Cockatoos and Heelers stage their own interstate clash
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Friday, 16 May 2008
NSWRU Media Unit
The NSW Country Cockatoos know their Australian Rugby Shield season is on the line when they take on competition frontrunners Queensland Country Heelers at Warren on Saturday.
Australian Rugby Shield
Australian Rugby Shield
In a week when Sydney University do battle with Sunnybank in the Australian Club Championship, the Waratahs take on the Reds in the Super 14 and rugby league stages its state of origin, the representative country teams of NSW and Queensland will have their own important interstate encounter which will have a big impact on the Australian Rugby Shield ladder.
Queensland Country has registered two bonus point wins from two matches for ten points, while the Cockatoos sit in second spot on four points with one win from one match after a bye in week one.
The Cockatoos go into the match with one change to the starting line-up, and a forced change on the bench due to an injury sustained by utility back Chris Jack in the Melbourne match.
Warren captain-coach David Greig returns to loosehead in front of his home crowd with Inverell's Fergus McIntosh switching to the reserves, while Woonona Shamrock's Dwayne De Vries will make his Cockatoo debut from the bench.
The Cockatoos had to dig deep last week to overcome a fired up and committed Melbourne Axemen, who knew they needed a win to stay in the hunt for back-to-back Australian Rugby Shield titles. A strong finish by the Cockatoos saw them come from behind to register a very impressive victory which pleased the coaches Paul Verrell and Jay Tregonning.
"Melbourne at home was always going to be hard, and the team they put on the paddock had ten new faces to the team which was thumped by Queensland Country the previous week," said Verrell. "The Cockatoos would be a step up in class for the Heelers, and that they wouldn't be getting the same latitude they had received against Melbourne and Darwin."
Tregonning emphasised the inexperienced makeup of the 2008 Cockatoos, highlighting the number of debutants fielded this season.
"Dwayne De Vries was the twentieth new cap for the Cockatoos this season, so we basically had to start from scratch when the side was put together, and they are moulding into a good unit," said Tregonning. "The hard matches played against the ACT and NSW Suburban had been a good lead up to the Australian Rugby Shield, and that showed in the hard encounter against Melbourne".
The Queensland Country Heelers will be led by former Narromine, Central West and NSW Country Cockatoo player Andrew MacPherson, who relocated to Goondiwindi two seasons ago. His presence in the Blue Heelers team will add a little more spice to the country clash, with the winning team claiming the bragging rights for 2008.
The match will be played at Victoria Park, Warren kicking off at 5.00pm, and will be preceded by a day of Senior and Junior Club Rugby.
2008 AUSTRALIAN RUGBY SHIELD - ROUND 3
NSW Country Cockatoos v Queensland Country Heelers
Saturday, 17 May 2008 (Kick-off: 5:00pm AEST)
Victoria Park, Warren NSW
NSW Country Cockatoos
1. David Greig (Warren)
2. Mick Lee (Newcastle Wanderers)
3. Liam Vaughan (Bowral)
4. Adam Winter (Avoca Beach)
5. Matt Dun (Newcastle University)
6. Gavin Holder (Camden)
7. John Norton (Terrigal)
8. Mike Te Moana (Armidale)
9. Luke Sullivan (Terrigal)
10. Paul Dan (Hamilton)
11. David Kennedy (Newcastle University)
12. Richie Steele (Warren)
13. Heath Riggs (Moree)
14. Marcus Simpson (Newcastle Wanderers)
15. Blake Creighton (Merewether Carlton)
Reserves
16. Josh Tremain (Orange City)
17. Fergus McIntosh (Inverell)
18. Tom Cullen (St Alberts College)
19. Adam Dwyer (Bathurst)
20. Tom Hollis (St Alberts College)
21. Johnny Mafi (Newcastle Easts)
22. Dwayne de Vries (Woonona Shamrocks)