Eastwood won’t have to wait long for shot at revenge against Eastern Suburbs
NSW Waratahs and Eastern Suburbs centre Lalakai Foketi stands in Eastwood’s way when both teams meet again in the Shute Shield semi-final after starring with a hat-trick of tries on the weekend.
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Eastwood have to wait only eight days for the chance to avenge Saturday’s 48-26 loss to Eastern Suburbs in the final round game of the Shute Shield at Woollahra Oval.
The teams will go head to head again on Sunday in the first week of the semi-finals, but this time at Eastwood’s home ground TG Millner Field.
In the other two semis on Saturday, Sydney University, who claimed the minor premiership, take on Manly at University Oval and Warringah tackle Norths at Rat Park.
“At least you get a good chance at redemption,” Eastwood coach Ben Batger said of this Sunday’s rematch.
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“It will be fresh in our minds so if we have no motivation next week, we don’t deserve to be playing finals footy.
“We know what’s coming at us, don’t we, and it may be a bit of extra motivation that they gave us a bit of a touch up.”
Batger said Easts are a good team and the Woodies just gave them too much possession as well as making basic errors like dropping ball and turning it over too easily.
The win secured Easts a semi-final berth and demonstrated that they are real premiership threat.
And they did it without Wallaby back Jack Maddocks who was a late withdrawal with a cork suffered in the previous week’s win over Gordon.
NSW Waratahs centre Lalakai Foketi was a standout for Easts on Saturday, crossing for three tries and Eastwood will be doing their homework on closing down his opportunities for this week.
In a final round of surprises three of the top four teams – Warringah, Eastwood and Norths- were all beaten.
Warringah dropped from first to third on the ladder following their 36-21 loss to a Souths side who played like they had nothing to lose at Forshaw Park.
“They were definitely the better team and they deserved the win,” said Rats skipper Hamish Angus.
“We compounded error on error and we went away what was working for us.”
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The Rats cause was not helped when their midfield general Angus was forced from the field with a hamstring injury early in the game and he is in doubt for Saturday’s game with Norths, which could be a sudden death clash for both clubs.
“I’ll be doing everything I can to play but it’s not looking good,” Angus said.
And he knows that it is a whole new ball game from this weekend.
“Finals footy is tighter, more structured and a disciplined style,” he said.
“Whoever wins three games in a row wins the comp.”
The two lowest ranked losers in this week’s semi-finals are eliminated.
Norths held onto fourth spot despite their 32-30 loss to Randwick at North Sydney Oval while University thrashed West Harbour 53-6 and Gordon beat the Two Blues 43-22.
LADDER:
Sydney University 64
Eastwood 63
Warringah 62
Norths 54
Easts 52
Manly 51
Gordon 49
Randwick 42
Souths 37
West Harbour 29
Two Blues 13
Originally published as Eastwood won’t have to wait long for shot at revenge against Eastern Suburbs
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