UNDER 16s

Far North Coast 34 (James Hewetson 4, Jake McIntyre, Rohan Napoli tries, Jake McIntyre 2 conversions) d Sunnybank 14.

UNDER 15s

Far North Coast 39 (Angus MacDougall, Ben Parker, Ben Ivancevic, Dylan Fitzgerald, Nick Egan, Nick Pennisi, James Pankhurst tries, Aaron Booth, Dylan Fitzgerald conversions) d Sunnybank 7

UNDER 13s

Far North Coast 45 (Will Lembke 2, Zac Condon 2, Ryan Graham 2, Vaughan Sandral, Jamie Mau’u, Aidan King tries) d Sunnybank 5.

UNDER 12s

Far North Coast 20 (Callum Mould, Steve Dressler, Lachlan Kennedy, Jacob McRae tries) d Sunnybank 15.

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The Reds scored 10 points in the final four minutes to claim the victory against a Tahs side which finished the match with a host of rookies and club players on the field.

NSW signalled their intentions early on by declining a number of opportunities to kick penalty goals, however it was the Reds who drew first blood via a Jack Kennedy try with the prop crashing over on quarter-time.

A scuffle in the 28th minute saw Saia Faingaa shown a yellow card, and the Tahs again declined to go for points from the ensuing penalty. The decision paid off with Josh Holmes going over after some solid phase ball.

Ben Lucas piloted a penalty for the Reds early in the second half, and not long after young flyer Alex Rokobaro backed his ability and almost scored after a kick and chase down the left flank.

In the 57th minute the Tahs finally went for a penalty which Brendan McKibbin converted to tie the game at 10-all. The deadlock didn’t last long however with Tim Walsh kicking a three-pointer for the Reds.

On the stroke of three-quarter time NSW took the lead after Paddy Ryan went through a gap and linked with McKibbin who crossed under the posts against his former side.

Ten minutes into the final quarter, Walsh brought the margin back to one-point with a penalty, however in the 72nd minute Dylan Sigg crashed over after the NSW forwards successfully drove the ball to the line from a lineout. McKibbin converted to open an eight-point advantage with seven minutes to play.

Queensland never gave up however, and Richard Kingi scored out wide with four minutes left on the clock. Walsh’s conversion brought the margin back to one as the game wound down.

The Reds then received a penalty 38m out with 90 seconds left on the clock which Walsh put over to give the visitors a two-point win.

The HSBC Waratahs return to Sydney on Sunday ahead of next Saturday’s trial against the Fiji Warriors at Wade Park in Orange.

Queensland Reds 24 (Jack Kennedy, Richard Kingi tries; Tim Walsh 3 pens, con, Ben Lucas con, pen) d HSBC Waratahs 24 (Josh Holmes, Brendan McKibbin, Dylan Sigg tries; Brendan McKibbin 2 cons, pen, Daniel Halangahu con) at Oakes Oval, Lismore. Yellow Card: Saia Faingaa (Queensland Reds; 28th). 1/4: Queensland 7-0; 1/2: 7-all; 3/4 HSBC Waratahs 17-13. Referee: Ian Smith. Crowd: 3628.

By the clock
4th – Anthony Faingaa missed penalty attempt
20th – Jack Kennedy try; Ben Lucas conversion. Queensland 7-0
28th – Saia Faingaa yellow card
29th – Josh Holmes try; Daniel Halangahu conversion. 7-all
37th – Richard Kingi missed penalty attempt
44th – Ben Lucas penalty goal. Queensland 10-7
57th – Brendan McKibbin penalty goal. 10-all
59th – Tim Walsh penalty goal. Queensland 13-10.
60th – Brendan McKibbin try; Brendan McKibbin conversion. HSBC Waratahs 17-13.
70th – Tim Walsh penalty goal. HSBC Waratahs 17-16
72nd – Dylan Sigg try; Brendan McKibbin conversion. HSBC Waratahs 24-16
76th – Richard Kingi try; Tim Walsh conversion. HSBC Waratahs 24-23
79th – Tim Walsh penalty goal. Queensland 26-24

Picture courtesy of NSW Rugby.

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The squad contains 19 Reds contracted players, six QAS Reds Academy players and five players from the newly introduced Wider Training Squad (WTS), a group of elite Premier Rugby players who have been given the opportunity to train and play with the extended group during preseason.

