BY MARK CASHMAN

Woodies and Waratahs flyhallf Tane Edmed is off to New Zealand’s NPC to get some game time under his belt and restore some of the confidence that has been knocked around by the Tahs’ season from hell.

Around The Traps is hearing that Edmed will fly out in the coming days with the Kiwi season set to kick off in the second week of August.

North Harbour finished 10th last season and Edmed will come under the guidance of Ben Afeaki (the former prop).

There will be another Aussie in the North Harbour squad with lock and flanker Ben Grant amongst the names I have seen.

Game management is one of the things that the young Aussie needs to work on and some good week to week footy until the end of October might just be what he needs to regain some confidence.

His goal kicking, which has been flaky of late, will also be something he can work on north of the bridge.

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The Warringah Rats are going along swimmingly at the moment but skipper Ben Marr needs to tone down the try celebrations or he will injure his own teammates!

Twice in the win over West Harbour last weekend Marr’s enthusiasm for a celebration went close to knocking out a fellow Rat.

First it was the in-form Harvey Elms in the first half of the 24-12 win over the Pirates and then later when centre Luke McReady went over from close to the line.

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We spoke a couple of weeks back about promising players in the Two Blues juniors being lured away to other clubs and other codes.

Well in a move that should be loudly applauded by all in the Shute Shield the good people at The Eric are advertising for a Head of Colts for next season.

It’s a paid position and the major role is to keep as many of the wave of talent that is just about everywhere in Sydney’s west in the game and filtering up to the Two Blues colts and grade systems.

Two Blues general manager Randy Basra has already had 20 plus expressions of interest for the role including a number from New Zealand, Brisbane and Melbourne.

“We’re working on a strategy to keep the good juniors that we do have in our system and this is a vital part of that,” Basra told Around The Traps.

“There are so many good footy players out there in Sydney’s west and sometimes we are not getting to them until it is too late.”

The appointee will work with the Two Blues Colts coaches, schools and the juniors who have had significant success in recent years.

It’s a job where the benefits won’t be reaped overnight but it’s a significant piece of the jigsaw of keeping rugby front of mind in the area.

All enquiries to gm@twobluesrugby.com.au.

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The next couple of weeks in the Shute Shield is going to be very interesting as we set sail for the finals.

A number of Wallabies look like putting their hands up to play club footy over the next period of time as Joe Schmidt values time on the field.

Lalakai Foketi I’m told will come off the bench for the Manly Marlins this weekend against Gordon at Chatswood Oval.

Foketi didn’t make the July squad for the games against Wales and Georgia but he’s obviously super keen to keep his efforts front and centre.

There will be more as the match day 23s for the Tests become apparent.

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The derby against Randwick is always big but the Back To Easts day on Saturday at Woollahra Oval will be something special.

The first grade side will play in a special retro jersey to honour the 1969 side that won the Shute Shield – the last won to do a lap of honour on grand final day.

The jumper features the club logo from 1969 and a special white collar that were all the rage as we headed into the swinging 1970s.

Not sure if they are auctioning off the game worn ones but there seems to me that there is a bit of a market for kit like that.

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My recipe swapping buddy and Rugby News colleague Jon Geddes was telling me about a versatile couple of girls who have been strutting their stuff for the Warringah Ratettes this season.

In a time where specialisation is the “thang” Charlize Grace and April O’Neill may well lay claim to being some of the more versatile rugby players in the country.

‘Amazing’ Grace was the player of the match packing in at hooker when the Ratettes recently defeated the Two Blues 38-26.

“She had been coming off the bench because she can play everywhere in the forward pack,” coach Nick Brown told Geddes.

“She probably prefers seven, but she can play anywhere in the backrow, loosehead prop, hooker and halfback as well.”

Not to be outdone O’Neil has played hooker, loosehead prop, seven, eight and on the wing against the Two Blues.

So the next step for this duo – refereeing the match?

Oh yes that’s right George Gregan used to do that for the Wallabies a decade or so ago!

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The inaugural staging of the Red, Black and Tartan luncheon went off pretty much without a hitch last Friday at the Crows Nest Hotel.

Around The Traps was home on the lounge just beyond sundown after rubbing shoulders with close to 70 stalwarts from both Northern Suburbs and Gordon.

We were all well fed and well watered and as the afternoon wore on many of the un told stories were told.

The identity of the Gordon culprits that “kidnapped” the portrait of John Thornett from the foyer of the old Norths club shall remain unknown but one of them told me of the urgent incoming phone calls the next morning after he had woken up with the sizeable portrait leaning against his bed.

The much cherished portrait was returned and order (until next time) was restored!

The portrait was donated to the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra by the family when ‘Thorn’ passed away a couple of years back.

The story that I really liked though revolved around former Norths fullback from the 1970s and 1980s Roger Cornforth, who was a pretty handy cricketer in his youth.

Cornforth,  the son of legendary Wallaby No.345 Roger Warcup Cornforth, had to pick up a 16-year-old Allan Border and transport him to cricket one Saturday to play for Mosman.

It was Border’s first grade debut for the Whales that day and the then 18-year-old Cornforth asked ‘AB’ if he was nervous about what was ahead.

In true ‘AB’ style Border deadpanned back: “No” and continued to look out the passenger side window.

Yes he had ice in his veins even at the age of 16

Gold, absolute gold!