Round three of the Junior Gold Cup saw some interesting games across the board in the Under 17 competition.
Sydney North West appeared fresh from last week’s bye, defeating Northern Inland by a highly-convincing 50-0 margin. The NSW State Member for Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall MP was in attendance at the match and took part in the coin toss.
Brisbane Pink recovered well from last week’s loss to Townsville, defeating Cairns 22-0.
After playing three games, three days in a row, last week, Townsville suffered a hard-fought loss against their visitors from the Sunshine Coast.
The game was evenly contested at set piece and in general play.
Both teams had periods of dominance and the score was 15 - 15 with approximately 10 minutes remaining.
Due to what Townsville Under 17’s coach John Rauch described as ill-discipline and poor decisions from the Townsville side, the Sunshine Coast was able to score a couple of tries from successful turnovers.
Rauch was disappointed that the result wasn’t a true reflection of the ability of the Townsville side
“The boys didn’t start this match with the energy that we needed them to and after some tough battles with the Brisbane teams recently we needed a more enthusiastic start.
“The tour to Brisbane was great for the side in building a strong sense of camaraderie and I am sure we will bounce back from this loss much stronger.”
Meanwhile, the ACT have maintained their success from Round Two’s win against South Australia, downing Sydney South Harbour 49-12 in Canberra.
ACT coach John Ross believes that his team carried on their momentum from last week’s convincing win on tour in South Australia.
“The game against South Australia was a good start to our program. They were a solid opposition and tested our ability.
“We were lucky that we had a better depth and were right in the contest until half time. In the second half and as a result we came away with a win.”
Sydney South Harbour strong start to the match with a good set piece and clear communication provided an excellent platform for them to win the match.
The Junior Gold Cup has been enjoyable for all teams so far, with John Ross echoing Coach Rauch’s comments.
“The boys are loving it. We’ve got a good squad who get on well and are working hard. It’s a great initiative from the ARU.
“This program and ones like it, help provide the players with knowledge and experience in preparation for the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups.”
Sydney South Harbour will be looking to bounce back from their loss and will play South Australia at home this Friday, while the ACT will travel to the Hunter region to continue their winning campaign.
