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Easts' coach risking debutant against Tuggeranong today
By GEOFF HAWKE
RUGBY
Eastern Suburbs' coach Charles
Bamford will risk an untried first-grader
to stiffen his mid-fleld defence for to
day's FAI rugby union match of the
round against Tuggeranong, at Manuka
Oval.
Debutante Brian Davis has been ele
vated to the First XV at inside-centre,
and Peter Smith has moved from inside
to outside-centre.
Two other changes have been made to
the team, which was thumped 42-10 by
Daramalan at Rugby Park last week.
Nathan Morris will play fullback in
stead of Natt Nobbs, and captain Mi
chael Harrison returns to the flank for
Paul Docherty.
Daramalan's incisive backs cut a
swathe through the almost non-existent
Easts1 backline defence last week to
score seven of their eight tries.
It was an impressive display from
Daramalan, which appeared Anally to
have its sights focused firmly on the
September 14 grand final.
But Bamford refuses to be flustered
by his side's lapse and is adamant it
will not happen against the Vikings.
"We were slow to move and to react
to Daramalan last week," he said. "But
1 think we are capable of improving on
that performance. If you look at our
record over the year, that defeat last
Saturday was one-off.
"Sure, we've had defensive lapses be
fore, but they've always been followed
by an improvement the following week."
The improvement will need to be dra
matic, as Tuggeranong has several ex
citing and creative backs capable of
taking advantage of any hesitation in
defence.
Against Queanbeyan at Taylor Park
last week, the Viking wingers were mer
ciless. Jim Swan scored three and
Vaughn Crowe two tries in a command
ing 39-3 victory.
Tuggeranong coach Duncan Hail
wants more of the same today. "We'll
secure the bail and run at them," he
said. "We've been doing that all year
and I see no reason to change now."
The forward battle is likely to be a
feature of the match. Easts have shown
they have one of the most ruthless
packs in the competition and, led by
Harrison, they are capable of dominat
ing equally well in the tight and the
loose.
Easts' inability in the backs is high
lighted by the fact they have just one
player among the leading try-scorers for
the season. Harrison, with six, is a for
ward. The only other forward to feature
in the leading try-scorers is Wests'
Craig Bretton.
But Easts do have a potent goal kick
er in David Sheil, who leads the overall
pointscoring with 160.
If Tuggeranong can match Easts' for
ward power and exploit deficiencies in
the backs, the Vikings will hold on to
their second place on the ladder.
If they lose and Royals, as expected,
defeats Wests at Phillip District, Royals
will have deposed them. In other
matches, Daramalan plays Queanbeyan
at Rugby Park and Norths take on Uni
versity at ANU North.
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