Shute Shield: Rebels Grind Out A Vital Win At Icy Granville
by Paul Cook -
“We ground that one out,” admitted Southern Districts’ coach Matt Barr after watching his side defeat Parramatta 27-17 in difficult conditions at Merrylands RSL Rugby Park on Saturday.
Not that that's a negative thing. Too often this season, the Rebels have come unstuck when it came to getting down and dirty but their drive, determination and application couldn’t be faulted on this occasion, sheer bloody mindedness and dogged defence setting the platform for a vital win that lifts them above the Two Blues into 5th place on the Shute Shield ladder.
The dominant side in the opening stanza, they led 20-10 at half-time before fighting off a late Parramatta revival to gain revenge for the 1pt loss at the hands of their hosts a mere five weeks ago. A certain Taqele Naiyaravoro grabbed a h