Round 13 of the Oilsplus South West Rugby Competition sees the Young Yabbies take on the West Wyalong Weevils at the home of Young Rugby, Cranfield Oval.
The Forward Pack
The Front Row sees the one change this week with Hooker Will Munday returning to the lineup. Will will be flanked by Loosehead Prop Hagon Williams and Tighthead Prop Jesh Smith. The Second Row this week is unchanged this week with Rowan Daley partnering up with Dan Cormie. Flanking on the side of the scrum this week will be the Irish Recruit Kevin McLaughlin and Tom Hurley. Dan O'Connor returns to the starting squad this week to lead the pack from the back in the No. 8 position.
The Backs
The Backs sees a few changes this week with a number of unavailabilities. The Backs this week will be commanded by Owen Griffiths as Flyhalf, with his partner in crime the one and only Mick "the Hornet" Hudson as Scrumhalf. The Centres also see a shake-up this week with Captain Coach Ned Mullany having a run at Inside Centre and partnering up with Tom Kent, who will return to the squad to start as Outside Centre. The Yabbies Wingers are cementing themselves in with some outstanding performances from Beau O’Connor and Hugh McInerney. Nick Schiller will cover from the back and look for attacking opportunities this week, running on as Fullback for the Yabbies.
The Bench
This week the Yabbies’ First XV will be complemented by a string of high-calibre substitutes including Ben Fuller, Tom Wills, Cam Rosser, Hugh Wills and Matt Reid.
Following an eventful trip out to West Wyalong earlier this year in Round 6 that saw the Yabbies take the chocolates 43-12, this weekend's game will play a crucial part in the Yabbies chances of making the Finals. The trip was quite memorable, if you can recall the Yabbies played in an unconventional set of jerseys that could potentially see a re-birth post match with a "hi-vis" theme.
Coach Ned Mullany commented that while there is a bit of juggling and a few players out of position this week, he is confident that the squad named has the ability to get another much needed Win on the board this weekend. “Training really finished on a high note this week, with some great energy expected to roll straight into the game on Saturday. As I've been saying all year, it's all about the team that can stay switched on for as much of that 80 minutes on the field as possible. Although we haven't been getting the results on the scoreboard, I've been really proud of the effort the boys have been putting in and I still think we're growing as a team. I think that if we continue playing like we have, we've got a solid chance this weekend.”
Vice-President Jesh Smith commented "This is the second last game for the normal season, and I think it's going to be a pretty exciting match to watch. I urge all Yabbies supporters to come down and cheer on the boys as we fight to keep our Finals hopes alive. You might need to rug up a bit, but I guarantee it'll be worth it!"
The weather for this weekend is expected to see the mercury dip down further with a top of 9°C predicted for this Saturday in Young, so make sure you rug up appropriately! As always, a Rugby match means that there is a high chance of some delicious cold beers for Supporters on the sidelines and in the Oilsplus South West Rugby Competition it means that there is an excellent chance of some highly competitive and entertaining Rugby.
So search for any excuse you can find to make sure you're down at Cranfield Oval to see the Young Yabbies take on the West Wyalong Weevils this Saturday 13th Juy, with kick off at 3.15pm.
Always remember - Saturday’s a Rugby Day!
