The rugby season kicked off in perfect style, with a balmy afternoon at The Canal drawing a strong crowd to watch the Bull Sharks go undefeated across all grades against University of Queensland.
Post the Easter bye round, attention now turns to a tough Souths opponent at their home ground.
In the premier men, the Bulldogs will be chasing their first win after a heartbreaking one-point opening round loss to Brothers.
Colts 1 coach, Adam Fahey believes Souths will be Colts’ biggest challenge of the season, especially with their strong defensive side.
The Premier Women will be without much of their premiership winning side, with Reds programs running and the younger Bull Sharks over in Florida at the Tropical 7s Rugby festival.
Premier Men
Last round - Bond vs UQ - Bull Sharks won 48-29
We had a great finish to the game, we scored five tries in the last 15 minutes. We’re hoping that's going to be a real strength for us the way we finish our games.
The opposition - Souths
Souths have a really, really big forward pack, a good tight five and strong set piece. That's probably an area that we'll need to focus on this week to match them there. They've also got a lot of young really talented backs.
The focus
We were just a bit disappointed with some of our physicality particularly early on against UQ, we got better as the game went on. So, we're focussing on that.
The challenge
I think scrum, line out and maul, Souths did well in those areas against Brothers. They’ve got big front row, and we have some inexperienced guys that are going to have to step up.
Shuffling the magnets
We lose our Reds players, so we’ll be without Harrison Usher. Ethan Morgan who played well off the bench last round will start as fullback for us.
The final word
We had a really good block of games in that pre-Easter period, it was a really good opportunity just for us to reset and refocus. Now we have a long block of games, so it really feels like the season is starting now.
With Mick Heenan
Colts 1
Last round - Bond vs UQ - Bull Sharks won 52-7
It was quite impressive for a round one performance; we put a lot of time and effort and preparation into the game. We saw the win as a reward for our preseason work. A lot of things went right for us, and it got us off to a good start for the year.
The opposition - Souths
I think this will be the toughest opposition we’ll face this year. They're very good defensively, and we’re going to have to be patient as it's going to take some time to break them down.
The focus
Just being better in every area of the game, it's a mantra we use each week. Whether that's playing, training and just doing the little things right. We are just focusing on one game at a time.
The challenge
They’re very good defensively, so the biggest challenge will be a test of our patience.
Shuffling the magnets
Kingsley Uys, Kenny Harris and Jonah Rangiwai will be out with the Junior Wallabies camp. So, it's a great opportunity for some players to come into the side. Clay Hindmarsh will come in for his first starting game in Colts 1 - he's had a massive preseason. Heinrich Fourie will come into the starting team, as will Jake Leck and Puhia Pue.
The final word
We’re just looking forward to the next challenge and seeing what this group is capable off. We don’t know what our ceiling looks like yet. It will be a good test because Souths are a very good opposition.
With Adam Fahey
Premier Women
Last round - Bond vs UQ - Bull Sharks won 54-15
It was actually a bit of a surprise to be honest. University of Queensland are normally a bogey team for us. We expected a tough challenge and we got exactly that, the score line looks pretty flattering but if you ask the girls, they were in a bit of a firefight.
The opposition - Souths
Souths will be up and about, they had a good win over Brothers which was the first in a while so they will be pretty positive. It will be a significant challenge for us.
The focus
This first part of the year has always been difficult for our group because there’s always a number of competing priorities. We’ve got Reds’ pathway programs operating at the moment, which has been a little bit disruptive for us. Our focus has really been on building cohesion and combinations.
Shuffling the magnets
We’ve got a number of youth players who have been away with the Renegades in Florida at the Tropical Rugby 7s Festival, where they won the U18 girls. We’re just trying to pull together a team, but we will be right over the next few weeks once players start coming back. With so many out, it gives some of our younger, less experienced players a bit of exposure. We are prepared to wear a couple of results if we have to just to see where people are at.
Someone who played really well for us in the ACC game, was Michelle Curry. She’s just been selected for Manusina – the Samoan Women’s rugby side for the upcoming Oceania Rugby Tournament, so this will be her last game with us for a couple of weeks.
The final word
The goal is to get five points.
With Setu Naseri