Joeys v Kings at Hallowed Hill
And it has come to this.
It is fitting that the two undefeated teams shall meet in the final round to decide the premiership. I feel that if this game was played earlier, then Kings would have won easily. Joeys at the time were hurt, unsettled, ruffled after actually beating Scots in the first round. What was needed was a break for injuries to heal and confidence to be re-grown. Playing Joeys in final round is never easy. A coach at Scots once told me,
“if you want to win the premiership, play Joeys early.” He was correct. When Joeys get on a roll, they are harder to stop than flood water invading your home.
Since the drought broke in 2018, there has been a noticeable return of confidence to Joeys rugby. This has been due to changes in relationship between players and coaches. The players in these past three season now “own” the game more and have a greater input into what goes on. Coaches of course still call the shots on attack and defense patterns (strongest in the GPS), but the player input has created a tighter bond within the team than existed in the drought years.
This season, the boys in cerise have had to play without the “16th man” supporting them, that is the 1000 students cheering them on. They have had to do it alone and for themselves. They have found the intrinsic motivation required to pull games out the fire (View), learn from glaring errors (Scots) redeem their confidence (Newington) and learn how to play without the pump up of “Walk On” ringing in their ears.
Kings though have been doing what they do best without the superstars. They are tight-knit group and immensely proud their no-nonsense approach. They play a very efficient brand of rugby that is highly disciplined and all built around a rock-solid defense. They have leaked though slightly more points than Joeys, and this has not gone unnoticed with Cluch providing an opportunity to watch and study how they play. They are from my eyes, slightly more conservative than Joeys in their attack, but hence they retain possession more. Their set piece is a key with their scrum and line-out used as weapons. Joeys scrum has improved, but they now come up against the best in the GPS. They use their line-out incredibly well. I pity Joeys if they have to defend against a line out 5 meters out from their line. View scored 15m out, so Joeys will struggle against this.
The key here will be the home ground advantage. Joeys just seem to lift at home, supporters there or not. As well, this hallowed ground allows them to play at the lightning pace they are known for. Joeys will run all game just like the blue heeler cattle dog I own. They never quit, never tire. They are relentless and will just keep crashing against the opposition line. Joeys will not grind you into the ground, but will run you ragged. Kings will though hold firm and look to keep possession as long as they can. They will try to starve Joeys of the ball and use their strong set pieces as platforms to launch attacks against the levy walls of Joeys. The breakdown will be key. Kings pick and drive was effective against View and Scots. Joeys will need to keep tight in their area or otherwise Kings will drive through the middle all game.
This will be a fitting finale to season 2020. Strength and discipline versus speed and aggression.
Joeys by 7.
