BLK Queensland Premier Rugby Grand Final Preview
The 2016 BLK Queensland Premier Rugby grand final weekend kicks off this Saturday at Ballymore, with University of Queensland and Brothers competing for the Hospital Cup at 3:05pm on Sunday afternoon.
The weekend will begin with the Women’s final on Saturday morning at 8:35am, with Sunnybank and Wests going head-to-head. Brothers have a total of five teams in grand finals, and in all five of those matches the Brethren will face the Students. There are a further two Red Heavies sides competing this the weekend, the club fielding teams in seven different grades.
Queensland Rugby fans are encouraged to get down to Ballymore, the home of Queensland Rugby, for an action packed weekend of grassroots Rugby. Entry on Saturday is $10, $15 on Sunday for adults and children under the age of 15 are free.
Preview the entire weekend and see who is lining up in each grade in the grand final edition of the BLK Queensland Premier Rugby Weekly digital program: http://bit.ly/2awtS08
Check out the action from the the preliminary final match between University and Sunnybank in this week’s episode of the Premier Rugby Wrap: http://bit.ly/2aHsTz1
See what the Premier Grade captains had to say ahead of the match: http://bit.ly/2ayRFmv
University of Queensland
In recent years, University of Queensland been heralded as Premier Rugby heavyweights. Now, after a hiatus from the grand final in 2015, UQ are back in the final song and dance at Ballymore. Last year they were knocked out of the race by Souths in the preliminary final, going down 33-32. They weren’t going to make the same mistake twice and pipped the Dragons on Sunday, 32-31, thanks to a late penalty goal from winger Tom Pincus. With their spot in the grand final now confirmed, the Red Heavies have an opportunity to secure their 29th Hospital Cup and their fourth since winning the 2010 grand final. It will cap off what has been a golden era for University, under the tutelage of head coach Mick Heenan.
Heenan began his journey at Stade de Heavy in 2009 and has taken UQ to the grand final in every other year since. Worryingly, for Brothers, University are yet to lose in a grand final under Heenan. The Heavies are experts at closing out tight matches and delivered another example of this against the Dragons on Sunday. It was an improved performance from their semi-final a week earlier, where Brothers ended University’s 15-game win streak.
This young organised side were knocked out of the finals last year, and were better for that experience in the preliminary final last Sunday. Their forward pack’s accuracy was back to it’s composed best, while the Heavies backline delivered a number of line-breaks. Musashi High Performer Jack Cornelsen was complemented by the industrious work of Phil Potgieter and Patrick Morrey. This set the platform for James Dalgleish to unleash a bag of backline tricks. The 15 on the trot minor premiers are back, and will now set their sights on the swansong.
Word from the captain – Conor Mitchell
“We’re extremely excited. It’s always great playing against Brothers, there’s a good rivalry between the two teams anytime we are on the field so it’d be awesome to get one over them in the Grand Final. They obviously got us in the major semi final so it’s a massive opportunity for redemption on Sunday”
Word from the head coach – Mick Heenan
“Every grand final is slightly different. Grand finals are won by the teams that execute the fundamentals, so that’s going to be the focus this week”
Team List
- Pat Fepuleai
- Tonga Ma’afu
- Sef Fa’agase
- Pat Morrey
- Phil Potgieter
- Conor Mitchell (c)
- Jack De Guingand
- Jack Cornelsen
- Moses Sorovi
- James Dalgleish
- Jock Campbell
- Nathan Russell
- Josh Birch
- Tom Pincus
- Tom Banks
Reserves
- Lyall Fidow
- Aaron Pleash
- Ausetalia Viaomanu
- Angus Scott-Young
- Connor Moroney
- Shane Tetzlaff
- Alex Horan
- Harry Parker
Head Coach: Michael Heenan
Assistant Coaches: Cameron McIntosh, Scott Allen, John Slater
Managers: Michael O’Rielley, Peter Beauchamp
Strength & Conditioning: Adam Garred
Brothers
2016 will see Brothers play in their first BLK Queensland Premier Rugby grand final since 2011. Despite claiming 26 Hospital Cups since the club’s was first established in 1905, the Brethren have only secured the cup twice in the last 20 years. In 1987 they defeated Souths 20-19 and in 2009 they knocked off the Magpies again, 26-19. 1990 was the last time Brothers met University of Queensland in the grand final, so this weekend, 26 years after the Heavies came away with a 19-10 victory, the Brethren will look for grand final revenge.
Brothers put an end to University’s 15-game win streak in the major semi-final, but that victory will mean nothing if they do not deliver the knockout punch on Sunday, at Ballymore. It was a clinical performance, a performance that the Brethren can build on. They were accurate, spirited and looked hungrier than the Heavies.
Led by their tireless captain Nathanuel Gendle, Brothers have a wealth of experience at their disposal. The grand final will see Gendle run out in the butcher’s stripes for the 198th time, Luke Beauchamp for the 99th, whilst flanker Charlie Freney will celebrate his 100th. Charlie is the son of former Brothers, Queensland and Wallabies great Michael Freney, and the pair will become only the second father duo in Brothers history to both reach the 100-Cap milestone.
This experience, mixed with a good crop of young talent in Patrick James, Taniela Tupou and Angus Fowler, provides the Brethren with a balanced line up. Brothers will field five teams over the grand final weekend so a large contingent of supporters is expected across the two days of grassroots Rugby at Ballymore.
Word from the captain – Nathanuel Gendle
“Considering they hadn’t lost since Round 1, and they had knocked us off twice during the year, it gave us a lot of confidence getting the win over them in the major semi-final. The boys were happy but there are always areas we can improve.”
Word from the head coach – Carl Marshall
“We’ve got to do what we did last time. We gained good field position and maintained possession quite well. We’ll take a lot of confidence from the major semi-final, we came up against a very good side that had won 15 straight.”
Team List
- Francois Postal
- Matt Mafi
- Taniela Tupou
- Ted Postal
- David Findlay-Henaway
- Criff Tupou
- Charlie Freney
- Luke Beauchamp
- Angus Fowler
- Stefano Hunt
- George Partridge
- Nathanuel Gendle (c)
- Elih Baillie
- Mitch Felsman
- Patrick James
Reserves
- Sam Talakai
- Tom Sayer
- Dustin Henegan
- Richard Skelton
- Bart Flanagan
- Jack Burey
- Jeremy Skelton
- Nico Bueta
Head Coach: Carl Marshall
Assistant Coaches: Ben McCormack, Brendan Gabbett
Managers: Anthony McDermott, Tim McKellar
Related Posts
« HASKELL TEAMS UP WITH RETURN TO RUGBY Boyd: ‘Knockout momentum with Hurricanes’ »
