by Paul Cook –

When UC Vikings head coach Wayne Southwell spoke about the need for his side to find consistency ahead of last week’s clash with the Sydney Rays, another loss and the concession of almost 60pts for the second week in a row was not exactly the uniformity he was after. In fact, the 58-14 demolition was the Canberrans biggest margin of defeat since the NRC began.

That they were so abject in the opening forty minutes at Pittwater Rugby Park, against an admittedly red-hot Rays outfit who had racked up a 46-8 advantage by the break, was something the coach himself was struggling to comprehend at the full-time whistle.

“That was more than just disappointing that one,” a clearly bemused Southwell told Rugby News. “A really poor effort in the first half defensively obviously, with six tries to one, and it’s hard to put my finger on why, other than first-up tackles that should be made. There was a lack of communication in the defensive line in the first half, and that’s something we’d worked on all week, so I’m not sure what’s going on there.”

Having eventually been blown away 60-44 by Melbourne Rising in round five, and with only two games left in which to secure a semi-finals berth, some of the selection decisions made by the Vikings coaching team ahead of the trip to Sydney were somewhat puzzling. Skipper Jarrad Butler and centre Andrew Smith were left to rest-up in Canberra, while fellow Brumby Joe Powell was restricted to an impact role, joining three debutants on the Vikings bench.

Josh Turner runs in another Rays try on what was a tough day at the office for the Vikings – Photo: Karen Watson

Of course, the NRC is tailored to be a breeding ground for emerging prospects, while player management in terms of the Super Rugby contracted Brumbies is understandable. But it still seemed odd to be diluting the talent pool to that extent for a game of such relative importance in the context of the competition. However, Southwell felt there were other elements at play, which contributed to their dramatic demise.

“We had two really good players out there in Dan Penca and Brent Hamlin, so I don’t think that was a real factor, and they’re guys that will bring a real energy as well,” he said. “It just seems that every team we’re playing is clicking, and we just don’t seem to be able to get the start that we would like. That’s been the story of the last three games where we’ve been chasing the scoreboard right from the get-go, and that’s a very disappointing factor.

“We had a game plan against the Rays to try and control possession and we probably did a little bit better numbers-wise in doing that, but on the other hand we let a lot of soft tries in. We just have to keep working at it, there’s not much of an answer there other than we have to tackle better.”

At 46-8 at half-time, things could have ended up a whole lot worse for the Vikings had they continued in the same vein. But fired up from a few choice words from their coach, they did regroup to limit the damage in the second stanza with a more cohesive and combative display, thanks in part to a positive injection from their replacements. It is a platform Southwell hopes they can build on as they look towards Sunday’s must-win clash with Perth Spirit.

“We certainly showed a lot of fight in that second half but again, we didn’t really take the options that were available and struggled through. We seemed to have plenty of energy off the bench with guys coming on, and that continues to be a positive for us. But we’re in a pretty hot position now in terms of getting that top four spot.”

Southwell (right) watches events unfold at Pittwater Rugby Park last Saturday – Photo: Karen Watson

That they most certainly are, and with six clubs all vying for a shot at finals football, it promises to be an exciting denouement to a regular season that has offered arguably the highest quality of rugby seen thus far in the three-year old competition.

With the NSW Country Eagles and Sydney Rays already assured of their spots and only left to vie for the Minor Premiership this weekend, it is down to the Vikings, Spirit, Rising, and wildcards the Western Sydney Rams, to jostle for the remaining two positions. Given the nature of their predicament, it is perhaps no surprise to see the cavalry returning to the Viking ranks.

Back come Butler and Smith, and Powell is restored to a starting spot at the expense of Hamlin. Wallabies Sam Carter and Josh Mann-Rae starch up the pack, while veteran prop Ben Alexander has been brought out of 2017 Super Rugby cold storage to lend his significant nous and experience to the cause as well. Should they get the result they need and keep the same line-up for the semis, they may yet go on to better last year’s runners-up finish.

“The thing is to make the four and once you make the four its just one game, and we’ve come from that position before,” affirms Southwell. “It’s knockout footy after that, so whether you finish one through four it’s not going to matter much either way. We’ve got another shot at it against Perth so we need to remain positive. It’ll be a tough game but if these guys show the fight they showed in the second half [against the Rays], I’ll be happy.”