advise the citing commissioner on a few of the rules he’s a bit dusty on!”
Paddy
“New South Wales Country are your banker this week – so lock them down against their Queensland cousins. I’m backing the Rays against the Vikings, rightly or wrongly.
“I’m backing the Rising to hold onto the Shield, and in the battle of last week’s losers I’ll back my boys the Perth Spirit. Hell, put me down as a Perth Spirit fan.”
The Summary
The Crowd follows suit…
Not a lot of adventure among this week’s tips, with The Crowd treading the same well-worn path the Experts have been down already.
72.0% NSW Country Eagles
64.9% Sydney Rays
74.3% Melbourne Rising
70.7% Perth Spirit