NRC Rd 3 UC Vikings v Qld Country - Sat 6th September

[Brumby Jack]

Vikings side:

Bit of a reshuffle in the backline with Lealiifano moving to 10 and the Prince of Queanbeyan at 12.

Good to see the 'fro bros Henry Speight and Joe Tomane back too.

1. JP Smith
2. Lala Lam
3. Ruan Smith
4. Tom Staniforth
5. Tim Cree
6. Jordan Smiler
7. Jarrad Butler (vc)
8. Fotu Auelua (c)
9. Michael Dowsett
10. Christian Lealiifano
11. Joe Tomane
12. Robbie Coleman (vc)
13. Nigel Ah Wong
14. Henry Speight
15. Jesse Mogg

Replacements
16. Mitch Wade
17. Sione Taula
18. Les Makin
19. Dave McKern
20. Sean Doyle
21. Edan Campbell-O’Brien
22. Isaac Thompson
23. Rodney Iona

 

[Slim 293]

I would've liked to have seen Coleman shift to fullback, with Mogg on the bench and the same 10-12 pairing as last week............

 

[Ash]

Lilo hasn't been very good in the NRC so far though, so maybe a switch to 10 will be good for him.

 

[RugbyReg]

Beveridge and Fitzgerald, the QLD Country wingers both from the Brothers club, look they will have a fund weekend! up against the guys who must be a fair shot of being the Wallaby wingers the following week.

Lucky they will have JJ Tualagi back there to help in defense.

 

[Parse]

Bond University Queensland Country v University of Canberra Vikings (Viking Park, Canberra)
1. Haydn Hirsimaki – Sunnybank
2. Ryan Freney – GPS
3. Greg Holmes (VC) – Reds/Sunnybank
4. Rubin Fuimaono – Bond University
5. Dan Gorman – GPS
6. James Turner – Souths
7. Beau Robinson – Reds/Souths
8. Ben Adams – Sunnybank
9. Scott Gale – Reds WTS/University of Queensland
10. Matt Brandon - Easts
11. Giles Beveridge – Brothers
12. Anthony Fainga’a (C) – Reds/GPS
13. Clynton Knox – Brothers
14. Pierce Fitzgerald – Brothers
15. Jamie-Jerry Taulagi – Reds/University of Queensland

16. Tonga Ma’afu – Norths
17. Campbell Wakely – University of Queensland
18. Fred Burke – GPS
19. Sam Fattal - Easts
20. Mitch King - GPS
21. James Tuttle – GPS
22. Rota Setu – University of Queensland
23. Todd Winkley – GPS

With Turnstile at full back could be a cricket score to the Vikings

 

[Ash]

Just quietly, the Vikings fullback isn't too crash hot on defence either. Although, he is a few levels above poor JJ - he at least can slow them down.....

Country had a strong scrum last week, will be interesting to see them vs the Smith brothers. Holmes had no issues with JP Smith during the S15, in fact I think the Reds got a pushover. But Holmes isn't packing with Slipper and Fainga'a/Hanson, and the Smith brothers rogered the Rams scrum last week.

 

[Bairdy]

Bond University Queensland Country v University of Canberra Vikings (Viking Park, Canberra)
1. Haydn Hirsimaki – Sunnybank
2. Ryan Freney – GPS
3. Greg Holmes (VC) – Reds/Sunnybank
4. Rubin Fuimaono – Bond University
5. Dan Gorman – GPS
6. James Turner – Souths
7. Beau Robinson – Reds/Souths
8. Ben Adams – Sunnybank
9. Scott Gale – Reds WTS/University of Queensland
10. Matt Brandon - Easts
11. Giles Beveridge – Brothers
12. Anthony Fainga’a (C) – Reds/GPS
13. Clynton Knox – Brothers
14. Pierce Fitzgerald – Brothers
15. Jamie-Jerry Taulagi – Reds/University of Queensland

With Turnstile at full back could be a cricket score to the Vikings

You forget that there is a turnstile at the back for the Vikings as well.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Just quietly, the Vikings fullback isn't too crash hot on defence either. Although, he is a few levels above poor JJ - he at least can slow them down...

Country had a strong scrum last week, will be interesting to see them vs the Smith brothers. Holmes had no issues with JP Smith during the S15, in fact I think the Reds got a pushover. But Holmes isn't packing with Slipper and Fainga'a/Hanson, and the Smith brothers rogered the Rams scrum last week.

iirc both a pushover try and a penalty try. Don't think we'll see that this weekend.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Will be good to see Christian back at 10. But he needs to improve his hands on recent games. Dropped a lot of ball in the first couple. Also good to see Robbie closer to the action. Has a lot of speed but imo not the size needed to play wing these days. At 12 though he will be lining up against a very strong opponent in Anthony.

 

[Slim 293]

If he doesn't have the size to play on the wing, then he certainly doesn't have the size to play 12 in the modern game.........

 

[Brumby Runner]

If he doesn't have the size to play on the wing, then he certainly doesn't have the size to play 12 in the modern game...

That's where I don't necessarily agree. With so many large (and I mean almost giant) 13s and wingers in the game these days, often the winger is last man in defense having to stop 2 or 3 big men running at him. A 12 can be protected a bit more imo by the back row or the defensive line drifting. But having said that, Robbie is very small for a rugby player in almost any position barring 9 so may have problems at 12 as well. Pity he isn't as large as his heart.

 

[qwerty51]

Vikings 50+

I like Coleman @ 12. He was the best IRB u20 inside centre in 2010.

 

[TOCC]

wow, the 'other state' NRC Teams are really starting to flex their muscle with all the super rugby experience been loaded into their teams..

 

[Slim 293]

I expect Speight's time in the NRC to be short lived...........

In the case of Lilo and Mogg, they've arguably been two of the Vikings most disappointing players.........

But I expect Butler to thrive in this competition...........

 

[Wilson]

I expect Speight's time in the NRC to be short lived.....

In the case of Lilo and Mogg, they've arguably been two of the Vikings most disappointing players...

But I expect Butler to thrive in this competition.....

Lilo has been disappointing, but not too bad. Mogg on the other hand is playing as though he wants his contract torn up.

 

[Lee Grant]

That is a cracking starting Vikings side for an NRC team.

By comparison some of the Sydney teams are rotating their players either to find out who their best players and/or combinations are—or to give everybody a fair shot in the opening rounds to prove themselves.

Or so it seems.
.

 

[Jeeper]

Anyone know if there is a stream for this match? or at least some radio or twitter?

 

[Brumby Runner]

Hope somebody at the game can keep us up to date with proceedings. Unfortunately, illness has kept me away today.

 

[Jeeper]

8 all after 12 mins.

Young Jeep, James Tuttle is on for Scott Gale early in the half. Interesting to see how he goes at half back

 

[Jeeper]

Also Henry Speight pulled out from the UC side