Souths hope to triumph in test against Students
Two of the top three-placed teams will this weekend battle for bragging rights, as the Shute Shield competition nears the finals stages.
With the top four teams guaranteed a place in the second week of the finals series, last year’s finalists Sydney University and Southern Districts, who sit second and third respectively, are unlikely to miss out. But with a number of players from both sides selected by Michael Cheika for the NSW Barbarians Argentina Tour and unavailable this weekend, Saturday’s ABC TV match of the week is an opportunity for the underdog Rebels to put some doubt in the Students’ minds.
It’s over 12 months since Souths last defeated the Students, who have taken the honours in the previous three meetings, including a 45-17 victory at home last August. But with a total of only six points separating the teams in the last two outings, a 15-14 defeat in last year’s Grand Final and a last-minute 18-13 loss in Round 7, coach Cameron Blades has backed his Rebels team to exploit some holes in the Students backline this time around, nominating Rohan Saifoloi as one of his key men.
“He’s not just an amazing goal kicker, he’s also our playmaker,” says Blades of Saifoloi, the competition’s highest point scorer this year.
“He’s handy to ensure the scoreboard keeps ticking over against oppositions like Uni, but at the same time he is a leader and provides great direction for our boys.”
Also crucial says Blades, a former Test front-rower, will be the breakdown. “We must be dominant at the breakdown and control possession, Uni has an outstanding set piece and we need to shut it down early or we will pay.
“This weekend won’t be a game reflective so much on form as it will be for opportunities taken by players who haven’t seen much first grade this year,” he added.
“It will not be a massive guide to the season but it is a game that we both need to win and one I know we always look forward to.”
This weekend Souths are without standout players like leading try scorer Alex Gibbon, Jed Holloway, Ben Volavola and Rob Horne, while Uni will lose Peter Betham, Dave Dennis, Bernard Foley, Pat McCutcheon, Paddy Ryan, Jeremy Tilse, Will Skelton, Tolu Latu, Sam Talakai and Liam Winton.
“It will be a grinding game no matter who’s on the field we will play our natural game and well, see how we go!” finished Blades.
This weekend also sees fifth-placed West Harbour host nine-placed Warringah, fourth side Manly welcome aspiring Penrith, mid-table Randwick take on Northern Suburbs who sit just one place below them, Parramatta (10) at home to Eastern Suburbs (6) and second-bottom Gordon host leaders Eastwood.
As always the 2013 competition will be broadcast live on ABC1 throughout NSW and the ACT on Saturdays from 3pm. Interstate viewers can watch a full replay of each week’s Shute Shield game at 3.30am on Tuesday mornings on ABC1 nationally and rugby fans everywhere can catch all the action online at anytime on ABC iView.
Alternatively, rugby fans across NSW can tune in to ABC Local Radio’s new rugby show, settling the score with Niav Owens between 2pm and 5pm every Saturday, for all of your country rugby and Shute Shield news. You can TEXT the program with score updates from whichever game you’re at on 0467 920 222 every Saturday afternoon. Make sure your team gets a mention each week and keep Niav up to date with the latest scores from your competition.
Words by by Nathan Roye, photo by www.seiserphotography.com
Shute Shield Round 16 matches – Saturday August 3
West Harbour v Warringah @ Concord Oval 3pm
West Harbour: 1 Leon Latu, 2 Reg De Jager (C), 3 James Horrocks, 4 Alfred Pinomi, 5 Chris Simons, 6 Aisea Namoa, 7 Cohen Masson, 8 Vaka Manu 9 David Osofua, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 11 Tito Mua, 12 James O’Connor, 13 Winston Wilson, 14 Macquire Tatola, 15 Shaun Treweek.
Warringah: 1 Richard Southan, 2 Rob Kelly 3 Wayne Borsak, 4 Vincent Wright, 5 Ben Adams, 6 Mark Porpiglia, 7 Boyd Killingworth, 8 Sam Ward, 9 Joshua Holmes, 10 David Harvey, 11 Brad Dixon, 12 Hamish Angus, 13 Michael Adams, 14 Edward Doyle, 15 David Feltscheer.
Referee: James Leckie
Manly v Penrith @ Manly Oval 3pm
Manly: 1 Eddie Aholelei, 2 Dave Porecki, 3 James Hilterbrand, 4 Ed Gower (C), 5 Dylan Sigg, 6 Jordy Reid, 7 Michael Hooper, 8 Daniel Alley, 9 Adam Crerar, 10 Marshall Milroy, 11 Jacob Woodhouse, 12 Joe Christie, 13 Malietoa Hingano, 14 Richard Hooper, 15 Adam D’Arcy.