Head coach Ewen McKenzie has selected two teams to play a half each, with four replacements set to cover both periods – hooker Heath Tessman, centre Michael Bond, and flyhalves Dallan Murphy and Jono Lance.

Four players have also been selected to start both halves: scrumhalf Richard Kingi – the newest member of the contracted Reds squad – Academy back-rower Jake Schatz, and experienced locks Adam Byrnes and Van Humphries.

Loosehead prop Daley, who made his Investec Bank Super 14 debut for the Reds in 2008 against the Crusaders, stepped up a level last year when he started in six matches after former Wallaby Greg Holmes suffered shoulder and neck problems.

He now gets first crack at the number one jersey in 2010, with Holmes joining 11 other contracted players on the sideline.

McKenzie said the 21-year-old law student was rewarded with the captaincy after buying into a new culture being developed in the off-season.

“We’ve identified some attributes that we think are important and he has done a pretty good job in the off-season encapsulating that, so we thought we would give him an opportunity to lead the team into battle,” McKenzie said.

“It’s a reward for a good off-season. You have to recognise people giving you what you ask them to give you, and he has done a good job. We think he might be able to lead by example on the day.”

In the first half Daley will join Saia Faingaa and Jack Kennedy in the front-row, with new European recruit Lei Tomiki rounding out the forward pack with Schatz and Scott Higginbotham, and locks Byrnes and Humphries.

The talented Ben Lucas has been named as vice-captain and flyhalf, with Reds contracted players Kingi, centres Anthony Faingaa and Morgan Turinui, wing Brando Va’aulu and fullback Luke Morahan in the backline. Academy prospect Dom Shipperley is on the other wing.

In the second period new rugby league recruit Will Chambers will get his first taste of professional rugby at outside centre.

He will join Reds Kingi, Blair Connor and Rod Davies, Academy players Ben Tapuai and Aidan Toua.

WTS member Tim Walsh, who has been playing overseas and interstate after earning four caps for the Reds baclk in 2004, has been named at flyhalf for the second half.

In the forwards, Byrnes, Humphries and Schatz are selected alongside props Slipper and Laurie Weeks, hooker James Hanson, and back-rowers Ezra Taylor and Andrew Shaw.

McKenzie said he looked forward to seeing how the squad would perform in a real game environment.

“We’re very interested in all the guys. They’ve all done good things in the off-season, so it will be interesting to see how they go under game pressure,” he said.

“Opportunities come sometimes frequently, sometimes not very often. You’ve got to make sure you capitalise. But ultimately it is about combining as a group and wanting to get the job done.

“Clearly there are 10 or 11 guys not playing for whatever reason, but that’s not an excuse. This is about 30 guys getting the opportunity to play and showing us where they’re at.”

QR Reds v NSW Waratahs (first game)

1. Ben Daley (c) (QR Reds)

2. Saia Faingaa (QR Reds)

3. Jack Kennedy (QR Reds)

4. Adam Byrnes (QR Reds)

5. Van Humphries (QR Reds)

6. Jake Schatz (QAS Reds Academy)

7. Lei Tomiki (QR Reds)

8. Scott Higginbotham (QR Reds)

9. Richard Kingi (QR Reds)

10. Ben Lucas (vc) (QR Reds)

11. Dominic Shipperley (QAS Reds Academy)

12. Anthony Faingaa (QR Reds)

13. Morgan Turinui (QR Reds)

14. Brando Va’aulu (QR Reds)

15. Luke Morahan (QR Reds)

QR Reds v NSW Waratahs (second game)

