Round 6 of the Buildcorp NRC had it all. Ultimate wet weather footy, glorious sunshine, dogged defense, stunning tries, veterans starring and rookies shining. What can we expect from the week ahear? Well four simply fantastic match ups is a great start, so let’s look at them in a little more detail.
GREATER SYDNEY RAMS (9TH) V NORTH HARBOUR RAYS (8TH)
Thursday 1 October at Pirtek Stadium (Sydney). Kick Off 7:30PM (Local Time)
Sure this may be a bottom of the table clash but it should be one of the matches of the weekend. The Rams are yet to win a game and the Rays have won just one, however both teams have showen the ability to be able to mix it with their more fancied opponents. This week they face-off in the TV game which should be great viewing as they are equally matched teams both busting a gut to land the victory and finish the season with bragging rights in the local derby.
Key Matchups:
That clash of the scrum-halves will be epic. Both Josh Holmes for the Rays and Dewet Roos for the Rams have been close to their teams’ best. Both love the combative contest and will relish the chance to go up against a player of similar ilk Thursday night.
Sam Lane is fought his way back in the Rays team following injury and provides a calm and astute rugby brain to a guide his backline. Paul Asquith has been moved to 10 for the Rams seemingly in an effort to ignite his outside backs. Whether he has the game management skills to marshal his backline is the question.
2015 Form:
Rams – BLLLL
Rays – WLLBL
Tip: Ray by 3
Rams: 1. CameronOrr, 2. HughRoach, 3. Sam Needs, 4. Jake Douglas, 5. Marcus Carbone, 6. Jono Hayes, 7. Cohen Masson, 8. Jed Holloway (c), 9. Dewet Roos, 10. Paul Asquith, 11. Larry Hermens, 12. Michael Mcdougall, 13. Jordan Heyer, 14. Matt Teki,15. Afa Pakalani
16. Jed Gillespie, 17. Siliva Siliva, 18. Cameron Betham, 19. Will Munro, 20. Kelly Meafua, 21. Caleb Rech, 22. Rohan Saifoloi, 23. Brendan Hartmann
Rays: 1 Mitch Lewis, 2 Luke Holmes (C), 3 Alex Holmes, 4 Ruairidh Wilson, 5 Ryan Melrose, 6 Harry Bergelin,7 Boyd Killingworth, 8 Harry Rorke, 9 Josh Holmes, 10 Sam Lane, 11 John Porch, 12 Reece Hodge, 13 Dennis Pili-Gaitau, 14 Michael Adams, 15 Hamish Angus
16 Vance Elliott, 17 Rory O’Connor, 18 Lawrance Hunting, 19 Cameron Treloar, 20 Mitch Daniel, 21 Tim Donlan, 22 Tom Hill, 23 Sione Ala
CANBERRA VIKINGS (1st) v MELBOURNE RISING (4th)
Friday 2 October at Viking Park (Canberra). Kick Off 7:30pm (Local Time)
Another in a series of wonderful matches for this round of the NRC. The Vikings continue to roll forward and are undefeated in first spot. The Rising are currently in fourth sport and need a win to help secure their position in the top four.
There is no doubt that when they click the Rising are good enough to take it to the Vikings. But they will have to be damn good because the Vikings are just so clinical across the park.
Key Matchups:
So much will be dictated by what happens in the ten jerseys. Christian Lealiifano and Jack Debreczeni are wonderful players – both borderline Wallabies. Lealiifano thrives in an environment where every backline member is a weapon. Meanwhile Debreczeni is probably more individually dangerous as a player and can create something out of nothing. Both are wonderful kickers in general play whilst their goal kicking will be crucial.
You will have to go a fair way to finding two more dynamic back rowers then Ita Vaea and Luke Jones. If Michael Cheika really wanted a like-for-like replacement for Wycliff Palu then Ita was the man to fly in to Lonon. Another from the ‘overlooked club’ is Rising Luke Jones, playing at blindside flanker this week. Arguably one of the form locks in Australian Super Rugby, Jones’s workload has been managed by the Rising but returns as the type of player to really match Vaea around the park.
2015 Form:
Vikings – WWWWW
Rising – LWBWL
Tip: Vikings by 13
Vikings: 1. Allan Alaalatoa, 2. Robbie Abel, 3. Ben Alexander, 4. Rory Arnold, 5. Blake Enever, 6. Jordan Smiler, 7. Jarrad Butler (c), 8. Ita Vaea,9. Joe Powell, 10. Christian Lealiifano, 11. Lausi Taliauli, 12. James Dargaville, 13. Nigel Ah Wong, 14. Jerome Nuimata, 15. Aidan Toua
16. Albert Anae, 17. Sione Taula, 18. Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin, 19. Dean Oakman-Hunt, 20. Rowan Perry, 21. Brent Hamlin, 22. Isaac Thompson, 23. Frankie Fainifo
Rising: 1. Fereti Sa’aga, 2. Mitch Andrews, 3. Cruze Ah-Nau, 4. Sam Jeffries, 5. Steve Cummins, 6. Luke Jones, 7. Jordy Reid, 8. Pom Simona, 9. Ben Meehan, 10. Jack Debreczeni (C), 11. Stacey Ili, 12. Sione Tuipulotu, 13. Dom Shipperley, 14. Justin Marsters, 15. Jonah Placid.
