Sunday saw another entertaining affair in the University V Shamrocks Semi Final at Vikings Oval.
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 11:23 am
Saturday nights Test Match between the Wallabies and South Africa was a perfect example of where Australian Rugby is. As I have said before we are just not competing up front where it all starts and finishes. Coach Ewen McKenzie made an interesting comment after the match along the lines that maybe our players don’t have the skill set to play the style of rugby the Wallabies have been trying to play. He’s right and it’s going to take a long time to turn the situation around. We need size and power. But where is it going to come from?
What a weekend of IDRU semi finals. I know I‘ve seen some great games of rugby around here over the years but I can’t recall a better match than the Camden v Avondale Semi Final at Kiama on Saturday. It was a game played in great spirit in front of a big crowd, with both sides turning up to play their hearts out. There would have been some sore boys after the match as both sides ripped in for the full 80 minutes. One long time Wombat official was heard to say that you don’t mind losing a match played like this one. Well done to both clubs.
Whilst the game didn’t match Saturdays fair it certainly phone number list another large crowd interested right up to the end. For me the highlight of the match was the gem of a try scored by classy 33 year old University veteran Justin Placek. Uni No.8 Andrew Lindsay took the ball from a scrum deep in Uni’s half and ran the short side where he found Placek in support. Justin took the pass some 60 meters from Shamrocks line on the western side. He bumped off the first defender and skirting the touch line he just managed to stay in play. He pushed away another defender, kicked out of a third attempted tackle and outpaced the last line of defense to score in the corner. Justin has been going around on rugby fields in the area since the mid 90’s and showed all his experience and skill to perfection. I hope someone got it on video. What a try!
The question of who will referee the Grand Final may have been answered on the weekend or was it? Both Referees last week performed very credibly with Richard McMullen contributing positively to the standard of the match at Kiama. Young James Penman was put to the test on Sunday when that match got very willing. Both would have got sound reports for their matches. However Richard got the nod for the top Grade this week. We’ll probably see them in the same order for the big day.
One casualty out of the Saturdays match was Camden Fly half Ben Greentree. Ben’s troublesome groin got the better of him again at halftime. You’ll recall that the groin cost him a chance to play for Combined Country earlier this year against the British & Irish Lions. With the Rams safely through to the Grand Final, let’s hope that Ben can get the injury right and take his place for the big one.
Just two more games to go in the Illawarra Master Builders Premiership for 2013. With Camden through to the Grand Final, Avondale and University will meet in the Final at Ocean Park on Saturday for the right to join them. The last time the two teams met, Avondale had a big win by 65 to 12. Uni won their first encounter for the year in a close one 29-26. This time around I think Avondale will be too strong for the Mallee Bulls again and will get another crack at Camden next week.
The IDRU Junior Grand Finals are on this Sunday at Shoalhaven Rugby Park, South Nowra. So for an entertaining days rugby get down there and see the future of Illawarra Rugby in action. First match gets underway at 10.00AM with matches going through till 4.30PM.
What a weekend of IDRU semi finals. I know I‘ve seen some great games of rugby around here over the years but I can’t recall a better match than the Camden v Avondale Semi Final at Kiama on Saturday. It was a game played in great spirit in front of a big crowd, with both sides turning up to play their hearts out. There would have been some sore boys after the match as both sides ripped in for the full 80 minutes. One long time Wombat official was heard to say that you don’t mind losing a match played like this one. Well done to both clubs.
Whilst the game didn’t match Saturdays fair it certainly phone number list another large crowd interested right up to the end. For me the highlight of the match was the gem of a try scored by classy 33 year old University veteran Justin Placek. Uni No.8 Andrew Lindsay took the ball from a scrum deep in Uni’s half and ran the short side where he found Placek in support. Justin took the pass some 60 meters from Shamrocks line on the western side. He bumped off the first defender and skirting the touch line he just managed to stay in play. He pushed away another defender, kicked out of a third attempted tackle and outpaced the last line of defense to score in the corner. Justin has been going around on rugby fields in the area since the mid 90’s and showed all his experience and skill to perfection. I hope someone got it on video. What a try!
The question of who will referee the Grand Final may have been answered on the weekend or was it? Both Referees last week performed very credibly with Richard McMullen contributing positively to the standard of the match at Kiama. Young James Penman was put to the test on Sunday when that match got very willing. Both would have got sound reports for their matches. However Richard got the nod for the top Grade this week. We’ll probably see them in the same order for the big day.
One casualty out of the Saturdays match was Camden Fly half Ben Greentree. Ben’s troublesome groin got the better of him again at halftime. You’ll recall that the groin cost him a chance to play for Combined Country earlier this year against the British & Irish Lions. With the Rams safely through to the Grand Final, let’s hope that Ben can get the injury right and take his place for the big one.
Just two more games to go in the Illawarra Master Builders Premiership for 2013. With Camden through to the Grand Final, Avondale and University will meet in the Final at Ocean Park on Saturday for the right to join them. The last time the two teams met, Avondale had a big win by 65 to 12. Uni won their first encounter for the year in a close one 29-26. This time around I think Avondale will be too strong for the Mallee Bulls again and will get another crack at Camden next week.
The IDRU Junior Grand Finals are on this Sunday at Shoalhaven Rugby Park, South Nowra. So for an entertaining days rugby get down there and see the future of Illawarra Rugby in action. First match gets underway at 10.00AM with matches going through till 4.30PM.