1. James Slipper (QAS Reds Academy)

2. James Hanson (QR Reds)

3. Laurie Weeks (QR Reds)

4. Adam Byrnes (QR Reds)

5. Van Humphries (QR Reds)

6. Ezra Taylor (QR Reds)

7. Andrew Shaw (QAS Reds Academy)

8. Jake Schatz (QAS Reds Academy)

9. Richard Kingi (QR Reds)

10. Tim Walsh (Wider Training Squad)

11. Blair Connor (QR Reds)

12. Ben Tapuai (QAS Reds Academy)

13. Will Chambers (QR Reds)

14. Rod Davies (QR Reds)

15. Aidan Toua (QAS Reds Academy)

Reserves

16. Heath Tessman (Wider Training Squad)

17. Dallan Murphy (Wider Training Squad)

18. Jono Lance (Wider Training Squad)

19. Michael Bond (Wider Training Squad)

WARATAHS

15. Sosene Anesi ( Waratahs)
14. Nemani Nadolo (Manly/ Waratahs)
13. Rory Sidey (West Harbour/ Waratahs)
12. Tom Carter (Sydney University/ Waratahs)
11. Peter Betham (Sydney University/Wider Training Group)
10. Daniel Halangahu [c] (Sydney University/ Waratahs)
9. Josh Holmes (Warringah/ Waratahs)
8. Locky McCaffrey (Eastwood/ Junior Waratahs)
7. Chris Alcock (Gordon/ Waratahs)
6. Dave Dennis (Sydney University/ Waratahs)
5. Hendrik Roodt (Gordon/ Waratahs)
4. Kane Douglas (Southern Districts/ Junior Waratahs)
3. Dan Palmer (Southern Districts/ Waratahs)
2. Damien Fitzpatrick (Eastwood/ Waratahs)
1. Jeremy Tilse (Sydney University/ Waratahs)
Reserves
16. Luke Holmes (Warringah/Wider Training Group)
17. Ofa Fainga’anuku (Gordon/ Junior Waratahs)
18. Chris Thomson (Warringah/ Waratahs)
19. Will Caldwell (Sydney University/ Waratahs)
20. Brendan KcKibbin (Eastern Suburbs/ Junior Waratahs)
21. Ben Seymour (Manly/ Junior Waratahs)
22. Adam D’Arcy (Manly/ Junior Waratahs)
23. Paddy Ryan (Sydney University/ Junior Waratahs)
24. Dylan Sigg (Manly/Wider Training Group)
25. Hugh Perrett (Eastwood/Wider Training Group)
26. Tom Azar (Eastern Suburbs/Wider Training Group)
27. Alex Rokobaro (Sydney University/ Junior Waratahs)
28. Jacob Woodhouse (Sydney University/ Junior Waratahs

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After the team arrives in town on Friday, they will hold their Captain’s Run training session in the afternoon at Oakes Oval, the venue for Saturday’s Super 14 trial against the Queensland Reds.

The session will be open to the public, and following training players will remain to sign autographs for local rugby enthusiasts at the ground.

On Friday evening, players will attend the Dine With the Waratahs Dinner at Southern Cross University. While they will not take part in the opening trial match of the year, captain Phil Waugh and Wallabies vice-captain Berrick Barnes will also be in Lismore to attend the dinner. Limited seats are still available – see details below for more information.

At 10.30am on Saturday morning, selected players will conduct a coaching clinic for junior players from local clubs, with registrations filling up weeks ago for the special event at Southern Cross University.

After the clinic, players will continue preparing for what will be a great evening of rugby which will also celebrate the depth of the sport in the region.

At 3.30pm, a regional Academy fixture will take place at St John’s College Woodlawn.

The Oakes Oval Gates will open at 4pm.

At 5.15pm the curtain-raiser will take place between Far North Coast and Gold Coast Breakers A, before the main game kicks off at 7.40pm.

The match will be an important hit-out for both sides, with the HSBC Waratahs hoping to continue their efforts of 2008 and 2009 when they defeated the Reds in their opening trials for each of their respective seasons.

Head coach Chris Hickey has highlighted the importance of the match, indicating performances in Lismore will go some way to determining places in the opening Super 14 side of the year.

“You can never underestimate the importance of trials in terms of what they mean to individuals, and what it means to the on-field development of the squad,” said Hickey.

“There aren’t competition points up for grabs, but if these matches didn’t mean anything then you wouldn’t bother to play them.

“Given this is the first opportunity players have to show their wares in 2010, the match holds extra significance and I know both teams will be ready to hit the ground running when that whistle sounds.”

Hickey, a former Ballina coach, said that there was genuine excitement within the group about heading to Lismore and getting the season under way.

“Most of the squad has been together since November, the team staff have been preparing for even longer than that, so the lead-up has been long and everyone’s ready to hit the ‘go’ button and start playing some footy,” said Hickey.

HSBC WARATAHS’ SCHEDULE IN LISMORE

Friday 22 January 2010

• 3pm  Captain’s Run at Oakes Oval, Lismore (followed by signing session)
• 6pm  Dine With the Waratahs Rugby Dinner at Union Building, Southern Cross University (featuring Chris Hickey, Phil Waugh, Berrick Barnes, and more). Limited tickets still available $90/p or $850/table of 10. Call Lismore Information Centre on 1300 369 795 for tickets.

