SCINTILLATING CLASHES IN THE SEMIS
Minor premiers Nedlands meet 2009 premiers Cottesloe in the major semi-final on Saturday at Lark Hill in the first match of a big semi-final double header in the RugbyWA club competition, sponsored by KWIK Transport and Crane Hire.
As a reward for finishing in the top two, the loser of that game has another shot at redemption in the preliminary final on Saturday 28 August at Hartfield, while the winner enjoys a week of preparation for the grand final on Sunday 5 September at McGillivray Oval.
There are no such luxuries on offer on Sunday, also at Lark Hill, when Associates and Palmyra do battle in the sudden death minor semi-final.
The season is over for the loser of that game, while the winner goes on to next hurdle of the preliminary final.
It’s fitting that old rivals Nedlands and Cottesloe should lock horns in the 2010 major semi-final. From day one of this season the two teams have been a class above the competition, opening the year with polished and fluid rugby that had them exchanging places at the top of table throughout the eighteen weeks of competition.
That came to a head with a fine sense of timing on last Saturday’s final competition round, Cottesloe losing top billing and the minor premiership in a 19-16 thriller loss to Palmyra at Tompkins Park.
Nedlands’ 43-19 win over cellar dwellers Perth-Bayswater handed them the minor premiership, but that will be small consolation if they can’t follow up with the flag in three weeks at McGillivray.
Promising as the season’s beginning was for Nedlands and Cottesloe, neither club has followed through into the second half of the season.
Cottesloe’s losses to Associates and Palmyra, draw with Kalamunda and fortunate one point escape against University showed that the reigning premiers can be vulnerable. What they’re seemingly not vulnerable to, however, is Nedlands. The Seagulls have won both their encounters this season, if by close scores.
Also in Cottesloe’s favour is their forward strength, patience and team cohesion that has pulled them through a number of tight games this season. And of course, the deadly goal kicking prowess of Dave Cloete.
As they showed in 2009, coach Ian Fowler has a team purpose made for finals success.
Nedlands have also struggled in the second half of the season, losing to Cottesloe, Wests-Subiaco and Kalamunda, and also scraping home by one point over an unlucky University team. With a tough forward pack and a very capable back line, Nedlands should be the most complete team in the competition under coach Tony Ball but they badly need to hit peak form at the right time.
The club certainly has more finals experience than any outfit in Western Australia with 27 consecutive years of finals appearances, but recent success has been elusive. Neddies have contested three grand finals since their last premiership in 2000 but finished second in all three.
In Sunday’s minor semi-final, Associates and Palmyra are both on a high after recent successes.
Soaks have been the quiet achievers of the 2010 competition, starting slow and entering the top four mid-season. With a solid, tight line-up of dependable performers the Associates team has been short on star quality but long on team spirit. Their only loss of the second round was to Nedlands, they are peaking at the right time to be definite premiership contenders and they are undoubtedly the form team of the finals.
Palmyra’s path to the finals was more erratic. They also started slowly with a largely new team and a new coach in John Taylor. They lost to Nedlands, Associates and Kalamunda in the second half of the season and were lucky to escape with a one point win against Perth-Bayswater. But they finished the season with a bang to knock Cottesloe out of the minor premiership, and have both the forwards and the backs to threaten any team in the competition on their day. Paly are the finals wild card team but it's now or never for them to come up trumps.
The weekend promises some of the most exciting rugby in the 2010 club competition but on Monday morning there will be only three contenders for the first grade premiership, and either Palmyra or Associates will be planning for the 2011 season instead.
by Rick Boyd | RugbyWA
