Shute Shield - Round 13 preview
Shute Shield - Round 13 preview
July 09, 2010 - 1:10pm
Story by: NSWRU
Eastern Suburbs will field their strongest side of the season when they meet West Harbour at Concord Oval in the ABC TV Game of the Day, while Round 13 of the Shute Shield also features a top of the table clash between Southern Districts and Manly.
Eastwood will look to hit back against Norths at home, Sydney Uni face a Parramatta team building in confidence while Randwick are expected to continue their strong form from last weekend on their trip to Penrith.
Gordon will host a Sunday afternoon match at Chatswood Oval against Warringah who are looking to cement their position in the top six.
Saturday 10 July 2010
West Harbour (7th) v Eastern Suburbs (4th) at Concord Oval (3:10pm, ABC TV)
West Harbour will be ruing a missed opportunity to entrench themselves in the top six after going down to Northern Suburbs last weekend and face an even sterner test tomorrow when they meet Eastern Suburbs in the ABC TV Game of the Day.
The Beasts are fielding their strongest side of the season with Wallabies Huia Edmonds and Matt Hodgson donning the red, white and blue for the first time in 2010 alongside Brumbies and Australian U20 flyhalf Matt To’omua. Easts cannot move higher than fourth even if they beat the Pirates, however they could extend their winning streak to four going into next week’s local derby with Randwick.
The battle up front is set to be a highlight with Junior Waratah Ofa Fainga’nuku and Brumby Guy Shepherdson packing down against Melbourne-bound former Wallaby Rodney Blake and newly-capped Fiji international Campese Ma’afu.
The Pirates have included talented flyer Macquire Tatola on the wing with Dave Paurini returning to the starting XV at fullback.
West Harbour: 15. Dave Paurini, 14. Macquire Tatola, 13. Rory Sidey, 12. Lester Salanoa, 11. Tito Mua, 10. Jai Ayoub, 9. David Fong, 8. David Fungalei, 7. Mark Porpiglia, 6. Sione Tau, 5. Sam Wykes, 4. Steve Mafi, 3. Campese Ma’afu, 2. Todd Pearce, 1. Rodney Blake
Eastern Suburbs: 15. Pat Delit, 14. Anton Lavin, 13. Ryan Cross, 12. Ben Ward, 11. Damon Anderson, 10. Matt To’omua, 9. Brendan McKibbin, 8. Andrew Shaw, 7. Will Brock, 6. Matt Hodgson, 5. Ed Brenac, 4. Phil Mathers, 3. Guy Shepherdson, 2. Huia Edmonds, 1. Ofa Fainga'anuku
Referee: James Leckie
Eastwood (3rd) v Northern Suburbs (8th) at T.G. Millner Field (3:00pm)
Eastwood were the form side of the competition going into last weekend’s loss to Warringah and will be hoping to get back to their winning ways when they face Northern Suburbs at T.G. Millner Field.
The Woodies had won five in a row before their five-point loss to the Rats last weekend, however injuries to Ben Hand and Cameron Mitchell stalled their attempt to extend their winning run. Both players are out this week which has forced some adjustments however the side is otherwise unchanged.
Norths on the other hand continue to hang in there with their round twelve win over West Harbour dropping the Pirates out of the top six and keeping the Shoremen within touch. Cameron Shepherd has added an element of class to the Norths backline, while the urgency of AJ Gilbert has provided even more energy to a dynamic backrow which includes Carlos Blanco and Matt Lamont.
Chris Burnett’s kicking was the decisive factor against Wests last week, and if this match goes down to the wire a shootout with Ben Batger could prove the difference.
Eastwood: 15. Ben Batger, 14. John Grant, 13. Lachie Turner, 12. Sione Piukala, 11. Nathan Brecht, 10. James Foote, 9. James Stannard, 8. Locky McCaffrey, 7. Hugh Perrett [c], 6. Gareth Palamo, 5. Jared Hanna, 4. Tom Alexander, 3. Keiran Longbottom, 2. Damien Fitzpatrick, 1. Simon Norris
Northern Suburbs: 15. Cameron Shepherd, 14. Cam Crawford, 13. James Lew, 12. Stefano Hunt, 11. Ben Borg, 10. Chris Burnett, 9. James Price, 8. Matt Lamont, 7. Carlos Blanco, 6. AJ Gilbert, 5. Seti Tafua, 4. Ben Matwijow, 3. Nick Lah [c], 2. Scott Podmore, 1. Dave Goulter
Referee: Angus Gardner
Manly (2nd) v Southern Districts (1st) at Manly Oval (3:00pm)
In what is certain to be one of the matches of the round, Manly will be looking to turn the tables on high-flyers Southern Districts and in doing so take another step towards the top of the competition table.
In their first meeting this year, Souths were able to edge the Marlins by one point in what was one of only three losses Manly have endured this season. The Rebels have named an unchanged side, however Wallaby centre Rob Horne and Brumbies-bound prop Dan Palmer are both expected to return from Test duty and injury, respectively.
