By Angus Hayman

Two years ago, Shore shocked the GPS competition by claiming a premiership few saw coming. 

Now, the challenge is no longer proving they belong among the competition’s best. The challenge is staying there. 

Saturday’s clash against Riverview presents another opportunity to do exactly that. After a frustrating start to the season that produced two narrow losses and two draws, Shore finally put together their most complete performance of the year in a 33-21 victory over Kings. 

More importantly, it was built on defence. Kings managed just three tries, with much of their attack relying on moments of individual brilliance rather than sustained pressure. Shore First XV coach Angus Sinclair said tightening up defensively had been a major focus throughout the opening rounds. 

“We’ve scored a lot of points all season, but we’ve probably conceded too many as well,” Sinclair told Rugby News.

“If you can keep teams under 20 points in this competition, generally you’re going to win games of footy.”  

While pleased with the defensive effort, Sinclair said there was still another level for his side to reach after leaving several attacking opportunities on the field against Kings. 

“I thought our attack was a little bit off last weekend,” he said. “We still scored some quick tries, but I thought we probably left a few opportunities out there as well.” The win continued a broader shift that has taken place within the Shore rugby program over recent seasons. 

After years spent battling near the bottom of the GPS ladder, Shore’s rise began before their premiership-winning campaign. A second-place finish in 2022 helped lay the foundations, before the title-winning side in 2024 transformed expectations around the program entirely. 

Sinclair said the success of recent years has changed both the belief within the playing group and the perception of Shore across the competition.

“The culture in the school and the belief has certainly changed. We believe we can beat anyone on any weekend,” he said. 

“What we have now is a really connected group that works hard together.” 

The coach also pointed to last season’s injury challenges as an unlikely factor in the development of this year’s squad. With younger players forced into First XV rugby earlier than expected, many gained valuable experience that is now paying dividends. 

“What it did last year was give this group heaps of time in the First XV that they potentially might not have had otherwise,” he said. “They became battle-hardened and used to First XV rugby.” 

That growing confidence has been matched by a noticeable change in playing style. 

Traditionally known for moving the ball and relying on speed and skill, this year’s Shore side has built its success around a powerful and experienced forward pack. Sinclair said the group has allowed Shore to play a different brand of rugby than in previous seasons. 

“Our forward pack has really dominated games this year,” he said. 

“We probably wouldn’t traditionally say Shore has the biggest forward pack, but they can certainly match it with anyone physically.” 

The pack features seven Year 12 players and a Year 11 player in his second season of First XV rugby, giving Shore both size and experience in the tight exchanges. 

That physicality will be crucial against Riverview. The opening-round meeting between the sides remains one of the closest contests of the season. Riverview escaped with victory after Shore created opportunities late but couldn’t quite land the finishing blow. 

Since then, Riverview have emerged as one of the competition’s benchmark sides and currently sit alongside Newington at the top of the ladder. Their consistency and ability to execute the fundamentals have made them one of the toughest teams to beat. 

For Shore, the rematch represents both a chance for revenge and an opportunity to prove their premiership credentials. 

“We had opportunities to win that game at the end and weren’t good enough to take them,” Sinclair said. “We’ve certainly been looking forward to this game.” Adding further intrigue is the venue. 

Shore will host the match on home soil, something Sinclair believes can play a significant role in schoolboy rugby where familiar surroundings and strong crowd support often provide an extra edge. 

“We’ve got home-ground advantage this week, which I think is really big in schoolboy rugby,” he said. With home-ground advantage and confidence building after their strongest performance of the year, Shore enter Saturday knowing exactly what awaits them.