Southern Districts v Northern Suburbs: Where it will be won
Southern Districts and Northern Suburbs meet in the second preliminary final at Forshaw Rugby Park on Sunday afternoon.
Both sides recorded strong wins in the opening week of the finals and take plenty of momentum into the match.
Southern Districts – Keys to victory
Midfield attack
Southern Districts centres Apo Latunipulu and Denny Godinet were brilliant against Randwick last week. If the powerful pair can repeat that effort and get Souths over the advantage line, halfback Dewet Roos and the big Rebels forward pack will be very hard to stop.
Set piece
When things get tough, Southern Districts like to revert to their scrum and did so successfully against Randwick however Norths and Waratahs prop Angus Ta’avao may have something to say about that on Sunday. On a windy afternoon, the Rebels line-out was inconsistent last weekend, something they must fix ahead of Sunday’s clash.
80-minute performance
Like Sydney Uni, Southern Districts tend to drift in and out of matches. When they did produce an 80-minute performance, they beat Eastwood 36-10 in round 13 earlier this year and they’ll need a similar effort this weekend. Anything less could spell trouble for the Rebels.
Northern Suburbs – Keys to victory
Defense
Norths’ defense has been brilliant in 2016 and is the reason the Shoreman are just one win away from the grand final. Southern Districts like to play up-tempo rugby off the front foot and Norths will be desperate to stop them on Sunday.
Composure
Northern Suburbs 11-game winning streak is no fluke. The Shoreman now know how to win tight matches and composure has played a big part in that. Norths held the ball for 20+ phases in the closing stages of their tight win over Manly in round 18 (despite momentarily kicking the ball away). Similar composure could be the key against Southern Districts.
Speed
As good as Norths’ defense is, the Shoreman will need to score points to beat Southern Districts. Wingers Lachie Creagh and Richard Woolf both have plenty of pace and will need to make the most of the opportunities they get, as they’ve done in Norths last 11 wins.