Saturday 23 January 2010

• 10.30pm  Coaching Clinic at Southern Cross University (registrations full)
• 3.30pm  Regional Academy Match at St John’s Woodlawn College, Lismore
• 4pm  Oakes Oval gates open
• 5.15pm  Far North Coast v Gold Coast Breakers A
• 7.40pm  HSBC Waratahs v Queensland Reds (tickets available from www.ticketek.com or at the gate).

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McKenzie is keeping an open mind on the make-up of that team and those that will follow in trials against the Crusaders (Ballymore, Jan 29) and Western Force (Perth, Feb 5) and in their opening Investec Bank Super 14 match against the Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium on February 13.

“People like to do the mathematics of it all, work it out based on what has happened in the past, but what has happened in the past hasn’t been good enough. We can’t just roll out the same team and expect to be massively different,” McKenzie said.

“I’m open-minded, but I don’t expect we’ll necessarily run the same people out there just because they did it last year and the year before that.

“Sometimes it’s about shaking it up a bit and doing things differently, not just about being orthodox and logical. We’ve got to try to make sure we’ve got the right mix.”

Since training commenced in October, McKenzie has been most impressed with his players’ enthusiasm and their attitude towards improvement.

“They are very keen to be better. That doesn’t mean it will happen tomorrow or next week, but they are keen to be better, and they’re practising habits that will hopefully make them better,” he said.

Despite the Reds being a relatively young group, experience levels are building, with the 30-man squad having a collective tally of 803 Super Rugby caps and nine players with Test experience – James Horwill, Peter Hynes, Digby Ioane, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Morgan Turinui, Greg Holmes, Sean Hardman and Daniel Braid.

Meanwhile, the HSBC Waratahs returned to training for 2010 this week, with a number of the Wallaby Spring Tourists joining the squad for the first time this season.

Luke Burgess, Dean Mumm, Sekope Kepu and Dave Dennis hit the paddock, with the remainder of the national squad members due to come back into the program over the coming weeks.

HSBC Waratahs head coach Chris Hickey said the reintroduction of more senior players will give the entire squad another lift as the calendar rapidly approaches the Super 14.

“It’s less than three weeks now until we play our first trial in Lismore, and less than six weeks until our first game of the season, so it’s exciting for everyone to see things taking shape,” Hickey said.

The HSBC Waratahs play three trial matches in the space of 13 days, starting on Saturday 23 January against the Queensland Reds at Oakes Oval, Lismore. They then travel to Orange to play the Fiji Warriors at Wade Park on Saturday 30 January, before their final trial against the Brumbies at Viking Park, Tuggeranong on Thursday 4 February.

Ticket inquiries: www.ticketek.com

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It will be the third consecutive year the two sides have faced off against each other in the opening match of the season, with NSW setting up their campaigns with victories on both occasions.

With the two sides meeting again three weeks after the trial in round one of the Super 14, the match holds extra significance.

A number of events will be conducted in association with the historic fixture including curtain-raisers on Oakes Oval and the adjacent Crozier Field, as well as the ‘Dine with the Waratahs’ dinner on Friday 22 January.

Friday’s Captain’s Run final training session will be open to the public at Oakes Oval, while NSW players and coaches will also conduct a junior coaching clinic at Southern Cross University on the morning of the big game.

NSWRU chief executive officer Jim L’Estrange emphasised the importance of maximising the time spent in the region.

“When we get the opportunity to take the team to different places around the State, we make sure we take advantage of it,” said Mr L’Estrange.

“In recent years we have held open training sessions throughout Sydney, and have taken matches to Newcastle, Gosford, Wollongong, Campbelltown and Bathurst.

“The enthusiasm from Lismore City Council and Southern Cross University to bring top-line Rugby to the Far North Coast is perfectly in line with our aim to ensure as many people as possible across the State have the chance to see their team, the HSBC Waratahs, live.”

Mr L’Estrange said that while the clash with the Reds is a trial fixture, the significance of the match remains extremely high for players and coaches alike.

“You can’t underestimate the importance of these matches,” he said.

“The Super 14 is such an intense competition that you need to hit the ground running if you are to achieve success.

“The HSBC Waratahs have completed the last two pre-seasons undefeated which has been a great platform on which to start the season, and with three away games [Reds in Brisbane, Stormers in Cape Town, Bulls in Pretoria] to start 2010, these matches will hold extra importance.”

