The first time the Armidale Rams and Uralla Tigers met this season they played out one of the matches of the year in Group 19, but they’ve had to wait almost five months to meet again.
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Armidale fought off a fast-finishing Uralla side 36-32 at Woodville Oval in the opening round of 2014. They were scheduled to meet again in late June, but due to the referees’ strike, that match was postponed.
Tomorrow’s match is the last before semi-finals begin and the two sides now sit on opposite ends of the Group 19 table.
Armidale are fourth, with a small possibility to finish third and host a home semi-final, while Uralla sit last, but that doesn’t mean tomorrow’s match will have any less meaning for either side.
Tensions were high at the beginning of the year after a number of past Armidale players transferred to suit up for the Tigers in 2014.
Uralla struggled with player numbers and injury throughout the year, but they fielded close to their full-strength side last weekend and pushed minor premiers the Moree Boomerangs to the end in a 29-16 loss.
Rams president Terry Carson said if Uralla fields a similar side they will present a big challenge for the Rams. “It depends who is playing for them really,” he said.
“But we are going to have to be on our game.
“They’re going to be tough if last week’s performance is anything to go on.
“They always get up to play us.”
Carson said they would not be focusing on what Uralla might bring tomorrow, but concentrating on not making the same mistakes that have haunted them throughout the season.
“We tend to shoot ourselves in the foot more than teams beat us,” he said.
“We just need to concentrate on completing our sets and getting to our kick.”
Uralla coach Carl Press agrees the game won’t be played with as much animosity as the round one affair.
“There won’t be as much ill feeling as the was at the start of the season,” he said.
“That was the start of the year and there was a fair bit of hype around that game.”
Press said second rower Dwayne Daley will be the only player in his line-up that played for the Rams last year.
“There will be some that had an association in the past, but he is the only one from last year,” he said.
The Tigers fielded a fresh 17 players for the first time in the top grade all season last weekend and Press said that would be the same case again tomorrow, but they will also welcome back some key players.
“Fred Campbell, Fletcher Strong and Rob Farrell all come back in, which will be a big boost for us,” he said.
“After last week’s performance, there is a bit of belief back.
“We just want to finish the year off strong.”