by Paul Cook –

Sydney University halfback Jake Gordon comes in to his first grand final off the back of his most consistent season to date. A key component in the Students high-octane attacking mantra, the 23-year-old has spent the year training with the Waratahs, and his level of performance and 16-try contribution, are a clear indication that he is heading firmly in the right direction marked Super Rugby.

Standing alongside Gordon at scrumtime and competing for chirps into the ref’s ear is Michael Dowsett. Fresh off a couple of years with the Brumbies, the quickfire 24-year-old returned to his red and black roots for last week’s semi-final and barely skipped a beat. Clearly happy to be back amongst his former team mates, a frustrating lack of game time down in Canberra means he is revelling in the chance to play a major role in helping them to a historic victory.

Rugby News got the views of both players and their respective head coaches ahead of what looms as a thrilling contest between two of the most exciting young halfbacks in the country.

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ON THE GAME:

Jake Gordon:

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this season, from training with the Waratahs, which has benefited my game, to taking on a more senior role at Uni, which I’ve loved, and this week has been very exciting. It’s the first time for myself and a few others, and the buzz around the group has been really good.

“What they’ve built at Uni this year is something very special. They’ve worked so hard for this since September last year and I’ve been lucky enough to come back and join the group. Tim Davidson and Garrick Cowley have put a huge amount of faith in us this year and really let the players have some input into how we wanted to play, and because we play such a fast game, I’ve had to work extra conditioning into my training to be able to perform under fatigue.

“Both teams have had unreal seasons. A Minor Premiership versus an impressive winning streak is tough to separate, but I think momentum is the biggest thing come finals time. You saw that last year with the Highlanders in Super Rugby. Hopefully it’s a great spectacle.”

Michael Dowsett:

“I care a great deal about the club, it’s where I’ve played all my club rugby before heading to Canberra. ‘Cronny’ and Will (Eggleston) are obviously quality coaches, so getting to come back and contribute as well as continuing to improve as a player was something I was really keen to do.

“Knowing most of the boys – and Cronny – well, definitely helped last week. The group is young but guys like Angus Sinclair have steered the team around really well all season and that made my job a lot easier. Both teams love to move the ball In attack so Hopefully the weather clears up a bit and it’s a really entertaining game.”

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ON EACH OTHER:

Jake Gordon:

“We’ve actually played each other a few times through colts and the NRC. Michael’s very skilled with a good pass and a great kicking game. I think he’ll provide a lot of energy and experience around the field and it’s a match up I thoroughly look forward to.

“We’ve really tried to play an expansive game of rugby which our fans could really be proud of, and this weekend will be no different. We will look to play with speed and power and Norths will look to slow us down and bash us – how exciting!”

Michael Dowsett:

“Jake is a great player. I think he’s been with the Waratahs for a few years now and it’s certainly showing by the sounds of things. But they have threats all over the park so it’s hard to focus on one player.

“As cliched as it sounds, it will come down to which pack can recycle the ball the quickest. I think early on last week we let Souths get on the ball but fixed it quickly and ended up scoring quite a few points with very little ball.”

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THE COACHES VIEW:

Tim Davidson:

“Jake has been a standout performer and provider for our team and it’s no secret that when he plays well, we play well. As athletes, they’re fairly similarly matched, and judging on last week, they’re both in good form. The speed with which they are able to clear the ruck will determine how quickly both teams can play, and I think that will also determine the result.”

Simon Cron:

“They’re both quick to the breakdown, they can both scoot and they’ve both got very good passes, so it should be a really interesting contest. How each of them kick will also be interesting in terms of field position and space. It’ll be a great battle.”