Tickets are on sale through Ticketek, starting at just $8 for juniors and $12 reserved seating for adults. Grandstand tickets are limited, and if available, will be more expensive for the game-day walk-up crowd.

Tickets to the Dine with the Waratahs Rugby Dinner are on sale through the Lismore Visitor Information Centre. Tickets are $90 per head. There is a discount for table-of-ten bookings.

Super 14 Trial presented by Southern Cross University

HSBC WARATAHS V QUEENSLAND REDS Saturday 23 January 2010Oakes Oval, Lismore

3:30pm Regional Academy Match

4:30pm Oakes Oval gates open

5:15pm Far North Coast v Gold Coast Breakers ‘A’

7:40pm HSBC Waratahs v Queensland Reds

Grandstand: Adult $16 (Game Day $20) Junior/Concession $10 (Game Day $12) Family (2 Adult, 2 Junior) $45 (Game Day $52)

General Admission: Adult $12 Junior/Concession $8 Family (2 Adult, 2 Junior) $35

Online: www.ticketek.com Phone: 132 849

DINE WITH THE WARATAHS RUGBY DINNER, Friday 22 January 2010, Union Building, Southern Cross University

MC: Greg Martin – Former Wallaby and Fox Sports commentator. Special Guests: Chris Hickey, HSBC Waratahs Coach & Ewen McKenzie, Queensland Reds Coach.

Tickets

$90 per person

$850 per table of ten (10)

Tickets on sale at Lismore Visitor Information Centre

Phone: 1300 369 795

Open 7 Days, 9:30am-4:30pm

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Mick has said that after the success of the rebuilding year for Ballina with ten wins in a row in first grade, that he is expecting a much strong end of the season for the upcoming year.

Second grade coach is Brent Horan, assisted by Lincoln Raudonikis with Troy Taylor as manager.

The club has already commenced recruitment for the 2010 season and will be starting the preseason training early. The club expects to be sending teams to several local preseason tournaments.

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When asked about the objective of the sessions, Mick said he “was hoping to improve the overall condition of the younger players especially”, noting that he “impressed by the level of commitment and improvement, a good sign for 2010″.

With the training sessions running four times a week until Christmas, Mick is hoping that the players involved in the group will be able to boost the overall fitness level within the club, which was telling towards the end of last season.

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After several years of struggling at the top level to compete against the larger regions, the Zone has invested the resources to improve the overall standing.

A training squad of 35 is being picked for the initial training with this squad being reduced to 25 in anticipation of the games ahead.

The team is expected to play the Gold Coast Breakers development squad prior to the Championship as well.

The team will also be playing the curtainraiser, in Lismore, for the NSW versus Queensland game 23 January, against Hunter Valley, winners of last year’s country championship. An earlier indicator of the progress of the team.

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The revival is due to the University’s involvement as a key supporter of the women’s division at this year’s Byron Bay Rugby Sevens tournament, being held this weekend at Byron Bay.

It is also part of the Byron Bay Sevens 20-year anniversary celebrations – which include a reunion dinner this weekend for former Southern Cross University Rugby Club members that will see a host of SCU alumni attending, as well as Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Lee.

Also playing this weekend are two SCU men’s division X Rats teams, so it should be a very successful weekend for the Southern Cross University club.

All of the women in the team have extensive touch football backgrounds, with Candy Boggs and Tahlia Rutherford both being former touch representative players.

Halfback Kristy Jones is the most experienced rugby player in the team and will look to lead her teammates around the ground.

The team is made up totally of current students from the University, with the Southern Cross Gold Rats first grade coach John Jenkins at the helm.

Professor Jenkins is the Head of the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, and the rugby club is excited that a coach of his credentials is involved in the revival of the women’s rugby team at SCU.

His coaching assistants are SCU student and former Gold Rats second grade coach and current first grade five-eighth, James Jeffress, and SCU student Wil Latham.

“All of the girls have been training extremely well over the last two months, and their progress both as individuals and as a team has been outstanding,” Jeffress said.

The tournament begins tomorrow, Saturday, October 17, with the SCU women’s team to play three games in pool B, kicking off their campaign at 10.40am at the Byron Bay Recreation Grounds in Tennyson Street. They will play Coffs Harbour, the much fancied Papua New Guinea Defence Force team, and interstate rivals, the University of Queensland.

PICTURE: SCU women’s rugby team members and their coaches, who will play in the Byron Bay Rugby Sevens tournament this weekend.

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