By Jon Geddes

HAVING a famous surname has not led to any special favours for rising Eastern Suburbs forward Archie Gavin as he sets about carving out his own rugby career.

The son of former Wallaby great Tim Gavin will start at No.6 for the Beasties in Saturday’s big local derby against Randwick at Woollahra Oval.

And it has been a lot of hard work that has seen Archie get to play in the Shute Shield at the same club where his dad is a legend.

“He has been one of the stories of the club, I can’t express enough what a character he is,” Easts coach Simon Kneebone told Rugby News.

“Archie started a few years ago in fifth grade and has had to work his way through.”

Originally a No.12, Archie moved into the backrow where his dad was one of the best of his generation. Tim was a No.8 who played 47 Tests between 1988 and 1996.

Under Kneebone’s new regime in 2022 Gavin junior has become a regular member of the Easts’ first grade side, playing every game so far this season.

And Archie has clearly inherited some of the traits of his old man.

“He is a fantastic human being first, but is one of the toughest rugby players I have ever coached,” said Kneebone.

“Archie has his own way about him, the similarities on the field are that he will never give up.

“He has been injured numerous times on the rugby field and has finished 80 minutes without a look at the sidelines.

“Tough, uncompromising and a character – that’s everything I need in a rugby player.”

That is some rap coming from the experienced New Zealander who was previously head forwards coach with the Crusaders’ Academy and head coach of the Canterbury Under 19s, which is a high performance unit for the New Zealand Under 20s. And everyone knows the standard of players that are constantly turned out by the Crusaders’ system.

In a nice touch Archie and his dad will be involved in a unique double act in Saturday’s big derby.

While Archie will start the ball rolling in the Beasties’ first grade side against their arch-rivals, after the game his dad will also be putting on a show of his own when he and his Poly Pipes Band perform upstairs in the clubhouse at the Back To Easts Day.

POWERFUL TRIO 

GAVIN will be part of a very strong Easts backrow, boosted with the addition of Waratahs’ ace Charlie Gamble at No.7.

And the third member of the trio, No.8 Charles Elton, a recruit from Otago in New Zealand, will be another key man for Easts on Saturday.

He has made a real impact in the Shute Shield this season with stats revealing that the former NPC player is currently one of the top three defenders in the competition. No wonder Easts refer to him as “Mr Reliable”.

In the backs, Kneebone will be looking to centre and leader of the backline Jordan Jackson Hope to continue his good form.

He is back at the club after a stint in Japan where his game really improved in that professional environment.

POINTS TO BE MADE  

VICTORY in the Battle of the East could prove crucial for both sides in their race to secure a finals berth with the competition ladder so tight.

Randwick currently sit in sixth spot on 28 points, while Easts are ninth, just two points behind their fierce rivals.

“It is one of those games that holds a lot of heritage and it is also important for how we move forward,” Kneebone said.

“We are aware the points are important, but the focus is about us as a group constantly getting better and the boys have reacted to that.”

Easts go into Saturday’s battle after winning their two previous games against Gordon and West Harbour.

It appears that the programs and strategies introduced by Kneebone in his first season at the club are now starting to bear fruit as coaches and players have become more familiar with each other.

“I think there has been a wee bit of time in the saddle and them understanding me,” he said. “And it’s a big trust thing – there is a new coaching staff, there are new players – and them feeling comfortable.

“Rugby is around relationships and if they feel comfortable then they will perform.

“We are getting close to where I would have liked to have been earlier on in the season, but it takes time.

“We are starting to knock the nail on the head at the moment and that is fantastic.”

Kneebone said Easts were lucky to come away from Coogee Oval with a 22-19 win when the two sides met in round four.

“We understand Randwick are a very very good side and they are coming to Woollahra all guns blazing so we have a massive job on Saturday,” he said.