Penrith: 1 Sione Matangi, 2 Ethan Robinson-Mate, 3 Nigel Vaifale, 4 Iosua Tonga, 5 Sione Pusiaki Fifita, 6 Vai Sosiate, 7 Leo Burgess, 8 Pita Tupou, 9 Solomona Silipa (c), 10 Simeona Moelasi, 11 Lance Pritchard, 12 Paueli Halafihi, 13 Wilson Silipa, 14 Keori Okati, 15 Kampo Sione.
Referee: Ian Smith
Randwick v Northern Suburbs @ Coogee Oval 3pm
Randwick: 1 Faitotoa Asa, 2 Nio Halangahu, 3 Tristan Goodbody, 4 Geoff Ingram, 5 William Munro, 6 Seilala Lam (C), 7 Tom Connor, 8 Nathan Paila, 9 Harrison Boileau, 10 Cayden Matehaere, 11 Ethan Ford, 12 Pete Samu, 13 Timothy Wright, 14 Charlie Wakim 15 Rennie Lautolo.
Northern Suburbs: 1 Nick Lah (C), 2 Will Weeks, 3 Cruze Ah-Nau, 4 Ben Matwijow, 5 Michael O’Hea, 6 Michael Wells, 7 Will Miller, 8 Pat Sio, 9 Michael Dowsett, 10 Scott Daruda, 11 Jac Cameron, 12 Chris Tuatara-Morrison, 13 Bill Meakes, 14 Elih Baillie, 15 Liam Windon.
Referee: Damien Mitchelmore
Sydney University v Southern Districts @ University Oval 1. 3pm (ABC TV GAME)
Sydney University: 1 Alasdair King, 2 James Willan, 3 Lauries Weeks, 4 Oliver Atkins, 5 Tom Boidin, 6 Trent Dyer, 7 David Hickey, 8 Tim Davidson (C), 9 Nick Phipps, 10 Stefano Hunt, 11 Greg Jeloudev, 12 Tom Carter, 13 Tom English, 14 Lachlan Mitchell, 15 Tom Kingston.
Southern Districts: 1 Duncan Chubb, 2 Steve Fualau (C), 3 Tim Metcher, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 5 Kane Douglas, 6 Lopeti Timani, 7 Jono Hayes, 8 Luke Smart, 9 Dewet Roos, 10 Rohan Saifoloi, 11Faleula Finau, 12 Apo Latunipulu, 13 Paul Asquith, 14 Oleni Ngungutau, 15. Rayhan Laulala.
Referee: Andrew Lees
Parramatta v Eastern Suburbs @ Merrylands RSL Rugby Park 3pm
Parramatta: 1 Nick Blacklock, 2 Myles Hunkin, 3 Luke Troy, 4 Charlie Leaeno, 5 Adam Coleman, 6 Josh Kaifa, 7 Daniel Tamone, 8 Andrew Cox (C), 9 Kaleb Rech, 10 Tom Woods, 11 Damien Fakafanua, 12 Tukia Muli, 13 Iese Leota, 14 Lani Tiatia, 15 Moses Tavola.
Eastern Suburbs: 1 Sione Kolo, 2 Alex Walker, 3 Rob McMicken, 4 Richard Stanford, 5 Phil Mathers, 6 Pauli Taumoepeau (C), 7 Ryan Hodson, 8 Andrew Shaw, 9 Luke Irwin, 10 Will Fay, 11 Damon Anderson, 12 Mark Murray, 13 Apakukki Ma’afu, , 14 Anton Lavin, 15 James Devlin.
Referee: Angus Gardner
Gordon v Eastwood @ Chatswood Oval 3pm
Gordon: 1 Tobias Gukibau (C), 2 Ronald Hobden, 3 Salesi Maumalanga, 4 Roni Scarano, 5 Andrew Chapman, 6 Andrew Turner, 7 Gordon Broome, 8 Luke Rissman, 9 Hamish McGilvary, 10 Henry Carmichael, 11 Nick Walker, 12 Tom Matthews, 13 Lucas Simkin, 14 Mathew Mcdougal, 15 Mitch Walton.
Eastwood: 1 Jed Gillespie, 2 Todd Pearce, 3 Marty Plokstys, 4 Jared Barry, 5 Andrew Clyne, 6 Hugh Perrett (C), 7 Hugh Roach, 8 Gareth Palamo, 9 James Stannard, 10 Jimmy Hilgendorf, 11 Nick Batger, 12 Pierre Hola, 13 Cam Mitchell, 14 Tom Hill, 15 Ben Batger.
Referee: Edward Martin
