FARRER’S biggest home game of the season will kick off at 11am today as the school hosts St Gregory’s Campbelltown in a do or die final pool game of the GIO Schoolboys’ Cup.
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The winner will go through to the finals along with Hills Sports High from a pool of four, with the loser left to focus on next year.
In his first year at the helm of Farrer’s First XIII, coach Chris Oxford is confident the boys can get a win if they play to their potential.
Farrer kicked off its campaign with a devastating last- minute loss to Hills Sports, following a 6-all draw this time last year between the two schools.
“It was a good, tough game,” Oxford said.
“We were up 10-8 with 30 seconds to go and they crashed over.”
The second game against Illawarra High was in gale force winds a week later during the violent Sydney storms.
“One of their kick-offs went about eight metres forward and then over the kicker’s head, bounced on the 30 metre line and went dead,” Oxford said.
“It was amazing and we got a penalty on halfway.”
The boys opted to run into the wind in the first half and rely on their fitness in the second.
It worked a treat as they turned a 10-6 halftime lead into a 27-6 victory.
15-year-old fullback Hayden Lockrey was man of the match in that game, and Oxford is hoping he can carry that form into today.
Fellow Year 10 student Josh Birmingham is playing five-eighth and will direct the attack alongside captain and halfback Tom Say.
“We have only let in 16 points in two games so our defence has been good,” Oxford said.
“We were disappointed to only score 10 points in the first game so have been doing a lot of work on our attack.”
Oxford said that too many players were trying to direct the attack in previous matches.
“It was causing some confusion and some plays got a bit lost.”
Today the halves combination of Say and Birmingham will run the attack, along with experienced hooker Corey Manicaros.
St Gregs also beat Illawarra, but only by four points, and also went down to Hills Sports by a try.
“I think it is quite evenly matched,” Oxford said.
“They are a very honest side that works hard.”
It is Farrer’s first home match in the Cup and Oxford hopes the boys react to the home crowd well.
“I am going in reasonably confident,” he said.
“Whoever turns up on the day will go to the finals.”