NRC Rnd 7: Vikings v Spirit

[RugbyReg]

3pm on Saturday from Viking Park

NAME
1 PEK COWAN
2 HEATH TESSMANN
3 JERMAINE AINSLEY
4 KIERAN STRINGER
5 ONEHUNGA HAVILLI
6 ROSS HAYLETT-PETTY
7 RICHARD HARDWICK
8 BRYNARD STANDER
9 IAN PRIOR
10 JONO LANCE
11 ERIC VASUKICAKAU
12 BEN TAPUAI
13 BILLY MEAKES
14 MARCEL BRACHE
15 MANIHERA EDEN​

16 ANARU RANGI
17 LAIONE MULIKIHAAMEA
18 SHAMBECKLER VUI
19 GRAYSON KNAPP
20 MICHAEL RURU
21 RYAN LOUWRENS
22 AJ ALATIMU
23 SEMISI MASIREWA​

 

[ForceFan]

Good to see the Spirit giving this game against the Vikings a real crack with excellent mixed-squad team selection.

Like starting XV and the intensity off the bench.
Mulikihaama, Vui and Knapp have been consistent contributors in the NRC.

GO YOU SPIRIT!

 

[Brumby Runner]

Ben Alexander starts for the Vikings at No 3. First game in the NRC this year after having a complete break from all rugby since the end of Super Rugby. Will he be fit?

Full team is:

Taula, Mann-Rea, Alexander, Staniforth, Carter, Smiler, Penca, Butler, Powell, Thompson, Taliauli, Jackson-Hope, Smith, Sinoti, Coleman.

Reserves : Abel, Sione, Dobson, Enever, Oakman-Hunt, Hamlin, Horan, Jooste.

If the Vikings go with the game plan they've been playing so far, then Spirit to have a comfortable win. Not a lot of attacking, try scoring capability in that backline.

 

[Forcefield]

Feel like that Vikings set piece might just be too strong. If the Viking defence holds up, you'll have it.

 

[NTT]

Forwards are pretty even, the backs are not. Spirit by 30.

 

[mst]

What has Coleman go to do to get left out? He has played woefully for weeks and has been a liability.

If the Brumbies are hoping this will get Coleman up to speed to start @10 they have more hope of converting Benny A to a 10! God help us as it will be long painful season.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Jeez that's a strong Spirit team. They're not mucking about with that selection. Equally though, that Vikings pack also looks pretty formidable.

 

[kiap]

Bump

 

[kiap]

16-8 after around 25 mins

Tries to Taliauli and Sinoti for Vikings and Stander for the Spirit.

 

[kiap]

@ 49 mins, Perth gets it to 22-24 their way

The only 2nd half try so far went to Louwrens, diving over on a snipe … after Mann-Rae, for Canberra, and Vasukikau, for Perth, got 2nd quarter meat before the break.

 

[kiap]

Stander bags his brace for Spirit. Perth Pigs scrum is dominant.

Bongo bags his brace for Canberra

28-32 @62 mins


The beast of Bill Meakes barges over for Perth and AJ Alatimu converts from out wide.

28-40 Spirit @ 67 mins

 

[kiap]

Close that gap

 

[kiap]

RHP gets a turnover

Hahahaha, and they go for the sticks … AJ Alatimu kicks the first penalty goal of the entire NRC season!


Another close game, 5 tries apiece … but it's:

36-42 FT​

Perth into the semis!

 

[Highlander35]

Good job Spirit.

 

[Forcefield]

So I guess now we are hoping for the Rising to beat the Rays for a NSW Country v Rising final and a Sydney Rays v Perth Spirit final.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Vikings have been really shithouse this year. Poor player selections combined with unimaginative game plan had them set up to fail - and they did.

The surprise though was the ineffectual scrum over the whole of the NRC. With upwards of 4 or 5 Brumbies in the pack at any one time, it was expected to be a strength, but they really got towelled up in most games. Front row is crucial obviously.

Must have been the meekest, weakest backline in the whole comp. That should be the last we see of Robbie Coleman at the Vikings/Brumbies (but it won't be) and JJH needs to grow another 25kg before he will have any impact. If he can't do that, then cut him.

 

[Highlander35]

Remaining permutations are:

Rays win by 26+ without bonus point:

Eagles v Vikings & Rays v Spirit

Rays win by 26+ with bonus point:

Rays v Vikings & Eagles v Spirit

Rays win by 24 points and bonus point:

Rays v Rising & Eagles v Spirit

Rays win by 22 or less with or without bonus point, or Rising win, with or without bonus point:

Eagles v Rising, Rays v Spirit

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Great job fellas, off to the finals again.

 

[NTT]

Spirits second half determination got them the win. Scrum was really strong the whole game. Vikings will be rueing Tauliali knocking on a certain try and the 3 tries off the scrum to the Spirit with Stander's and Louwrens' tries particularly soft. Great to see reserve halfback Ruru put in a solid effort in the unfamiliar role of blindside flanker.
For all the trivia night buffs the first penalty goal of NRC 16 was kicked by AJ Alatimu of the Spirit.

 

[kiap]

Graham's report is up:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/perth-spirit-power-over-canberra-vikings/

Give it a click!