The Southern Inland under 15s representative rugby team proved to be one of the surprises at the NSWJRU State Championship, finishing in sixth place at the tournament played in Concord over the June long weekend.
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Southern Inland were ranked 12th going into this year’s tournament and were grouped in Pool A with Gordon, North West Harbour and Warringah who were ranked first, fourth and seventh respectively.
Southern Inland may have been off the radar for some teams based on previous performances, the coaching staff was quietly confident that the team was capable of a quarter-final berth despite the limited preparation.
Two wins on the opening day confirmed the team's capability.
The Rams’ greater mobility saw the side secure a 32-0 win over North West Harbour Pirates which saw six different try-scorers, including one by Griffith’s Matt Parisotto.
Despite conceding an early try against the Warringah Rats, the Rams maintained their composure.
Nick Jones came off the bench and his punishing defence was a key factor in eroding the Rats’ discipline in the 21-12 win.
Day two was always going to be a test for the Rams as they faced tournament favourites, the Gordon Highlanders in the final pool round.
SIRU was starved of possession and only grit and tenacity prevented Gordon from scoring more in the 22-0 win.
The epic struggle against Gordon was replicated in the quarter-final match against Central West.
Fatigue and a few questionable refereeing calls at key moments in the game were big factors in the 22-0 loss.
The final day saw Southern Inland play-off for fifth against Central Coast.
The game swapped intensity for expansive rugby as Central Coast won the match 21-7.
Club rugby resumes this weekend, with Griffith hosting round five of the Southern Inland junior competition with matches being played at Jubilee Oval.
The Under 15s will see the top three teams of the competition in action.
In their first match of the day, the Blacks will face the in form Temora and then take on the Albury Steamers.
Griffith’s under 13s’ form over the previous two rounds has been solid and the team will be looking at consolidating their spot in the top three as they take on Temora and Albury.
Coach Ben Dartnell’s persistence and patience has been rewarded with the under 11s’ steady improvement each round. They face tough challenges in Hay and the second-placed Temora Tuskers. In the under nines, the two Griffith teams will take on Albury, Leeton and the Tuskers.
