OK SDW, Scots have won the last 11 encounters in a row.
Looking forward to a great weekend of Rugby. Some very interesting games on offer.
1ST XV
3RD XV
C v G Anyone have a form guide for this one?
TAS v H
My tip cricket score to TAS. Jim Belshaw will be our man on the ground. So a preview and review please JB!
If you can sneak away to catch a game I would be at Warrawee or Stanmore. My tips as match(es) of the round.
Sadly I won't be in Armidale, AS. I always have difficulty in previewing TAS in advance of the main comp because there are so few early games and I'm not close enough to pick up the pre-season gos.
So far we have just the one result, KSW's comfortable 35-9 win. All TAS points came from penalties. so the school clearly has a handy kicker. This could be useful given the number of penalties in these early games.
Over recent years, the TAS backline has been consistently good. While smaller than say Scots Firsts!, they have been fast and dangerous. However, there has also been a reliance on one or two very good speedster players each year.
TAS forwards have not, I think, been as good compared to their Sydney counterparts. It's partly a matter of size although there have been some larger players, more one of skills. They do play with characteristic underdog country v city enthusiasm, I have seen some quite remarkable try-line saves, but where an opponent can shut them down thus nullifying the backs losses follow.
According to some of the commentary here, SBH is relatively weak this year. The school often lifts on these now long standing Armidale visits. For TAS to achieve a cricket score, the TAS forwards will need to establish dominance early to allow their backs to run through.
Hopefully, someone will be able to attend the game and report. The first critical issue to watch for; does TAS have another good backline? The second, are the forwards good enough to establish a platform in the face of the often larger Sydney packs?
for the Joeys die hards.