Joeys vs Scots is certainly a game that has split the tipsters this week, and with good reason. A short ‘trial’ season has resulted in neither side able to send their best XV onto the paddock so far.
Scots will back themselves to prevail if they get the one thing they couldn’t against Kings – forward parity. If they can squeeze penalties out of Joeys at the breakdown (as Knox and Oakhill did against Joeys), they will feel they have the boot (10 James), the power (12 Fittler), and the speed (13 Jacques) to score points. With ex-Joeys coach Tim Andersen at the helm, Joeys will know to not play to the touchlines and give Scots lineout opportunities. Their No. 2 (Guilfoyle) is a very underrated player and will look for lineout target in the No. 5 jersey (Hansen), and strong carries from No. 8 (Brial), to keep them on the front foot.
Joeys have indoctrinated patterns of play throughout the school that should allow for personnel to move between teams seamlessly, but so far this season it’s been best described as ‘clunky’. As a result, they remain unsettled in determining their best XV. This week will see a fourth different backrow combination, and fourth different combination of outside backs. The loss of their big talismanic No.8 for the majority of the season clearly upset the forward balance, with coach Greg Thompson lamenting this in his RugbyNews interview this week. In addition, the search for outside backs with finishing power to support the skill and strength of No. 12 (Jorgensen) and No. 15 (Broe) goes on. So much rests on the shoulders of the excellent No.9 (Sharples), and No. 7 (Young) to help drive the energy and tempo of this team. If there is an unheralded player to watch its the No. 4 (Mangelsdorf) who is relentless on both sides of the ball.
It's round 1, the phoney war is over, and discipline will win the day. No doubt Scots have an edge in individual talent and gamebreakers, but if they haven’t put the game to bed by the 60 minute mark, it’s the home team that will be feeling all the pressure and the visiting ‘thousand voices choir’ may well make all the difference if they can silence the bagpipes.