Greg Peterson, who this week re-signed with the Junior Waratahs professional squad for another year, has been elevated to the Manly starting XV and will be looking forward to matching up against Kane Douglas. Peterson will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Douglas who commenced 2010 in his second season with the Junior Waratahs professional squad before finishing it as a starting lock in a Super 14 semi-final.
Manly: 15. Adam D'Arcy, 14. Luke Johnson, 13. Brian Sefanaia, 12. John Payne, 11. Lui Siale, 10. Mark Swanepoel, 9. Chris Cottee, 8. Tevita Metuisela, 7. Chris Westenek, 6. Will Brame [c], 5. Greg Peterson, 4. Dylan Sigg, 3. Tim Fairbrother, 2. Elvis Taione, 1. Eddie Aholelei
Southern Districts: 15. Nicky Price, 14. Sisa Waqa, 13. Brackin Karauria-Henry, 12. Bernie Orbell, 11. Ben Schreiber, 10. Josh Gamgee [c], 9. Nathan Sievert, 8. Ita Vaea, 7. Sean Doyle, 6. Radike Samo, 5. Kane Douglas, 4. Rome Nifo, 3. Nic Henderson, 2. John Ulugia, 1. Tetera Faulkner
Referee: Nathan Pearce
Sydney University (9th) v Parramatta (12th) at University Oval No.1 (3:00pm)
Sydney University remain outside the top six but will be confident of returning to winners’ circle when they host Parramatta at University Oval No.1.
The Students will field arguably their strongest team of the year with Wallabies Luke Burgess and Dean Mumm returning to the starting XV along with Western Force forwards Nathan Charles and Ben McCalman who came on from the bench last Saturday.
The entire Uni pack has Super 14 experience and will be looking to establish a strong foundation against a Parramatta outfit which features Tatafu Polota-Nau. The Waratahs and Wallaby hooker is due to undergo surgery in a number of weeks, however he is determined to help out his beloved Two Blues first and would love nothing more than to cause the upset of the season.
Last weekend Parramatta went into the last ten minutes of their clash with Manly within six points of the Marlins before letting in three late tries. If they can remain in this match for just as long and put themselves in with a chance of winning, the crowd at University could be in for an exciting finish.
Sydney University: 15. Julian Huxley, 14. Lachie Mitchell, 13. Michael Hodge, 12. Tom Carter [c], 11. Nathan Trist, 10. Dan Kelly, 9. Luke Burgess, 8. Tim Davidson, 7. Pat McCutcheon, 6. Ben McCalman, 5. Dean Mumm, 4. Dave Dennis, 3. Jeremy Tilse, 2. Nathan Charles, 1. Jerry Yanayanuatawa
Parramatta: 15. Mark Frost, 14. Roland Herea, 13. Steve Bortolussi, 12. Tom Woods, 11. Brendan Lane, 10. Pierre Hola, 9. Lua Vailoaloa, 8. William Tuitupou, 7. Andrew Cox [c], 6. Maile Latekefu, 5. Sam Evalu, 4. Ryan Aniseko, 3. Lui Sakaria, 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1. Richard Just
Referee: James Scholtens
Penrith (11th) v Randwick (5th) at Nepean Rugby Park (3:00pm)
Randwick finally showed what they are capable of against good opposition in their bonus point victory over Sydney University last weekend and they will be determined to keep the competition points ticking over when they travel to Nepean Rugby Park to face Penrith.
Kurtley Beale and Drew Mitchell starred for the Wicks last weekend with Lala Lam, Ben Mowen and Sekope Kepu doing the damage up front against one of the strongest packs in the comp. Lam will sit on the bench this week with Dave Parsons earning a start, while John Fonokalafi comes in at hooker for Nio Halangahu who is off to join Eastern Province in the Currie Cup First Division. Brent Kelly is the new captain.
Penrith’s task is all the more difficult given this will be their third match in the space of a week after going down to Gordon in a catch-up game on Tuesday night.
Penrith: 15. Gavin Duncan, 14. Leon Bott, 13. Henry Lilomaiava, 12. Tawhiri Walsh, 11. Davo Alo, 10. Stan Tuionuku, 9. Lee Ula, 8. Chris Aho, 7. Winney Paulo, 6. Vili Napa’a, 5. Sione Tonga, 4. Johnny Smith, 3. Sims Tooala, 2. Toa Asa, 1. Dave Coventry [c]
Randwick: 15. Kurtley Beale, 14. Tom Tombleson, 13. Nick Cummins, 12. Bevu Tuqiri, 11. Drew Mitchell, 10. Brent Kelly [c], 9. Josh Valentine, 8. Ben Mowen, 7. Dave Vizer, 6. Dave Parsons, 5. Tim Maxwell, 4. Steve Brennan, 3. Lotu Taukeiaho, 2. John Fonokalafi, 1. Sekope Kepu
Referee: Ian Smith
Sunday 11 July 2010
Gordon (10th) v Warringah (6th) at Chatswood Oval (3:00pm)
Gordon recorded just its third win of the season on Tuesday night against Penrith and face a tough assignment on Sunday afternoon when they meet Warringah at Chatswood Oval.
