BLK Queensland Premier Rugby Preview Round 8

Round 8 of BLK Queensland Premier Rugby will see Easts and Souths face off for the first time since the 2015 grand final, which saw Souths secure a 39-12 win over minor premiers Easts, and the Magpies’ first premiership since 2000.

The two clubs already have a close rivalry given their proximity, but tensions are sure to be high on Saturday when the players take to the field at ‘Tigerland’. The Magpies head into the match having only dropped one game this season against Brothers, while Easts will have wind in their sails off the back of their first win of the season over GPS last Saturday.

At St. Lucia, University of Queensland will host their famed ladies day celebrations as they host Sunnybank in a top of the table clash. Sunnybank, who currently sit two points ahead of the students with 26 competition points, have an opportunity secure their spot on top of the ladder before their Round 9 bye. The Red Heavies will welcome back St.George Queensland Reds scrumhalf Scott Gale for the match, who will partner Alex Horan in the halves.

Brothers and Wests will square off at Jack Ross Oval this Saturday, with Wests still in the hunt for thir second win of the season. The Bulldogs fell to Souths 47-5 last weekend, while Brothers secured a 41-22 win over Bond University at the Gold Coast.

GPS will travel to High Courtney Oval in Round 8 to take on Norths. With the Eagles’ revival being led by former GPS reserves grade coach Nick Fogarty, this match will be an interesting encounter as former GPS players now at Norths face-off against their old club. GPS will be hungry to return to the winner’s circle after going down to Easts last Saturday, while Norths will be looking to bounce back after two losses to the top two teams in the competition, University and Sunnybank.

Preview the Round 8 matches and gain valuable insights into the Premier Rugby competition in this week’s edition of the Premier Rugby Weekly Digital Program: http://bit.ly/1SQxee0

You can also view the latest episode of the Premier Rugby Wrap here: http://bit.ly/1SQxGcd

The match between Easts and Souths will be LIVE streamed via the www.redsrugby.com.au homepage from 3:15pm on Saturday afternoon.

View Premier Rugby fixtures and results here: http://bit.ly/1Wt41uE

View the Premier Rugby ladder here: http://bit.ly/1Q8QGAe

View Premier Rugby player statistics here: http://bit.ly/1VXJM7I

Easts v Souths – Game of the Round
David Wilson Field
Kick-off: 3:20pm

This Saturday will see Easts and Souths go head-to-head for the rst time since the 2015 BLK Queensland Premier Rugby grand final, which saw the Magpies claim a 39-12 win over the Tigers. Easts are still reeling following their grand final defeat, but will be buoyed this weekend after their first win of the year over GPS last weekend at Yoku Road. Souths have carried their momentum from the 2015 finals series into 2016 and benefited last weekend from the return of flyhalf Teti Tela, who has been named to start against the Tigers this Saturday.

Easts: Pettowa Paraka, Sam Richards, Kirwan Sanday, Brendan Kreft, Tevita Momoka, Max Allen, Tom Milosevic, Tyrell Barker, Simon Gregg, Matt Brandon, Michael Tweedy, Matt Gordon, Sean Cox, Izaia Perese, Elliott Hagen

Coach: Anthony Connellan

Souths: Markus Vanzati, Alex Casey, Paul Leleisiuao, Matt Bennett, Matt Hirst, Anton Minenko, Simana Halaifonua, Johnny Kalauta, Scott Malolua, Teti Tela, Mika Tela, Paul Brown, Levi Aumua, Ralph Evalu, Andrew Muirhead

Coach: Brett Picone

Brothers v Wests
Jack Ross Oval
Kick-off: 3:20pm

Brothers will host Wests in Round 8 of BLK Queensland Premier Rugby, after a convincing 41-22 away win over Bond University last weekend. The Brethren currently sit in fourth place on the ladder. Wests come into this match after dropping their last five matches, their sole win over Easts in Round 2 remaining their only win of the season. The Bulldogs will also have to cover for the loss of in influential captain Tyrone Lefau this weekend.

Brothers: Matt Mafi, Tom Sayer, Francois Postale, Terrin Walls, Dave Henaway, Criff Tupou, Charles Freeney, Luke Beauchamp, Sam Grasso, Patrick James, Pierce Fitzgerald, Nathanuel Gendle, Elih Baillie, Mitch Felsman, Sam Hyne

Coach: Carl Marshall

Wests: Jonathon Danaher, Cody Blackhurst, Jake Newell, Jeremiah Lynch, Silas Cocks, Dean Cunningham, Joel Brow, Rob Rutledge, Liam Dillion, Richard Aitsi, Reece Cleeton, Alec Jones, Dan Faumuina, Morgan Gasman, Byron Hutchinson

Coach: Pat Byron

Norths v GPS
Hugh Courtney Oval
Kick-off: 3:20pm

This weekend Hugh Courtney Oval will host the first edition of the Norths v GPS battle for 2016. With former GPS Premier Reserve head coach Nick Fogarty now leading the Norths revival, there is a lot of feeling between these two sides and Saturday’s match is sure to be an intense encounter. After going down to University of Queensland and Sunnybank in the previous two rounds, the Eagles will be looking to return to the winners’ circle while GPS will be hungry to bounce back from their narrow loss to Easts in Round 7.

Norths: Garrath Ryan, Daniel Sutherland, Kieran Fitzgibbon, Connor Anderson, Apisai Naiyabo, Kristian Satui, Enzo Mutoti, Jayden Rodwell, Nick Chapman, Logan Tibbetts, Veresa Mataitini, Liam Dunne, Alex Gibbon, Jesse Foran, Connor Chittenden

Coach: Nick Fogarty

GPS: Nick Sykes, Feleti Kaitu’u, Ezrah Amituanai, Louis Wolf, Dan Gorman, Michael Richards, Waita Setu, Lagi Setu, Nigel Genia, Brendan Trudgen, Rika Batibasaga, James Herbert, Chris Kuridrani, Patty Nicholson, Todd Winkley

Coach: Todd Dammers

University of Queensland v Sunnybank
St. Lucia
Kick-off: 3:30pm

University of Queensland and Sunnybank will square off in a top of the table clash this Saturday at St. Lucia, with first place on the ladder on the line. Both sides have won five games this season and only two competition points separate them with Sunnybank on 26 points, and University on 24. Both clubs have built a healthy rivalry in recent years and are sure to put on a brilliant display of Rugby for the small army of female supporters who will descend upon the St. Lucia clubhouse for University’s famed ladies day celebrations.

University of Queensland: Pat Fepuleai, Tonga Ma’afu, Ausetalia Viaomanu. Phil Potgieter, Sam Reiser, Conor Mitchell, Jack de Guingand, Jack Cornelsen, Scott Gale, Alex Horan, Jock Campbell, Nathan Russell, Josh Birch, Tom Pincus, Tom Banks

Coach: Mick Heenan

Sunnybank: Feao Fotuaika, Thomas Mellor, Tereina McLean, Colin Cooper, Andrew Gentles, Tuaina Tualima, George Blomfield, Brendan Mitchell, Isaak Fines-Leleiwasa, Jake Strachan, Ryan Menzies, Fred Dorrough, Henry Taefu, Conrad Quick, Brando Va’aulu

Coach: Rob Seib