By TOM PRIMMER

Round Seven of the Hospital Cup is upon us, with the Grand Final rematch between Brothers and the University of Queensland headlining all the action.

Elsewhere, Norths will host GPS, Easts travel to Chipsy Wood Oval to take on Souths and Bond University take on Wests in Toowong.

With just five regular season fixtures remaining, the race to finals is well and truly heating up.

Let’s take a look around the grounds.

Brothers v University of Queensland | Crosby Park | 3:30pm

It doesn’t get much bigger than a Grand Final rematch between Brothers and Uni.

The historical rivals have set the benchmark over the past decade, and while both sides look fairly different to what we saw in last year’s decider, this one should be a cracker.

Experienced prop Tom Moloney will return for the butcher’s stripes, while Will Wilson, the older brother of Queensland Reds prop Harry, has moved into the side.

The battle of experienced playmakers Rohan Saifoloi (Brothers) and Scott Gale (UQ) will be pivotal around the park, while young outside backs Nate Caroll (Brothers) and Mac Grealy have set the competition alight in their maiden Premier Rugby seasons.

Brothers head coach Anthony Mathison said there was no shortage of motivation for his side this weekend.

“It’s always an exciting day when Brothers play Uni,” Mathison said.

“Everyone will be keen to put in a strong performance to get the win. There’s plenty of history between our clubs and that is certainly something that isn’t lost on any of our players or staff.

“Our main focus has been on getting our defence and breakdown right for UQ. We know we need to keep improving in these areas, especially against a quality Uni side.”

Coming off of a tight win against fellow premiership contenders GPS, Uni have made two changes to their front row, with Isaac Kailea and Brisbane City representative SJ Tamala coming into the side.

“We have such a rich history with Brothers that honestly it doesn’t matter if it’s a Grand Final rematch,” UQ Director of Rugby Elton Berrange said.

“We’ve played in Grand Finals against the old foe coming 21 times,

“It’s a big occasion because we’re both fighting for a top two finish. With the shortened competition this season every game is a must win.

“Against Brothers, you have to go for 85 minutes. There is no respite all game.”

Norths v GPS | Hugh Courtney Oval | 3:30pm

Norths will host GPS in Round Seven, with both sides’ coming off defeats last weekend.

The Eagles can contend with anyone on their day and will need to be at their best against the Gallopers, who fell narrowly to UQ last weekend.

The battle between the wingers will be fascinating at Hugh Courtney Oval, with speedsters Josh Collins (GPS) and Jon Reuben (Norths) facing off, as will the physical Abele Atunaisa (GPS) and the experienced Veresa Mataitini (Norths)

Both sides have gone with largely unchanged sides, with the win crucial this weekend in a shortened season.

GPS head coach Elwee Prinsloo is well aware of the Eagles’ strengths and will need his side to manage the key moments better after sub-par performances in recent weeks.

“This is probably the best Norths team since I’ve been in Brisbane the last three years,” Prinsloo said.

“They’ve got good balance with a big pack and solid backs. Reece Tapine is one of the leading ball carriers in the comp and his ability to get them go forward from set piece is massively valuable.

“They are a team that can beat anyone in the comp

“We will need to manage key moments in the game a little better that what we have in the last two games.”

Norths are without Nick Chapman, with a hamstring injury continuing his wretched run of injury, but will be bolstered by a strong home crowd at Shaw Road.

“Our key focus has been on communication this week,” Chapman said.

“We will have to match them physically as they are quite a big side and just make our first up tackles.”

Souths v Easts | Chipsy Wood Oval | 3:30pm

Easts will be out to strengthen their position in the top four, with the Magpies hoping to cause an upset at Chipsy Wood Oval this weekend.

After falling to Bond on the Gold Coast, the Tigers bounced back last round with a comprehensive victory over Norths, putting them into second spot on the ladder.

The contest between experienced fullbacks Luke Samoa (Souths) and Aidan Toua (Easts) shapes as a key matchup in this one, with both playmakers possessing experience at the elite level of the game.

Scrumhalves Eli Pilz (Easts) and Billy Rutherford (Souths) will also do battle, with Pilz arguably the player of the competition in 2020 and Rutherford impressing in his debut season.

With the Easts pack featuring the likes of Ben Mowen and Micha Gunn, both former Queensland Reds, the match is a great chance for Souths young group to again test themselves against the competition’s best.

The Tigers have swapped Fred Fewtrell and Fili Seruvatu in the second row, but have gone with an otherwise unchanged line-up.

Easts head coach Moses Rauluni said his side’s focus will be on shutting down the dangerous Magpies’ attack.

“They are very fit and are a very young side who will be eager to play with ball in hand,” Rauluni said.

“We have to shut down their attack early and not turn over the ball as they are quite handy in counterattack.

“Aidan and Luke are two old men that will inspire each team and are great in attack. They have great skills with calm heads and will want to play in the right areas of the field.
“It should be a great one on one battle.”

Wests v Bond University | Sci-Fleet Stadium | 3:30pm

Wests broke through for their first win of 2020 last weekend and will be looking to carry that momentum into Saturday when they take on Bond University at Sylvan Road.

The Bulldogs have named an unchanged XV to take on the Gold Coasters, with combinations building in Tooowng.

The scrum was huge for the side last weekend, with the front row of Liam Usher, Bronson Fotualii and Gavin Luka outmuscling their opponents at set-piece time.

Both sides boast dynamic backrows, with Wests’ Jeremiah Skelton, Connor Anderson and Tyrone Pritchard going up against the Bullsharks Jake Upfield, Connor Pritchard and Declan Dineen.

Cooper Whiteside will again feature for the Bulldogs at flyhalf, the youngsters booming boot regularly getting the side out of trouble so far this season.

The back three of Shea Lalagaevsi, Ben Navosailagi and Callum Hicks has also been potent for Wests so far this season, with all three crossing the line regularly.

The game is a return home of sorts for Bullsharks scrumhalf Liam Dillon, who made the move down the M1 over the off-season.

Dillon has added another dimension to Bond’s attack this season, and poses a huge challenge for his replacement Jacob Carmichael, who has impressed in his first season of Premier Grade so far.

Ryan Menzies and Dan Boardman form an imposing centre combination for the visiting side, while young Rhian Stowers will also look to continue his strong start to the season.

After kicking two match winning penalty goals earlier in the season, Mitch Third may return from injury from the bench, while Wilson Blyth, the younger brother of Reds lock Angus, may also feature off the pine.

IMAGE: BRENDAN HERTEL / QRU

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