NSW club rugby thread

[Pfitzy]

No idea who he is, but Randwick's scrum was fabulous at times and the utterly pants at others. They don't seem to have the same cohesion up front as Uni which is hardly a surprise - Uni have had a good engine for a while now. Randwick THP scored a try and got around the park - can't ask much more than that if the scrum is OK.

 

[naza]

Randwick tighthead is Lotu Taukeiaho

Get to the optometrist Nick. Randwick got demolished when it was their feed. Uni scored easily off a scrum in the second minute due to wheeling the scrum and giving halfback Nick Haydon plenty of room on the blindside to stroll over.

Uni v the Woodies on ABC. Go the woodies.

 

[Pfitzy]

If the Uni boys had been that dominant they would have belted them every scrum. They didn't. Looks like your optometrist needs some work too.

 

[Aussie D]

Here is the ladder as it currently stands:

1 Sydney University 10 9 0 1 354 178 176 6 1 7 43
2 Gordon 10 8 0 2 337 218 119 6 0 6 38
3 Randwick 10 7 1 2 352 227 125 6 1 7 37
4 West Harbour 10 7 0 3 367 321 46 9 0 9 37
5 Warringah 10 5 0 5 260 282 -22 5 3 8 28
6 Eastern Suburbs 10 5 0 5 292 258 34 5 2 7 27
7 Eastwood 10 5 0 5 271 285 -14 5 0 5 25
8 Parramatta 10 4 1 5 256 294 -38 6 1 7 25
9 Manly 10 4 0 6 221 252 -31 2 2 4 20
10 Northern Suburbs 10 3 0 7 276 270 6 5 2 7 19
11 Penrith 10 1 0 9 222 436 -214 6 1 7 11
12 Southern Districts 10 1 0 9 172 359 -187 1 2 3 7


Is anyone heading out to Wstern Weekender on Friday night to watch the club rugby double-header? Eastwood v West Harbour; Parramatta v Penrith

 

[naza]

Its at St Mary's

You won't find me west of Parramatta !!

 

[Lee Grant]

I may go out there though I may take pause at the cost of petrol these days and change my mind.

Any idea where the Eastwood 2nd Grade team is playing this weekend? I wanted to take a look at hooker Damien Fitzpatrick, the Joeys and Oz Schools captain last year. I went to see the Rats play Eastwood over a month ago at Rat Park but quite forgot that Fitzy was playing in 2nd Grade and got there too late to see him.

He's already been on the park in 1st grade so he make get a run on Friday night.

I notice that Eastwood and new Waratahs coach Chris Hickey gave him a good rap on Tah Talk when they interviewed him. With Freier going back to the Brumbies (is it official?) it would do Fitzy no harm to be already well known to Hickey.

It would be too early to think about Fitzy for next year as no.2 hooker because you don't get a whole lot of gym work in the amateur Academy where he is. Manning would have to be given a 1 year deal at least with the young bloke moving up to the professional Academy or a rookie contract.

Mind you, I have a high regard for Nathan Charles the Oz U/20 and Sydney Uni rake. One of these two should be backing up TPN down the track - maybe both of them

But I digress..

 

[Lee Grant]

I decided not to go to the Friday night doubleheader but then saw in the paper this morning that Damien Fizpatrick was starting as the Eastwood hooker, so I went. What a great ground it is - I had never been there before.

Fitzy, the 2007 Oz Schools captain, started in Colts this year, moved up to 2nd grade and tonight he had his debut start in 1st grade, (to the best of my knowledge.)

It was a good idea for the NSWRU to put on all the local derbies, as were possible, on the same weekend. The first game was Penrith v Parramatta and it was an absolutely cracking match won by Penrith 26 - 24 and were they happy at the end of the game, or what? There's nothing like club rugby when you see celebrations like that.

But TPN watching his Two Blues mates getting beaten wasn't that pleased.

There were some terrific displays for both teams and none were better that the two 8's and 13's - Williams and Taeuveu for Penrith and To'o and Sefanaia for Parramatta. Watching 13 Sefenaia's try at the end of the game to earn a bonus point for Paramatta was worth the price of admission alone.

Since it's my week for name dropping: Chris Hickie came up to talk to somebody sitting near to me during the interval of the 1st match and I congratulated him on his appointment and he said thanks a lot. Despite my being a well-known rugby tragic (in my own mind) he hesitated to come up to me for my advice about how to coach the Waratahs next year. He's obviously a shy man. I would have been gentle.

Eastwood beat West Harbour in the 2nd game 42-29 which sounds like a walkover but they were behind with about 15 minutes to go. The won with a bit more fitness and experience.

There was a bloke with the 14 jersey for the Woodies who looked familiar, though he played at outside centre - Lachie Turner. He had a a top game and set up the try that took the Woods into the lead. He and Leota were influential in the backs whilst fetcher Perrett had a blinder.

Hooker Fitzy played OK, like another backrower, and scored a try but he'll have to a lot more gym work before he plays S14, because tight work will be needed there. It looks like he hasn't put on a lot of weight in the months since he left school.

I may go to Rat Park Saturday rather than watch Joeys play High. I know the game is on TV but I can't boo Manly from the lounge chair. Sheehan is back and I hear there is a chance that Peter Owens and Cam Treloar may get on the park too.

For Easts Beasts fans - you there naza? - young Brumbies flyhalf, 17 y.o. Matt To'omua, the 2007 Oz schools no. 10, is starting in 1st grade against Randwick and Saia Fainga'a is playing hooker.

