The GrainCorp NSW Country Cockatoos will be looking to complete a hattrick of wins on Saturday when they take on their city counterparts, NSW Suburban, at Allianz Stadium on Country Rugby Night. The match kicks off at 5.15pm this Saturday and will be played as a curtain raiser to the HSBC Waratahs FxPro Super Rugby encounter with New Zealand team, the Hurricanes.
With only one change to the side that last week recorded a second successive victory over the GrainCorp Qld Country Heelers to claim the Battle of the Borders title, the Cockatoos will be regain the Maher-Ross Cup and kick off Country Rugby Night with a win over Subbies.
With a number of players turning in stand out performances in Cowra last weekend, Cockatoos' coach Col Jeffs has made just one change to the side, lock Jeff Wilson replacing Va Talaileva, and will again expect big performances from the likes of hooker Steve Lamont, lock Gavin Holder, No 8 Mike Te Moana, flanker Josh Stewart and centre Sam Stewart.
But they will expect to be pressed all the way by the underdog NSW Subbies, holders of the Maher-Ross Cup courtesy of an 18-16 victory over the Cockatoos in last year's fixture, bucking the trend of recent years.
One player who may hold the key to Subbies' hopes is halfback Vinny Byrne, who played Shute Shield rugby for Warringah, Gordon and Norths before joining Division four Subbies' club Brothers last year, helping them to gain promotion to Division Three this year. One of two Brothers players in the squad, Vinny also represented the Australian Sevens team in 2006.
When he takes the field, the match will make a remarkable achievement for playmaker Jake Havebond, who celebrates his ninth season in the Subbies representative team. Having made his debut in 2002, the playmaker returns to representative honours this year, having recovered from a serious ankle injury suffered in the corresponding game at the SFS in 2009 that forced his absence from the 2010 and 2011 sides.
The Subbies team will wear black armbands in memory of former Subbies and Newport halfback Moape Ravuvu, 42, who sadly passed away yesterday.
Themed as Country Rugby Night, Saturday evening will be hosted by NSW's Narromine-born flanker Pat McCutcheon and his puppy Wally. As well as the curtain raiser between the GrainCorp NSW Country Cockatoos and NSW Subbies at 5.15pm, there will be plenty in store for everyone when the Forecourt comes to life. Pick up your free Volvo seat cushion on your way in to the ground, test your skills on the Volvo interactive skills station, upload your photos with HSBC's photo booth and enjoy the ever-popular face painting, all located with the forecourt area by Gate A. The action doesn't stop at half time, when we'll have the HSBC high ball challenge and it's flash flags at the ready as one spectator will win $5000 with HSBC's Flash for Cash.
Tickets for the Cockatoos v Subbies curtain raiser match and the FxPro Super Rugby clash between the HSBC Waratahs and Hurricanes are available online from Ticketek priced from $20 for adults, $10 for juniors and $50 for a family of four.
Full match day information, including travel and transport arrangements, is available online at www.waratahs.com.au under the Hurricanes match day heading.
Those who can't make it to Moore Park can follow the Cockatoos v Subbies match as it happens with the Subbies' LIVE twitter updates by following @subbiesrugby.
GrainCorp NSW Country Cockatoos: 15.Ben Harriss (Newcastle Hunter, Hamilton), 14. Callum McDonald (Newcastle Hunter, Merewether Carlton), 13. Anthony Barrett (Newcastle Hunter, Wanderers), 12. Sam Stewart (North Coast, Lennox Head), 11. Lewie Catt (Newcastle Hunter, Hamilton), 10. Ben Greentree (Illawarra, Woonona Shamrocks), 9. Jacob Robinson (Far North Coast, Lennox Head), 8. Mike Te Moana (New England, Armidale), 7. Josh Stewart (Central North, Tamworth Pirates, captain), 6. Corey Te Koeti (Newcastle Hunter, Wanderers), 5. Jeff Wilson (Far North Coast, Lennox Head), 4. Gavin Holder (Illawarra, Camden), 3. Shannon Beaven (Central Coast, Kariong), 2. Steve Lamont (Newcastle Hunter, Hamilton), 1.Kevin McNamara (Central Coast, Warnervale)
Replacements: 16. Peter Nau (Central West, Dubbo Roos), 17.John Adams (Central North, Moree), 18. Nick Palmer (Newcastle Hunter, Hamilton), 19. Alex Burnheim (Western Plains, Coonamble), 20. Tim Small (Illawarra, Bowral), 21. Don Napia (Illawarra, University), 22. Paddy Kilmurray (Newcastle Hunter, Hamilton), 23. Joel Diggins (Illawarra, Vikings)
Coach -- Col Jeffs
Assistant Coach -- Mark Giacheri
Manager -- David Holt
Assistant Manager -- George Connaughton
Doctor -- David Cannon & Brian Witt
Physio -- Nathan Renwick
NSW Suburban: 15.Andrew Vernon (Campbelltown), 14. Sebastian Burfitt (Redfield), 13. Chris Newton (Drummoyne), 12. Perofeta Silva (St Patricks), 11. Greg Dunn (Campbelltown), 10. Dan Kelly (Colleagues, captain), 9. Vinny Byrne (Brothers), 8. Adam Choice (Campbelltown), 7. Craig Thomas (Brothers), 6. Matthew Battishall (Oatley), 5. Glen Packer (Campbelltown), 4. Mitch Hardy (St Patricks), 3. Tony Barry (Colleagues), 2. Bill Johnston (Colleagues), 1. James Warwick-Smith (St Patricks)
Replacements: 16. Murray Scoles (St Patricks), 17. Patrick Galvin (Hunters Hill), 18. Nick Watson (Colleagues), 19. TBC, 20. Joe McSwiney (Hunters Hill), 21. John Volckman (Colleagues), 22. Henry Clark (Mosman), 23. Jake Havebond (Drummoyne).
Coach - Damon Baffico
Assistant Coaches - Kristain Berghofer and Scott Podmore
Physio - Aaron Lewis
Manager - Peter Holt