By RugbyWA Media
Contributors: Josh Zimmerman

The most closely contested and dramatic KWIK Premier Grade season in recent history concludes this weekend when defending champions, and local rugby powerhouse, Nedlands travel to McGillivray Oval to take on the surprise packet of the 2011 competition University.

While Nedlands won the 2010 Grand Final and has made regular appearances in the big game throughout the years, Sunday marks the first time a University side has contested the flag since 1977 with the club's last premiership coming 39 years ago in 1972.

In fact University, who finished eighth last year, is making only its third playoff appearance in over two decades –all of those games have come this year.

In a disastrous return to final's football University were thumped 64 – 13 by Nedlands in the major semi-final a fortnight ago before recovering to squeak past the white hot Cottesloe 19 – 18 in the preliminary final.

“Those things happen,” said University Coach Steve McFarland of his sides semi-final blowout.

“Games like that happen in all sports occasionally and you just have to put them behind you and move on.

“We've played Nedlands a couple of times earlier this season and the results were fairly close so we know it's a whole new game on Sunday and we're on our home patch so we're looking forward to it.”

Indeed if the regular season meetings between these sides are anything to go by we are in for a cracker.

University led Nedlands and appeared well in control of the game before a try just before half time allowed the Royal Blues back into the Round 2 clash at McGillivray Oval which Neddies eventually won 24 – 17.

The return leg of the regular season was even closer, University missing two late drop goals in a thriller at the Foreshore which ended 36 – 34 in Nedlands’ favour.

Neddies Coach Tony Ball is acutely aware of the danger Uni pose to his side’s title hopes with regular season clashes a much better reflection of the evenness between the sides rather than the more recent semi-final blowout.

“We'll definitely take a lot of confidence from the semi-final game but we also realise that result means absolutely nothing when it comes to this weekend,” said Ball.

“Uni showed a lot of mental toughness to come back from that and defeat Cott, especially when they were down close to the end so we're expecting a much better performance from them this time around.”

McFarland agrees and is adamant that his side has learnt from that outing.

“I thought there were certain areas which we were poor in in that major semi final which I thought we were significantly better at against Cottesloe,” he said.

“I think some of our work at the breakdown against Cottesloe was certainly a lot better and our body height in the contact areas certainly was an improvement on what happened a week previously.

“This is our first grand final appearance in over 30 years and as a group of players and as a coaching group we understand the significance of this for the club so we certainly expect a much improved showing.”

While Uni will no doubt have significant motivation to make the most of their recent rare foray to the championship decider, Nedlands are just as determined to claim rare back-to-back Grand Final wins.

“I think we're probably more focused and determined this time round,” he said.

“That's probably why we had a bit of a lean patch towards the end of the second round because the guys knew what was coming and they were preparing for this and they showed in our semi that when it comes to the finals they've got the experience and the knowledge to really turn it on.

“Because we had top spot tied up we've been able to manage a number of players and so we have a completely full strength side, no injury worries at all.

“Will Brock (who was on tour with the Emriates Western Force) has come back from Samoa with a sore thumb but he'll be ready to go on Sunday.”

University, coming off a bruising preliminary final, may not be so lucky although McFarland hopes to have everyone back on board for the weekend.

“Obviously Saturday was a big game for us and we had a few niggles but we hope to have a full strength side come Sunday and we'll be ready and raring to go,” he said.

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