National Rugby Championship: Round 7 preview

Things are getting serious in the National Rugby Championship with just three rounds remaining. Brisbane City and Uni of Canberra look safe – they are playing for top spot and hosting rights in the finals from here – with a mouth-watering Round 8 showdown looming.

Behind them, five teams are playing for the last two spots.

The third-placed Sydney Stars could probably lock down one of those spots with a win on Friday night; with four wins already, a fifth would give them a seven-point gap over fourth-placed Melbourne.

From there only three points separate Melbourne from Perth, Queensland Country, and NSW Country in seventh spot. Queensland Country have a bye this weekend, while the other three will all take points off each other this weekend and next.

It’s shaping up as a cracking run home.

The weekly reminder
To watch the three games over 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.

You cannot access the streams with just your Foxtel TV login details.

To the preview…

Tonight: Greater Sydney Rams v North Harbour Rays, at Pirtek Stadium in Parramatta; 7:35pm (AEST)
The Rams get their first TV game of the 2015 NRC season, and though they sit rock bottom on the table, they have been unlucky. Three of their five losses have earned bonus points for losing by eight points or fewer. Of those three, their Round 1 loss to NSW Country and the Round 4 loss to Melbourne were by just one point.

Adding to their frustration is the fact they have the worst goal-kicking record in the competition, though winger Matt Teki kicked four from four on debut last weekend and should be first choice going forward.

Greater Sydney have made nine changes to the starting side that faced the Stars last week. Young props Cam Orr and Sam Needs start, with Jed Gillespie and Cameron Betham dropping back to the bench. Hugh Roach is back at hooker with Siliva Siliva to the bench, while Jake Douglas comes in at lock in place of Fili Tufui, who picked up a fractured leg last week. Jono Hayes is also back in at 6, with Kelly Meafua on the bench.

In the backs, Jai Ayoub is out with the versatile Paul Asquith in at flyhalf. Larry Hermens is on the wing for Brad Curtis, Jordan Hayes comes into 13, and Afa Pakalani starts his first game of the season at fullback.

North Harbour will trot out the same starting side that took on Canberra last weekend, after the Manly Marlins’ Sam Lane-Reece Hodge 10-12 combination impressed. John Porch also did well on the left wing – he has some serious jet shoes.

Rory O’Connell comes onto the bench for prop Nick Fraser, who was suspended for the rest of the NRC for punching a Viking last week. I suspect that will force a change on the Canberra bench too. Lock Ryan Melrose faces a fitness test, with the evergreen Cam Treloar to come onto the bench if he fails.

Greater Sydney
(1-15) Cameron Orr, Hugh Roach, Sam Needs, Jake Douglas, Marcus Carbone, Jono Hayes, Cohen Masson, Jed Holloway, Dewet Roos, Paul Asquith, Larry Hermens, Michael McDougall, Jordan Heyer, Matt Teki, Afa Pakalani.

Replacements: Jed Gillespie, Siliva Siliva, Cameron Betham, Will Munro, Kelly Meafua, Caleb Rech, Rohan Saifoloi, Brendan Hartmann.

North Harbour
(15-1) Hamish Angus, Michael Adams, Dennis Pili-Gaitau, Reece Hodge, John Porch, Sam Lane, Josh Holmes, Harry Rorke, Boyd Killingworth, Harry Bergelin, Ryan Melrose, Ruairidh Wilson, Alex Holmes, Luke Holmes (c), Mitch Lewis,.

Reserves: Vance Elliott, Rory O’Connor, Lawrance Hunting, Cameron Treloar, Mitch Daniel, Tim Donlan, Tom Hill, Sione Ala.

Referee: Andrew Lees

Tickets: From the Rams website and at the gate, adults from $15 and kids under 15 free.

Friday: University of Canberra Vikings v Melbourne Rising, Viking Park, Canberra; 7:30pm (AEST)
Stability is the key for the Vikings, with Robbie Abel coming back into the starting side at hooker, and Albert Anae dropping back to the bench in an otherwise unchanged pack. Rodney Iona has the week off, with James Dargaville coming back into 12, which could shift Aidan Toua to the wing and Isaac Thompson back at fullback.

