By JON GEDDES

AT the start of this year hooker Matt Faessler was sweating it out at Latham Park in Maroubra doing pre-season training with Randwick in a bid to re-establish his rugby career.

He had been left in limbo after being released by the Queensland Reds and receiving no interest from the other Australian Super franchises.

Now the man who will wear the No.2 jumper for the Galloping Greens in Saturday’s Shute Shield quarter-final against Sydney University at University Oval, finds himself edging towards what would be an incredible Wallaby call-up after kicking the door down when opportunity came knocking. 

“Matty was getting no love from any of the Super clubs at the end of last year,” said Randwick coach Ben McCormack. “He came off his deal with the Reds and they didn’t offer him anything.

“I don’t think there were too many other Super sides who were probably too aware of him because he had been up in Brissie the whole time.”

Faessler was potentially looking at joining the talent drain overseas before McCormack convinced him to have a change of scenery and come down to Sydney.

McCormack coached Faessler at the Brisbane Brothers club after recruiting him for Toowoomba Grammar School and the pair have remained in touch.

“At the end of last year I said to him ‘you need to get more eyes on you and the Sydney comp will do that without having to move away from Australia’,” McCormack said.                  

THE CALL THAT CHANGED IT ALL  

FAESSLER subsequently settled into Clovelly, enjoyed a summer on the fantastic eastern suburbs beaches and started preparing for the Shute Shield with his new club Randwick.

He was due to play the first trial game when he answered an SOS from the Reds and took a 10-week injury cover contract.

From there his stalled career hit the accelerator pedal – and at the end of that contract Queensland signed him for the rest of the season.

“Then they signed him for next year and at the end of the Super season he got a call-up to Australia A,” McCormack said.

Throughout Faessler’s topsy-turvy journey, McCormack was one person who recognized what had to offer.

 “I think Matty has always been a really good player, I have always rated him highly,” McCormack said.

“Another injury or two and he will play for the Wallabies before the end of the year.”   

THE BIG UNI TEST   

THE revitalized Randwick hooker and his teammates head into Saturday’s clash against the Students happy to be carrying the underdog tag.

Far from being overawed, the Galloping Greens are relishing the challenge ahead.

“We are really confident, in the last couple of years we have had a really good win against Uni at Uni in an important game,” McCormack said.

“We know how to beat them and we have the right recipe there, it’s about making sure everyone is on the right page.

“We are as keen as.

“Finals footy is why you play the game and to get Uni at Uni first up – perfect.”

McCormack said Sydney University are the most consistent team in the competition and the most consistent in the way they play the game.

“There are no secrets about what they are going to do and what they are going to bring and how they are going to play the game,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of whether you have the right plan to combat that and whether you can execute it on the day.”

THE FANTASTIC FOUR

WHILE the Galloping Greens finished third on the ladder, McCormack stopped short of agreeing that his  team has hit for at the right end of the season.

“We are hitting patches of form, that’s for sure,” the coach said. “It’s been a bit of an up and down year, everyone’s beaten everyone.

“We are putting better periods of footy together, it’s just increasing that for longer.  

“Consistency is definitely the thing.”

McCormack said the quartet of winger Christian Yassmin, centre Nick Chan, along with backrowers Ben Houston and James Tomkinson have played a big role in securing the club their top four spot.

“Ben and James are two of our hardest workers, they get through all the tough stuff every weekend,” McCormack said.

“Nick has been a bit of a rock for us at 12 and ‘Yassy’ has been scoring plenty of tries and he had a real hot eight-to-10-week period during the middle of the year.”

The team’s strength has also been bolstered by the returns of Faessler, No.8 Christian Poidevin, centre Dan O’Brien, No.10 Ben Donaldson and fullback Andrew Deegan. 

It is a timely change of fortune for McCormack who has had to use 45 players in first grade this season. 

“It’s just part of the game, I think that is a feather in the cap of the club because we have been able to pivot and keep moving,” he said. “The club has all seven grades playing finals footy.”