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The Perth Spirit will look to finish the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship regular season off on a high when they take on the Greater Sydney Rams at Concord Oval in Sydney on Saturday.
The Perth-based team’s loss to the NSW Country Eagles last weekend means that the Spirit must win on Saturday, as well as relying on other results to qualify for the finals series.
https://youtu.be/JOMUlaXaKdA
The Spirit faces an in-form Rams team this weekend and will need to be at their best to get the win.
Front-rower Francois van Wyk returns, with Future Force Foundation product Harry Scoble receiving his first start of the season at hooker.
Cottesloe’s Adrian Hall comes back into the starting team after another impressive performance off the bench last week and will line up alongside Gulls teammate Ross Haylett-Petty.
After another imposing game off the bench last weekend, Wests Scarborough captain Pierre Roberts, earns a starting spot in the ‘6’ jersey, with fellow Pindan Premier Grade teammate Kane Koteka beside him at openside flanker.
Ryan Louwrens will start at scrumhalf, with Western Force adversary Ian Prior starting at flyhalf, with Luke Burton sidelined with a hand injury.
Superstar Kyle Godwin is back and will look to keep a solid partnership going with Joondalup’s Maalonga Konelio in the centres.
Pindan Premier Grade stars Anaru Rangi, Jermaine Ainsley and Auega Seumanutafa are all back in the team, providing strong support off the bench. Nick Jooste also comes back into the team, after completing his duties for the Australian Schoolboys in their recent Tri Nations tournament.
Perth Spirit head coach Tai McIsaac, says the team is firmly focusing on getting the win against the Rams.
“We’re not clouding the boys minds with what may happen beyond this weekend, we just want them to go out there, play some good rugby, hopefully get the win and enjoy themselves.”
“This week provides another great opportunity for the team to grow and showcase what we can do.
“It certainly isn’t going to be easy, the Rams are up and about and their position on the ladder certainly doesn’t represent the way they can play.”
You can watch the Spirit’s match against the Rams via the Fox Sports live stream. Click here to view the match: http://bit.ly/1Jz1Xx3
Perth Spirit v Greater Sydney Rams
Concord Oval, Sydney
Saturday, 10 October 2015
Kick-off: 3:00pm (12pm AWST)
1. Francois van Wyk - UWA
2. Harry Scoble - UWA
3. Oliver Hoskins - Cottesloe
4. Adrian Hall - Cottesloe
5. Ross Haylett-Petty - Cottesloe
6. Pierre Roberts - Wests Scarborough
7 Kane Koteka - Wests Scarborough
8. Angus Cottrell - Associates
9. Ryan Louwrens - Cottesloe
10. Ian Prior (C) - Nedlands
11. Brad Lacey - Wests Scarborough
12. Kyle Godwin - Associates
13. Maalonga Konelio - Joondalup
14. Faamanatu Apineru - Kalamunda
15. Albert Nikoro - Wests Scarborough
Reserves
16. Anaru Rangi - Nedlanda
17. Chris Heiberg - Perth Bayswater
18. Jermaine Ainsley - Nedlands
19. Rory Walton - Wests Scarborough
20. Auega Seumanutafa - Kalamunda
21. Michael Ruru - Nedlands
22. Nick Jooste - Hale School
23. Byron Hutchinson - Wanneroo
- See more at: https://www.westernforce.com.au/arti....pA5LXBKY.dpuf
If you have access to streaming the Spirit are up 53-13 at half time.
Was the win enough to make finals?
Laugh and the world laughs with you.......
......cry and you'll weaken your beer
Impressive effort by the lads to earn a 63:39 final scoreline in 27 deg C..
9 tries (7 in 1st half) with 8 separate try scorers (double to Louwrens).
Prior a bit off with 6 from 9.
Some great running rugby with FvW putting in some good runs early.
The lads looked like they were out for some serious attacking rugby to ensure the bonus point.
Streaming commentary tiresome.
Can't see them making the finals due to the bye next week.
Need Stars to def Rising (likely) and Rays to def Eagles without a big bonus point win.
Last edited by andrewg; 10-10-15 at 14:09.
BONUS POINT WIN FOR THE SPIRIT IN SYDNEY
By David Berrie on Sat 10th October 15
The Perth Spirit have kept a finals birth on the agenda with a 63-39 bonus point win over the Greater Sydney Rams in Round 8 of the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship (NRC) at Concord Oval this afternoon.
The Spirit were incredible from the get go reaching 50 points before the end of the first half. The Rams were no match for the Perth side’s speed and width of play and it showed on the scoreboard.
The huge offensive performance gave the Spirit momentum which they took right through to the final whistle, scoring the bonus point try in the 73rd minute.
Perth Spirit captain Ian Prior, was superb and says he is overwhelmed with the team’s performance.
“I thought we were outstanding today, the team new what we had to do and we played that game as if it were our last.”
“Every single player played for the bloke standing next to them. That kind of attitude wins games and that’s what we did today.”
The Spirit started with a bang, scoring in the first three minutes off the back of Joondalup gun Maalonga Konelio, Ian Prior had no trouble with the conversion and put the Spirit 8-0 up.
The Spirit then went on to score two more tries inside the 17-minute mark, before the Rams Jed Holloway crashed over for his first of three tries for the day. With the score heading out to 24-5.
Brad Lacey got into the action next after a busy first half, but it wasn’t long before Holloway hit back with his second. Both kickers having no trouble with the conversion pushing the score out to 32-13.
The Perth based side then piled on three tries in six minutes, as Faamanatu Apineru, Ryan Louwrens and Kyle Godwin all went over. Leaving the score at half time 53-13 in favour of the Spirit.
The Rams came out hard in the second half and scored the first two tries. Gibbon went in first, with Holloway cutting through for his hat trick. Both conversions made, which took the Rams to 26-53.
Ryan Louwrens steadied the ship for the Spirit, with his second try of the match, after a brilliant little snipe, extending the lead to 58-26.
The Rams came back again, through winger Afa Pakalani and then big lock Will Munro snuck through to take the Rams up to 39-58.
The Perth Spirit needed a bonus point to keep their season alive. Enter Albert Nikoro, who sliced his way through the Rams defence to give us the three try bonus point win. Leaving the score at 63-39.
The win places the Perth Spirit in fourth position, ahead of the Melbourne Rising by just point difference. With the Spirit having the bye next week, they will need the Sydney Stars to beat the Rising without a bonus point and the North Harbour Rays to beat the NSW Country Eagles.
Tries:
Spirit: M. Konelio (3), A. Nikoro (8), F. Apineru (12),B. Lacey (23), F. Apineru (32),R. Louwrens (34), K. Godwin (38),R. Louwrens (54), A. Nikoro (73)
Rams: J. Holloway (16), J. Holloway (28),M. Gibbon (43), J. Holloway (50),A. Pakalani (59), W. Munro (65)
- See more at: http://www.rugbywa.com.au/article/bo....Le3e14p7.dpuf
Don't deserve to play finals with a losing record.