Melbourne look set for another shuffle, with Tom English out injured, Luke Jones shifting to the backrow, Cruze Ah-Nau moving to tighthead, and Duncan Chubb back to the bench. The Rising are excited to start centre Sione Tuipolotu and prop Fereti Sa’aga for the first time in 2015; both are genuine Melbourne products, and are on track to become the first born-and-bred, through-the-pathways Victorians to play Super Rugby in 2016.

Excitement machine Filipe Vilitati comes onto the bench.

Teams to be announced today. Referee is Rohan Hoffmann, and the commentary comes highly recommended.

Tickets: Tickets at the gate, or via the Vikings website, Adults from just $10, kids $5.

Friday: Sydney Stars v Brisbane City at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney; 7:30pm (AEST)
Yet more changes for Sydney coach Peter Playford, who will no doubt take until the very last moment to finalise his side. One definite change is the loss of Rugby World Cup-bound hooker James Hanson, while prop Tom Robertson – who at one stage led the competition try-scoring tally – is also out, having undergone shoulder surgery. Dave Hickey is said to be itching to play, though he may also be held back until after the Stars’ bye next week, to give the extra week off. Still no word on whether Dave Dennis will return, either.

Brisbane City look set for minimal changes, coming off the bye last week. Corey Thomas comes in for lock Ben Hyne as part of Nick Stiles’ deliberate rotation of club players, while Waita Setu will again start at openside for Liam Gill. Gill was a late withdrawal in Round 5, but he’ll likely be unleashed on the Vikings next week.

Teams to be announced today. The referee is Will Houston.

Tickets: At the gate, or via the Stars website, $15 for adults, kids under 12 free.

Sunday: Perth Spirit v NSW Country Eagles at McGillivray Oval, UWA Park, Perth; 5:00pm (AEST)
Perth were really impressive last week in accounting for Melbourne, but coach Tai McIsaac is to ring the changes again. Oli Hoskins looks set to come in for a resting Tetera Faulkner, and Rory Walton replaces Adrian Hall at lock.

Ian Prior will again start at scrumhalf, and it sounds like Kyle Godwin might be having another week off. Junior Rasolea will probably shuffle in one to 12, and don’t be surprised if the impressive and versatile Ma’alonga Konelio comes into 13. Albert Nikoro is likely to be back at fullback.

The Eagles will be largely unchanged, they tell me, with coach Darren Coleman hoping to send out the same side that narrowly went down in proper ark-building weather in Newcastle last week. That said, I’m hoping there might be room for young lock Ned Hanigan, who was superb in the opening couple of rounds.

Teams to be announced today. Referee is Damien Mitchelmore.

Tickets: Available at the gate at McGillivray Oval, where the Spirit want you in big numbers to #FillTheHill. Adults $15 and kids under 16 free.

Queensland Country has the bye.

Table at the start of Round 7
Uni of Canberra 24
Brisbane City 24
Sydney 19
Melbourne 12
Perth 10
Queensland Country 9
NSW Country 9
North Harbour 5
Greater Sydney 3

Leading try scorers
7 – Harry Jones (Sydney)
6 – Junior Laloifi (Brisbane), Samu Kerevi (Brisbane), Nigel Ah Wong (Vikings)
5 – Jarrad Butler (Vikings)
4 – Josh Holmes (North Harbour), Jake Gordon (Sydney), Sam Greene (Queensland Country), Ben Meehan (Melbourne), Ita Vaea (Vikings), Tom Robertson (Sydney).

237 tries from 127 different players to date

Leading goal-kickers
(From a minimum of 10 attempts)
94% – 15/16: Ian Prior (Perth)
82% – 18/22: Hamish Angus (North Harbour)
81% – 13/16: Jono Lance (NSW Country)
76% – 22/29: Jake McIntyre (Brisbane)
76% – 16/21: Sam Greene (Queensland Country)

71% overall – 174/244 across the competition from 24 different players.

Just two penalty goals kicked from three attempts in 24 games.