The big, the old & the ugly: Unsung heroes who have led Gordon into Shute Shield decider
By Jon Geddes
“A BIG old ugly pack” has been instrumental in Gordon’s amazing late season revival which has resulted in the Highlanders lining up against Sydney University in Saturday’s Shute Shield grand final at Leichhardt Oval.
That description of the Highlanders’ forwards comes from one of their own, inspirational skipper and No.7 James Lough.
Midway through the premiership Gordon were languishing at the bottom end of the ladder and a finals appeared a distant pipedream.
A late season revival saw them scrape into seventh spot. In the finals series Gordon have subsequently beaten Warringah, Randwick and Norths in sudden death clashes to qualify for the premiership decider.
Laying the platform have been those eight men up front who stoked the engine by getting down and dirty in the scrums, mauls and lineouts.
“We’ve got a big, old ugly pack, there’s no other way to put it,” Lough told Rugby News.
“When you look at them, they are old a