The Rats have had a turbulent couple of weeks after upsetting Eastwood in round eleven, then drawing to West Harbour last weekend before flyhalf Brett Sheehan was suspended for five rounds for misconduct. Exciting youngster John Kennedy will fill Sheehan’s No.10 jersey, while the other backline change for Warringah sees Josh Toole move into the centres for Will Sare.
A win for Gordon would put them back in with an outside chance of qualifying for the finals, while victory for Warringah should see them remain in the top six.
Gordon: 15. Mark Preston, 14. Matt McDougall, 13. Dane Haylett-Petty, 12. Josh Whittaker, 11. Dion Berryman, 10. Dave Harvey, 9. Vinnie Byrne, 8. Billy Ratu, 7. Chris Alcock, 6. Jason Peseta, 5. Mark Johnson, 4. Jared Barry, 3. Tobius Gukibau, 2. Ben Whittaker, 1. Marty Plokstys
Warringah: 15. Pat McCabe, 14. Joelin Rapana, 13. Josh Toole, 12. Sam Harris, 11. Dylan Smouha, 10. John Kennedy, 9. Josh Holmes, 8. Trevor Richardson, 7. Michael Lipman [c], 6. Beau Robinson, 5. Tom Hockings, 4. Brent Murphy, 3. AJ Whalley, 2. Luke Holmes, 1. Pek Cowan
Referee: Daniel Cheever
REPRESENTATIVE PLAYERS FEATURED THIS ROUND
Waratahs (2010): Damien Fitzpatrick (Eastwood), Locky McCaffrey (Eastwood), Lachie Turner (Eastwood), Chris Alcock (Gordon), Tatafu Polota-Nau (Parramatta), Kurtley Beale (Randwick), Drew Mitchell (Randwick), Sekope Kepu (Randwick), Ben Mowen (Randwick), Kane Douglas (Southern Districts), Luke Burgess (Sydney University), Tom Carter (Sydney University), Dave Dennis (Sydney University), Pat McCutcheon (Sydney University), Dean Mumm (Sydney University), Jeremy Tilse (Sydney University), Josh Holmes (Warringah), Rory Sidey (West Harbour)
Junior Waratahs Professional (2010): Ofa Fainga’anuku (Eastern Suburbs), Brendan McKibbin (Eastern Suburbs), Adam D’Arcy (Manly), Greg Peterson (Manly), Paddy Ryan (Sydney University, reserve)
Brumbies (2010): Huia Edmonds (Eastern Suburbs), Guy Shepherdson (Eastern Suburbs), Matt To’omua (Eastern Suburbs), Josh Valentine (Randwick), Brackin Karauria-Henry (Southern Districts), Julian Huxley (Sydney University), Jerry Yanuyanutawa (Sydney University), Pat McCabe (Warringah)
Queensland Reds (2010): Andrew Shaw (Eastern Suburbs), Radike Samo (Southern Districts)
Western Force (2010): Keiran Longbottom (Eastwood), Ryan Cross (Eastern Suburbs), Matt Hodgson (Eastern Suburbs), Dane Haylett-Petty (Gordon), Ben Whittaker (Gordon), Tim Fairbrother (Manly), Mark Swanepoel (Manly), Stefano Hunt (Northern Suburbs), Cameron Shepherd (Northern Suburbs), Nick Cummins (Randwick), Nic Henderson (Southern Districts), Nathan Charles (Sydney University), Ben McCalman (Sydney University), Pek Cowan (Warringah), Sam Harris (Warringah), Tom Hockings (Warringah), Joelin Rapana (Warringah), Sam Wykes (West Harbour)
Melbourne Rebels (2011): Nic Henderson (Southern Districts), Tim Davidson (Sydney University), Julian Huxley (Sydney University), Lachie Mitchell (Sydney University), Michael Lipman (Warringah), Rodney Blake (West Harbour)
Australian Sevens (2009/10): James Stannard (Eastwood), Brian Sefanaia (Manly), Brackin Karauria-Henry (Southern Districts), Pat McCutcheon (Sydney University)
Australian U20 (2010): Locky McCaffrey (Eastwood), Matt To’omua (Eastern Suburbs), Greg Peterson (Manly), Selesi Manu (Manly)
Qantas Wallabies (2010 Tri Nations): Matt Hodgson (Eastern Suburbs), Kurtley Beale (Randwick), Luke Burges (Sydney University), Ben McCalman (Sydney University), Dean Mumm (Sydney University)
