Top teams clutched onto their spot over the weekend as emerging sides raised the bar in Premier Club Rugby.
WA FORTESCUE RESCUE PREMIER GRADE
The competition took a massive turn in round 10 after several clubs stepped up to the plate to claim unexpected victories.
Coastal Cavaliers grabbed the first win of the afternoon beating ARKs by five points. The win was made extra sweet with half the Cavs celebrating 25 years of their Mandurah Rugby Club.
Kalamunda halted Wanneroo’s progress after winning 45-36 with a captivating performance. The match was packed with excitement with 13 tries scored at both ends.
Ladder leaders Cottesloe and Associates scored some big wins. The ‘Gulls’ came away with a 72 point victory over Perth Bayswater whilst Soaks put Curtin University to the sword winning by 99 points.
Nedlands beat UWA in style, winning by eight points with veteran halfback Nate Roberts leading the charge and scoring a hattrick while playing out of position in the number ten jersey.
Wests Scarborough also showed their progress upsetting the Joondalup Brothers 31-35. Head Coach Lio Falaniko’s decision to blood young talent early in the season looks to be paying off with a number of Colts aged players starting to hold their own at the Premier Grade level.
Finally, Palmyra had an easy win over Southern in match of the round with a 0-51 victory with RugbyWA Senior Academy athlete Reece Anapu emerging as one of the top halfbacks in WA.
Next weekend WA Rugby has teamed up with Headspace to raise awareness for RUOK Day. The match of the round between Joondalup and UWA kicks off at HBF Arena and will be livestreamed at 3:30pm AWST on the RugbyWA website and YouTube channel.
SA COOPERS PREMIER GRADE
A special acknowledgment was given to all match officials across the state in round 11 of the SA Coopers Premier Grade who dedicate their time each week to deliver a fair and safe match.
On the field, the score differences were colossal. Onkaparinga thumped Barossa 116-0, Brighton smashed Port Adelaide 108-0 and Burnside defeated Elizabeth 99-7. Old Collegians also took the win over Adelaide University 55-10 and both sides donned rainbow socks to celebrate diversity.
In the women’s competition the scores were tighter. Adelaide University defeated Southern Suburbs 24-5, Brighton cruised home over Port Adelaide 39-0 and Woodville out-numbered Old Collegians 24-0.
This Saturday Adelaide Uni and Barossa celebrate Indigenous Week for match of the round at Waite Oval from 3:30pm ACST with the game being streamed LIVE on Rugby Xplorer and SA Rugby’s Facebook page.
ACT JOHN I DENT CUP
The Gungahlin Eagles are back in the playoff picture following a round seven 42-36 win over the Wests Lions in what’s been dubbed as ‘the game on the season’.
Both sides arrived at Portsea Oval with a clear intent to play running rugby and although Wests struggled to get more points on the board, the side put on a stunning performance proving they’re real contenders in 2020.
The Eagles also stormed home after beating the Wests 42-36 thanks to the boot of Matt Giteau.
In other fixtures, Royals managed to hang onto a slim 16-10 victory over ladder leading Owls whilst the Vikings claimed a dominate 40-21 win over the Queanbeyan Whites.
This week's match of the round will once again kick off at Portsea Oval with the Eagles taking on the Owls for Old Boys Day at 3:00pm AEST which will also be streamed LIVE on the Brumbies Facebook and BarTV.
TASMANIA
Top of the table Devonport has managed to keep its unbeaten record intact following a hard-fought win over Hobart Harlequins in Tasmania Rugby Union’s Premiership match of the round. With scores tied 12-12 at half-time, the Harlequins came out firing in the second half to score two quick tries and leave the Bull scrambling. However the threat of breaking their winning streak saw Devonport make a major comeback, scoring three tries to win the game 36-31.
In other games, rivals Hobart Lions and University put up a decent fight with Uni taking the cake 22-17 whilst Taroona held off a fast-finishing Glenorchy to win 47-19.
This weekend will see Friday night fever return for round eight’s match of the round with the Hobart Lions taking on Taroona at Rugby Park from 7:00pm AEST.
NSW Shute Shield
The northern beaches derby between Manly & Warringah didn’t fail to disappoint. Manly were dominate from the get-go with Harley Attwater the star of the show against his old team. At the break, the sides were neck-and-neck at 13-12. Rats’ Chee-Kam drew first blood in the second half to give them the lead, but soon after the Marlins ran four unanswered tries to seal a 39-19 victory.
On other fields, NSW Waratah Triston Reilly legged it down the sideline to score the first points for Randwick against Gordon. It was an entertainment first half however the Wicks ran out of gas in the second and were unable to compete with a clinical Gordon side who claimed a 42-15 win.
Southern Districts can’t seem to catch a break at home after going down to the Eastern Suburbs Beasties. Easts were up 24-7 at half-time and then further dismantled Souths’ defence adding another 33 points.
Sydney Uni arrived fresh from a bye and put up a strong fight against West Harbour on campus. Despite stealing back the lead in the second half, Uni came surging to score a further three tries and claim a 50-29 win.
Norths took Eastwood up to Rat Park in a classic ‘anything you can do I can do better’ game. The match looked sealed at a 38-38 draw until Norths’ Angus Sinclair slotted the win from the tee to claim a dramatic 41-38 victory.
Two Blues faced Western Sydney rivals Penrith in Saturday afternoon's late kick-off. Penrith were first onto the board with a try from Jeremiah Faamausili before Tuitakau Kioa got on the scoresheet for the hosts. A hat-trick to tighthead prop Kalafi Pongi was the difference in the end as the home side ran out 36-29 winners over the Emu's.
This weekend early Shute Shield challengers Northern Suburbs and Randwick will face off in Saturday’s match of the round at Pittwater Rugby Park from 3:00pm AEST. Having won six games apiece and sitting third and fourth on the ladder, this bout will prove who the contenders and pretenders are. Fans can also catch the game LIVE on 7TWO and 7Plus.
