0
Perth-Bayswater host Cottesloe at Pat O’Hara Reserve on Saturday as the race hots up for places in the top four in the WA club rugby competition, sponsored by KWIK Crane and Transport Hire.
Sixth-placed Perth-Bayswater are an enigma this season, earning hard-fought wins over good teams one week and plunging to error-ridden blow-outs the next. With six wins and four losses the Morley club are five points adrift of fourth-placed Associates but their percentage is the lowest of all the top six teams.
Perth-Bayswater were travelling well until round six and then climbed on the results see-saw, losing to University and getting thrashed by Palmyra. A steady win over Associates was followed by a hiding by Nedlands, but then came last weekend’s creditable win over resurgent premiers Kalamunda. An alarming injury list didn’t help but that doesn’t explain the erratic form that has produced some decidedly sub-par performances.
Premiers in 2007 and finalists last year, time is running out for the men in black to stake a claim on the finals well into the second half of the competition.
By contrast, the Seagulls last finals appearance was in 2005 but they have looked increasingly impressive during the 2009 season and are now well placed at third, with eight wins and three losses. Along the way, Cottesloe upset Palmyra 17-15 in round five and went on to bowl over Nedlands before shredding Wanneroo 41-5.
However, one team the new-look Seagulls did not beat is Perth-Bayswater, the Morley club winning their round three encounter by a healthy 30-10.
Both teams feature big packs capable of dominating possession and territory. Cottesloe got on top at the start of their early season game but Perth-Bayswater came back to shut the Seagulls out of the second half. A note of interest will be the battle of the number eights: Cottesloe veteran and multiple PG Hampshire winner Mat Aitken against Perth-Bayswater’s outstanding young forward this season, Pierre Roberts, son of former Nedlands legend Peter Roberts.
In the back lines, Cottesloe’s Ryan Westaway, Dave Cloete and Sam Parker spearhead a quality attacking unit, while youth is on Perth-Bayswater’s side with speedster Nathan Hunt and talented fullback Gareth Cossey belying the Morley club’s forward-based reputation.
Perth-Bayswater first grade coach Lex Wilson is waiting on Thursday night training to evaluate a number of players carrying injuries, while lock Jarrel Te Kahu remains out with a back complaint.
“We’re battling,” Wilson said.
“We’ve got four or five key players that we’re waiting on, but that’s rugby this time of year, it’s about how you manage that player group.”
Wilson and head coach John ‘JT’ Taylor have been working hard on correcting their team’s inexplicable inconsistencies and with Cottesloe on the radar, followed by Wanneroo, Perth-Bayswater training has gone back to the basics.
“We’ve focused guys with hard work, increasing our work ethic,” Wilson said.
“We’re not distracting the guys with fancy game plans or worrying about what the opposition might do, it’s more about reinforcing what we do with hard work.”
Wilson knows that Cottesloe’s third placing in the competition is no accident and an outstanding performance will be required to come away from the game with a win.
“Cottesloe do what they have to do to win,” Wilson said.
“They’re beating some good teams, and again this week it’s another tough game.
“They’re very quick in their recycle ball but again it’s another battle up front. You have to get front foot ball from the forwards and you have to dominate up front.
“It’s probably an area that most teams have had to change their focus on this year.
“They’ve got a seasoned campaigner in Ryan Westaway. In the first game he was their standout player, and he’s probably a focal point for their team and one player we really have to watch.
“I think it will be a tight game, I don’t think it’ll be a big score like the first game.
“And we have to start well, we can’t afford to chase teams on the scoreboard”.
The win over a resurgent Kalamunda has put the men in black back on the right path and Wilson is keen to continue that trend.
“It’s about cementing what we’ve done, reinforcing the attitude from the Associates and Kalamunda games and working hard in those areas we’re not so good at”, Wilson said.
“We have to consolidate and keep that momentum going”.
Another game with a vital bearing on the top four will be played at Allen Park between fourth-placed Associates and fifth-placed Nedlands. However, there is more than the top four at stake for both teams. Soaks have gained a reputation as Neddies’ bogey team with five wins from their last five encounters. Recent history may be on Associates’ side but recent form is not -- Soaks have won one of their last four games while Nedlands have won all four of theirs, including last weekend’s epic 32-31 defeat of competition favourites Palmyra.
At Kingsway, second-placed Wanneroo play University, and that’s not a game the Roo-dogs can afford to take for granted. At Tompkins Park, Palmyra will be smarting after their loss last weekend but should be wary of unpredictable premiers Kalamunda. And in the battle of the cellar-dwellers, struggling Wests-Subiaco travel to Lark Hill to meet Rockingham.
http://rugbywa.com.au/news/article,56004.html
Reply With Quote