And, word is, Clyde Rathbone may play for the Beasts in 2 weeks time - or Uni - one or the other.

 

[mark_s]

The local paper down here at cronulla claimed souths are an option for Rattlebones. I would guess they would be his third choice.

 

[Lee Grant]

I guess it will be closer to Forshaw from Canberra for commuting but I don't think that the Rebels will suit 4 star Clyde. You never know though.

Rats 22 - Manly 19

I don't know how the Rats pulled that exciting win out put of their arses, but they did. An intercept try helped I suppose.

Manly were all over them for a lot of the game. Their fetcher Will Brame had a blinder and the Rats were missing their fetcher, Ross Duncan, injured in the Sevens, big time. The Manly 8, Mark Fisher was very good in the first half and their 10 Josh Gamgee had the best game I've ever seen him play, which is not a lot of them.

Cam Treloar, just back from Italy and reportedly looking for a Waratahs gig next year came on in the 2nd half for the Rats but there was no sign of Peter Owens, as was rumoured.

At the end of the match the faithful in the crowded stands were a bit down because although the Rats had a lot of ball and good real estate in the last 20 minutes they didn't seem good enough to score the try needed to tie the game up with the kick to come after to win. And they didn't look as fit as the other mob either.

Then near the end after Manly broke out from prison and nearly scored themselves, The Rats got a turnover and launched a counter attack and broke through - but there were still 70 metres to go. My heart dropped when I saw it was Clint Eadie, who is a slow as his dad was, but bugger me if he didn't break though and take the ball down the park to dish it out for a try. 19-19

The crowd went beserk - at least at the northern end where the home fans were. The lady next to me, the mother of Pingi the big Rat THP, nearly broke my collar bone with her celebration. Then when Eadie landed the conversion Pingi's mum nearly damaged me again.

It was a great day. I didn't see Sir Goose Woodward, ex Manly centre, who was supposed to be at the ground but I got a big laugh for yelling at Lupeni Siale: "You're not as good looking as your brother, and he's ugly." Geez, it's true too - he's got a melon like a busted crab.

Club rugby? - I love it. How about them Rats?

 

[naza]

I hate the Rats but gee they maintained their composure well. Good thing Eadie was in form with the boot. More passion and intensity shown in that game than the Wallabies-Ireland test.

 

[Novocastrian]

Great finish to the game, poor Gamgee had a good game only to knock on at the end to give the Rats the chance, that they took well, to break out and score. Sounded like a pretty healthy and vocal crowd there as well, half expected everyone to run onto the pitch after the whistle ala their Shute Shield win a couple of years back! The tv coverage showed former Marlin Clive in a box somewhere up in the stands Lee, so he was there.

One thing to add though is that Brett Sheehan, while a decent player at this level, is a complete knob. Surely he's got to be the reason that third man into a 'melee' (as the mexicans would call it) usually gets a card! Every time a bit of push and shove flared up in that game, which was quite often, there was the angry little man running in with his chest puffed out getting involved and having his say.

 

[Pfitzy]

Loved how Gamgee gave Fardy a mouthful after that try - Fardy had smashed him earlier in the game and one of the Rats said "All day Gamgee, all day". I imagine Josh had similar things to say when Fardy was the first Rat to get near him under the posts

 

[naza]

One thing to add though is that Brett Sheehan, while a decent player at this level, is a complete knob.

Always has been, which is why Warringah is the perfect club for him.

 

[formeropenside]

Cam Treloar would be a nice pickup for the Tahs short a few second rowers. He was unlucky to run into a young James Horwill and MMM up here, but I think he is S14 standard: not quality, but good enough and probably a good teacher to younger players.

 

[naza]

Couldn't disagree more - Treloar looked completely off the pace when he played for Queensland. He moves like a statue.

 

[Lee Grant]

Good news for you naza - Rattlebones is confirmed for the Beasts.

 

[naza]

Good news for you naza - Rattlebones is confirmed for the Beasts.

A shame he wasn't there for us against Randwick. How do you lose after being ahead 24-6 at halftime ?

I still have no idea how Gordon are 3rd.

 

[Lee Grant]

Randwick are lucky - they were lucky against the Rats.

 

[Pfitzy]

A shame he wasn't there for us against Randwick. How do you lose after being ahead 24-6 at halftime ?

Lack of spine.

 

[mark_s]

There is a big write up in the local paper this week on South Rebels (even more column space than either the dragons or the sharks). Its pretty grim reading - last or second last in all grades, record scores against them, very low numbers at training (12 turned up at the last session and thats the most for "a long time"), supporter numbers limited to reserves only and so on.

The club president is "concerned but not alarmed". THe main postive is that the club is almost back in the black financially, plus Dan Palmer and Rob Horne will soon return. The story claims that Souths finished 6th on the criteria that NSW rugby was considering for selecting clubs for a streamlined rugby comp. (Christ knows how bad the others must look, but the story hints that the old farts clubs are over spending to keep their high profile players.)

Basically Souths only hope for survival is the player distribution system that the NSWRU is apparently considering for next year. The story describes a points system, each first grade team would be limited to 150 points, Wallabies count for 20 points and so on.

Oh and apparently the first grade coaches job is "not guaranteed" for next year.

So whats it all mean, I think Souths (like Penrith) must be damm close to relegation to subbies. Sydney rugby would once again be concentrated in the city,eastern suburbs and north shore (ignoring about 50% of the population). The glory days for rugby in this city following the 2003 RWC seem long gone now.

PS - I am as much to blame as anyone - haven't been to a club rugby game (unless you count the ARC) for about 3 years now.