AFTER a weekend off, Tamworth’s Sam Gray, Sam Rooney and Lochie Urquhart are ready to rip in for the Country Eagles Western Province 17s again.
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The Eagles had the bye last week after kicking off their Junior Gold Cup campaign with a 12-point win over the Sydney Stars Eastern Province.
Scone’s Sam Laurie, Narrabri’s Will Morley and Pirates’ Bo Abra were also part of that success, and will join the Magpies trio in Sydney for their double header against Met East today and Victoria tomorrow.
It should be a good weekend and, as well as the games, the boys are excited about watching the Waratahs and Reds clash tonight.
“That’s going to be mad,” Gray said.
He’s only a relative newcomer to rugby.
“Last year was my first year of rugby,” he said.
“I came across from league.”
It was one of the reasons he was surprised to make the final squad.
Also, being only 15, he was competing against players a year older than him for a spot.
The pool from which the squad was picked was also expanded, with Central North joining forces with Western.
“It’s been a great experience just to play with older boys,” Gray said.
Usually a five-eighth, he was put into half-back against the Stars.
“I enjoyed it, being around the ball more,” he said.
“It’s possibly a future position for me.”
He was a half-back in league but that is, skillset-wise, probably closer to a five-eighth than half-back.
He said they would take a lot of confidence out of the win over the Stars but is expecting this weekend, today especially, to be a big step up.
“They’re going to be big,” he said.
“I expect they’re going to be running at us a lot.”
Rooney is one of the Eagles’ flyers out wide.
He has played mainly on the wing but can also play fullback.
“When they need me to play fullback I play there,” he said.
He would admittedly like to see a bit more ball this weekend but said the backline for their first run together went pretty well against the Stars.
“We’ve doing all right,” he said. “Everyone knows their roles.”
It’s his first time involved in the Junior Gold program, as it is Urquhart. He’s the odd one out as a forward.
Mostly packing at hooker, he has also played a bit at flanker over the years.
He said the program has been good for his rugby.
“It’s definitely improved my footy playing up in this type of level,” he said.
This weekend will be another jump up in level.
“There’s going to be some big boys,” he said.
“But we’ve got a pretty decent pack ourselves.”
And they will be stronger as a team, having had a game together.