16. Jordan Uelese, 17. Duncan Chubb, 18. Tom Moloney, 19. Murray Douglas, 20. Sione Taufa, 21. Maradona Farao, 22. Lloyd Johansson, 23. Filipe Vilitati.
SYDNEY STARS (3rd) v BRISBANE CITY (2nd) – Horan Little Shield Challenge
Friday 2 October at Leichhardt Oval (Sydney). Kick Off 7:30pm (Local Time)
This clash opened the 2014 NRC season and while the game was free-flowing, the contest was disappointing. This week’s clash should be less so. This time Brisbane sit in second spot and Sydney are one spot behind them so the battle will be intense. To add to the significance of the clash, it is also a Horan Little Shield Challenge match.
Brisbane City remain competition high flyers and are undefeated, despite sitting in second spot. The Spirit have been somewhat inconsistent so far in 2015, but can beat anyone on their day. Will this be their day though?
Key Matchups:
If you were to pick an overall team of the tournament you’d have a strong argument to select a lock combination of Matt Phillip from the Stars to partner Brisbane’s Caderyn Neville. The two tall timbers have been vital men in their respective teams’ success so far. Philip being a workhorse in tight and Neville being a surprisingly effective ball runner.
At scrum-half, Nick Frisby faces up to Jake Gordon. Frisby has not been as dominant as in 2014 but has marshalled his team mates extremely well. Sydney’s game has relied on Gordon’s strong link work between his forwards and backs. Both nines have enjoyed playing behind dominant packs so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top this weekend.
2015 Form:
Stars – WWLLW
Brisbane – WWWWB
Tip: Brisbane by 10
Sydney: 1. Jeremy Tilse, 2. Tolu Latu, 3 .Chris Talakai, 4. Senio Toleafoa, 5. Matt Philip, 6 .Rohan O’Regan, 7. Jordan Tuapou, 8. Jake Wainwright, 9. Jake Gordon, 10. Jordan McGregor, 11. Harry Jones, 12. Andrew Robinson, 13. Jim Stewart, 14. John Hale, 15. Tom Kingston (C).
16. Tom Coolican, 17. Alasdair King, 18. Kirwan Sanday, 19. Tipiloma Kaveinga, 20. Ofa Finau, 21. Richard Draper, 22. Christian Kagiassis, 23. Christian Yassmin
Brisbane: 1. Pettowa Paraka, 2. Andrew Ready, 3. Sam Talakai (C), 4. Corey Thomas, 5. Cadeyrn Neville, 6. Luke Beauchamp, 7. Waita Setu, 8. Scott Higginbotham, 9. Nick Frisby, 10. Jake McIntyre, 11. Junior Laloifi, 12. Henry Taefu, 13. Samu Kerevi, 14. Chris Kuridrani, 15. Karmichael Hunt.
16. Matt Mafi, 17. Ryan Freney, 18. Feao Fotuaika, 19. Ben Hyne, 20. Michael Richards, 21. Moses Sorovi, 22. James Dalgleish, 23. Alex Gibbon.
PERTH SPIRIT (5th) v NSW COUNTRY EAGLES (7th)
Sunday 4 October at McGillivray Fields (Perth). Kick Off 3:00pm (Local Time)
Last week may well have been a defining weekend for both of these teams. The Spirit defeated the mighty Melbourne Rising in such an impressive manner that many experts believe they are now finals bound.
Meanwhile the NSW Country Eagles suffered an upset loss to Queensland Country in the rain of Newcastle. The loss drops them into seventh place on the ladder and may have been enough to move them out of contention for a finals berth.
Key Matchups:
Jono Lance and Luke Burton should face-off in the number 10 jersey this weekend. They will do so again in numerous Western Force training sessions in the lead up to the 2016 super Rugby season. Whilst marquee signing Peter Grant will come into contention, let’s call this an early trial match between the two flyhalf candidates.
In Ross Haylett-Petty and Tom Staniforth this weekend we get to see two of the future lock stars of Australian rugby. Haylett-Petty has spent plenty of time in the back row previously but may however, moving forward, be more of a factor playing lock. Staniforth plays a very similar game to Ross albeit with a more of a traditional lock background. Both are superbly skilled, enthusiastic, strong as oxen and ready to rumble.
2015 Form:
NSW Country Eagles : LBWLL
Perth Spirit: LLLWW
Tip: Spirit by 10
Spirit: TBC
Eagles: 1. Dane Maraki, 2. Tom Sexton, 3. Dave Faeo, 4. Sam Lousi, 5. Tom Staniforth, 6. Beau Robinson, 7. Mark Baldwin, 8. Sam Figg, 9. Mitch Short, 10. Jono Lance, 11. Charlie Clifton, 12. Dave Horwitz, 13. Ed Stubbs, 14. Jarome McKenzie, 15. Andrew Kellaway.
16. Peter Nau, 17. Jerome Vaai, 18. Andrew Collins, 19. Nick Palmer, 20. BJ Edwards, 21. Angus Pulver, 22. Tom Merritt, 23. Jack Pennington.
