ItsNotPink
Darby Loudon (17)
3rd XV Round 7 Preview
It’s the final round of the 3rd XV season and the excitement could not be greater. One final match will determine the premiership.
Grammar sit on top of the table with Shore just one point behind. They meet on Saturday at Northbridge where the winner will claim the Col Windon Shield for 2024. No other team can win it. Riverview take on Joeys in the Battle of the Catholics at Leichhardt Oval while Kings host High, and Scots finish their season in Armidale against TAS. This has been the closest season for a very long time, but now there are only two teams standing with a chance to win the 3rd XV premiership – Grammar and Shore.
Well here we are with the Match of the Year in the final round as Shore host Grammar at Northbridge. Just a week after the Shore 1st XV secured a well-deserved premiership by beating Joeys convincingly on this ground, Shore now has a chance to win the 1st XV and 3rd XV premierships in the same year. Shore has never done this before in the history of the AAGPS. (I note that there were no official 3rd XV premierships between 1962 and 2011). Shore last won the official 3rd XV premiership in 1951 and they would dearly love to win it again 73 years later.
But Grammar will have something to say about that. They held the Col Windon Shield in 2020 and have had an excellent season this year to be on top of the table after six rounds. Grammar need a win or a draw to take the premiership. Shore have to win the match to lift the shield. I think that the game being at Northbridge will help Shore, as long as they get the full support of their vocal students. But Grammar have only lost one game this year so cannot be underestimated in this away fixture. Both teams have speed in the backline and the ability to score tries. This match will hinge on the battle up front and control over possession. It will be a great contest.
As my regular readers would know, I normally pick the team that I think is going to win. But this week I am deliberately not calling this match. I want to wish both teams all the best. You have done extremely well to get this far and may the best team win on the day.
May the best team win.
Riverview 3rd XV v Joeys 3rd XV (1:00pm on Leichhardt Oval)
Even though neither of these teams can win the 3rd XV Premiership, this match is never a dead rubber. It is always a tough contest as the Riverview Wolves take on the Cerise & Blue from across the Lane Cove river. The match is at Leichhardt Oval again this year and while it's a great opportunity for the players to play there, I would prefer to be strolling down Tambourine Bay Road to watch the match. Nevertheless, it will be a cracking game. Joeys have won their last four competition rounds in a row, including a defeat of competition leaders, Grammar. A win will likely have them finishing equal second in the competition.
Riverview sit a single competition point behind Joeys and can finish the season ahead of Joeys with a win. Now that’s worth playing for. But I think that Joeys have hit excellent form at the right time and will finish the season with another win over Riverview.
Joeys will win in a tough contest
TAS 1st XV v Scots 3rd XV (10:30am on Backfield)
Scots would be very disappointed to be out of premiership contention after their one-point loss to Shore last week. They have to hand back the Col Windon Shield and make the long road trip to Armidale for the final match of the season against TAS. They are playing for second spot on the competition ladder, but I suspect that would not be much consolation. Of course, the TAS v Scots match in Armidale is always a great event. TAS hosted Joeys last week and will be pleased to be playing at home again for their final match. They have only had one win this season and are unlikely to improve on that against a very strong Scots team, but they have been competitive throughout the year.
Scots by a few
Kings 3rd XV v High 1st XV (11:00am on Doyle 4)
For High it has been another challenging season. They have tried hard in every match but have been outclassed and suffered big losses against the GPS 3rd XV competition teams. Kings are coming off two losses against Joeys and Riverview, so their season is also well and truly done, but they should have no trouble with High in this final match. Kings would definitely be looking back on 2024 as the season that got away - watching Shore playing in the “Grand Final” against Grammar, when Kings were the only team to beat Shore in the first six rounds.
Kings by a decent margin
Good luck to all players for the final round of 2024 Rugby.
INP
It’s the final round of the 3rd XV season and the excitement could not be greater. One final match will determine the premiership.
Grammar sit on top of the table with Shore just one point behind. They meet on Saturday at Northbridge where the winner will claim the Col Windon Shield for 2024. No other team can win it. Riverview take on Joeys in the Battle of the Catholics at Leichhardt Oval while Kings host High, and Scots finish their season in Armidale against TAS. This has been the closest season for a very long time, but now there are only two teams standing with a chance to win the 3rd XV premiership – Grammar and Shore.
Shore 3rd XV v Grammar 1st XV (11:00am on Northbridge A)Well here we are with the Match of the Year in the final round as Shore host Grammar at Northbridge. Just a week after the Shore 1st XV secured a well-deserved premiership by beating Joeys convincingly on this ground, Shore now has a chance to win the 1st XV and 3rd XV premierships in the same year. Shore has never done this before in the history of the AAGPS. (I note that there were no official 3rd XV premierships between 1962 and 2011). Shore last won the official 3rd XV premiership in 1951 and they would dearly love to win it again 73 years later.
But Grammar will have something to say about that. They held the Col Windon Shield in 2020 and have had an excellent season this year to be on top of the table after six rounds. Grammar need a win or a draw to take the premiership. Shore have to win the match to lift the shield. I think that the game being at Northbridge will help Shore, as long as they get the full support of their vocal students. But Grammar have only lost one game this year so cannot be underestimated in this away fixture. Both teams have speed in the backline and the ability to score tries. This match will hinge on the battle up front and control over possession. It will be a great contest.
As my regular readers would know, I normally pick the team that I think is going to win. But this week I am deliberately not calling this match. I want to wish both teams all the best. You have done extremely well to get this far and may the best team win on the day.
May the best team win.
Riverview 3rd XV v Joeys 3rd XV (1:00pm on Leichhardt Oval)
Even though neither of these teams can win the 3rd XV Premiership, this match is never a dead rubber. It is always a tough contest as the Riverview Wolves take on the Cerise & Blue from across the Lane Cove river. The match is at Leichhardt Oval again this year and while it's a great opportunity for the players to play there, I would prefer to be strolling down Tambourine Bay Road to watch the match. Nevertheless, it will be a cracking game. Joeys have won their last four competition rounds in a row, including a defeat of competition leaders, Grammar. A win will likely have them finishing equal second in the competition.
Riverview sit a single competition point behind Joeys and can finish the season ahead of Joeys with a win. Now that’s worth playing for. But I think that Joeys have hit excellent form at the right time and will finish the season with another win over Riverview.
Joeys will win in a tough contest
TAS 1st XV v Scots 3rd XV (10:30am on Backfield)
Scots would be very disappointed to be out of premiership contention after their one-point loss to Shore last week. They have to hand back the Col Windon Shield and make the long road trip to Armidale for the final match of the season against TAS. They are playing for second spot on the competition ladder, but I suspect that would not be much consolation. Of course, the TAS v Scots match in Armidale is always a great event. TAS hosted Joeys last week and will be pleased to be playing at home again for their final match. They have only had one win this season and are unlikely to improve on that against a very strong Scots team, but they have been competitive throughout the year.
Scots by a few
Kings 3rd XV v High 1st XV (11:00am on Doyle 4)
For High it has been another challenging season. They have tried hard in every match but have been outclassed and suffered big losses against the GPS 3rd XV competition teams. Kings are coming off two losses against Joeys and Riverview, so their season is also well and truly done, but they should have no trouble with High in this final match. Kings would definitely be looking back on 2024 as the season that got away - watching Shore playing in the “Grand Final” against Grammar, when Kings were the only team to beat Shore in the first six rounds.
Kings by a decent margin
Good luck to all players for the final round of 2024 Rugby.
INP