Captain Jordie Goddard and his Gordon team will make a hit-and-run nine-hour visit to Brisbane for Saturday’s snatch at the Australian Club Championship.
Brisbane premiers Easts will be lying in wait when club rugby across the country kicks off in style at Bottomley Park in front of a boisterous “Tigerland” crowd.
Stan Sport’s live telecast from 2pm (AEST)/3pm (AEDT) will bring you all the action to decide Australia’s top club.
Gordon coach Brian Melrose has seen some lively old-school tours in his time so he had to smile: “Yes, definitely a tour 2021-style.”
The rapid visit in no way diminishes how zealous Melrose and the Stags are to add another trophy to the Shute Shield they won last October for the first time in 22 years.
“We are going full-on at this game. It’s a match that matters a lot because you don’t get that many opportunities to win things at club level,” Melrose said.
“The Australian Club Championship concept is good for the game. Both clubs are missing grand final players from last year but one thing we won’t be doing is making excuses.”
The early season slot for the game always throws up plenty of variables.
On Saturday, two of the biggest are at No.10. Former Reds and Brumbies fullback Aidan Toua, 31, will slot in as playmaker for Easts.
For the Stags, flame-haired Reece Macdonald will also step from fullback to No.10 to cover the loss of 2020 grand final hero Rod Iona.
Neither are unfamiliar with the role.
Toua excelled as the Tigers’ emergency grand final No.10 last November when top choice Jack Frampton (shoulder) was ruled out in the lead-up.
Two pinpoint long balls set up Shane Kennedy tries on the wing and the Stags’ defence would be wise to be wary of that tactic.
Frampton is back but will play inside centre.
Easts will field 13 players from last November’s 23 who shared in the grand final joy of beating University of Queensland 33-18.
Ten players from the drought-breaking 28-8 premiership triumph over Eastwood are back for Gordon and it would have been 12 but for injuries to influential wingers Ahmu Tuimalealiifano (broken ankle) and Brandon Quinn (knee).
Significantly, seven of those returning are in the pack with the proven punch of Jordan Silk, James Lough, Brendan Mitchell, Nick Fraser, Jack Margin, Brandon Fa’avae-Eli and Goddard.
Little pieces in the code have dropped away during rugby’s recession over the past decade but the Australian Club Championship is a major triumph of dogged willpower from club land.
This will be the 14th edition since the contest was rebooted in 2007. The only misfire was in 2012 when the trophy was not contested.
The clubs put this on. There is no fairy godmother dealing out cheques to cover expenses.
The Green Beacon Brewing Company have partnered with Easts to put on Saturday’s event.
“It’s a very important match on the calendar. It’s provides that important link between the two best club comps in Australia and our players are treating it with the utmost seriousness,” Easts general manager Michael Lucas said.
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Brother Dave Lucas was a three-try hero in the Easts’ side that pulled off an astonishing comeback to beat Sydney University for the Australian Club Championship in 2009.
Easts, with ageless Andrew Walker as ringmaster, pegged back a 24-0 deficit to win 38-31 at ANZ Stadium in a Super Rugby curtainraiser.
“Those 2008 premiership boys who became Australian club champions are sort of the standard-setters at Easts as the only team to do it,” said Easts coach Moses Raulini, the former Fijian Test halfback.
“I was looking at that team photo on the wall at Easts with Tom (Milosevic) and we agreed ‘we want our photo up there’.”
Backrower Milosevic is captain on Saturday. He’s a non-stop performer and was Premier Grade’s forward of the year last season.
It’s a good thing this Australian Club Championship match wasn’t played a week or even three weeks after Easts’ grand final win. Milosevic was still wobbly from celebrating.
The Tigers have some firepower to replace up front with former Wallabies skipper Ben Mowen (retired), Michael Gunn (studies), Seru Uru (Reds), Rhys van Nek (Rebels) and George Francis (short-term Waratahs deal) missing from the 2020 grand final pack.
Macdonald is the key for Gordon. He scored a terrific grand final try when he backed up a slicing Quinn break.
Easts are shaping as the most dynamic hosts since Brothers made a five-figure profit from a bumper day and television coverage for the 2017 edition against Northern Suburbs at Crosby Park.
Forward-thinking Brothers even staged an accompanying symposium in the clubhouse which drew then-Rugby Australia chief executive Bill Pulver to answer questions on reinvigorating the club scene.
Long may the Australian Club Championship continue. Diehards still speak of those four Brothers v Randwick clashes in the 1980s including the wild night at Coogee Oval when John Maxwell was sent off.
The traditional Sydney University v University of Queensland rivalry spiced their games for bragging rights.
No one at Gordon will bother too much about the 10am flight to Brisbane and the return leg just after 7pm when they hear about transport for the first match to decide the Australian club champions in 1908.
Sydney premiers Glebe, with Wallabies five-eighth Chris McKivat aboard, did the return trip to Brisbane by train for the clash against Brothers at the Gabba.
EASTS:
Dylan Taikato-Simpson, Shane Kennedy, Matt Smit, Jack Frampton, Max Baker, Aidan Toua, Eli Pilz, Tom Milosevic ©, Alex Smit, Ben Stoddart, Mitch Schneider, Ben Grant, Richie Asiata, Zac Crothers, SJ Tamala. Reserves: Andy Owens, JP Tominiko, Sani Ratulevu, Puketawa Garland, Henry Olsen, Ben Littleton, Landon Hayes, Mika Tela
GORDON:
Luan Scherman, Ollie Smeallie, Lucas Price, Ellis Abrahams, Alex Pohla, Reece Macdonald, Jacob Abel, Jordan Goddard ©, James Lough, Jordan Silk, Jack Margin, Brendan Mitchell, Nick Fraser, Jordan Ieremia, Brandon Fa’avae-Eli. Reserves: Mokani Fuavao, Will Bremner, Jack Parfitt, Manasa Rokosuka, Tom Horan, Patrick Fapoi, Luke Lough, Ben Pollack
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