After 22 arduous weeks of rugby it’s finally here.
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Robb College and the Armidale Blues face off at Bellevue Oval in tomorrow’s highly anticipated New England Rugby first grade grand final.
It was the decider many predicted after the two sides sat at the top of the competition ladder for the majority of the season.
The Blues were the runaway minor premiers and head into the grand final huge favourites.
But two surprising late season losses showed the rest of the competition the Blues were not invincible.
Robb have been the quiet achievers of the New England Rugby competition in 2014.
The students were consistent throughout the season to finish second, although lost all three matches they played against the Blues. Both sides could have late changes to the sides that took the paddock in last weekend’s semi-finals. The Blues have confirmed Peter Cumming is out with a cheek bone injury. “Yep he’s out,” Blues coach Anthony McMillan said.
“It’s all swollen up.”
He will be replaced by experienced campaigner and Blues’ second grade coach Mark Charter. Blues’ number eight Mike Te Moane limped from the field during last weekend’s semi-final win over the Barbarians with a calf injury but McMillan is expecting him to take the field tomorrow.
“Mike will be right as long as he doesn’t niggle it again,” McMillan said.
“We’ve had him wrapped up in cotton wool all week.”
Skipper Ed Hiscox will also come back into the side at open side breakaway, with Alex Smith to shift back to blind side. Robb outside centre Josh Carter is desperately racing the clock to be fit for the decider.
He dislocated an ankle against Baa Baas a month ago and hasn’t played since. Robb coach Sam Ditchfield is hoping the gun outside back will pull through, although he is next to no chance to be in the starting 15.
“Unless Josh makes a remarkable recovery he will probably start from the bench,” he said.
Winger Sam Platts is also under an injury cloud, but is expected to play.
McMillan wasn’t buying into the dominance his side has enjoyed over Robb when talking to the Armidale Express.
“That doesn’t mean anything now,” he said.
But he did say that his side’s finals experience would be a huge advantage over a young Robb side.
“We do have that experience over the students,” he said.
“You certainly can’t beat our experience.
“Our blokes know what it’s like to win a grand final and they know what it’s like to lose one.
“They know which is the better feeling.
“They’ve really had their heads switched on at training this week.”
Ditchfield said timing may have played a big part in their lacklustre results against the Blues this year.
“We got them the first week of the year and then we played them for double points the next time around,” he said.
“Last time we played them we were beaten convincingly but.
“I think the games we have played against them have been at a different level of intensity than they have played against the other sides.”
Ditchfield was refusing to let his side focus on shutting down any one Blues player.
“They are extremely good across the paddock,” he said.
“We have done a fair bit of homework and we know where we went wrong last time and what we have to fix.”
Grand finals are more often than not won on the back of strong defensive performances and Ditchfield said that had been a major focus at training this week.
“It will come down to how well we tackle,” he said.
“Our defence has been good all year.
“We need to nullify their big blokes running games.”
The Blues will take on Glen Innes in second grade, while Baa Baas tackle Gwydir in third grade.