Teams must recover from short turnaround for Round 13 of Premier Rugby

RECOVERY will be the key for teams ahead of Round 13 of Premier Rugby, with some clubs having just three days’ turnaround after their Round 12 fixture.

Chris Kuridrani in action for GPS, who take on Brothers this weekend. Picture: PETER CRONIN

THERE is no rest for the wicked, with some Premier Rugby clubs having to back up just three days after their last outing.

The weekend’s wild weather forced the postponement of all Round 12 fixtures outside of the University of Queensland-Bond University clash.

That meant Sunnybank squared off with Brothers on Tuesday night, while Wests, Norths, GPS and Souths took part in a double-header at Ballymore on Wednesday night.

With less than 72 hours between some of the Round 12 and 13 fixtures, how the players can back up from the bone-jarring hits and bumps and bruises could well shape the weekend’s action.

BROTHERS v GPS, 3.20pm Saturday at Jack Ross Oval

GPS will enter Saturday’s battle high on confidence after keeping pace with the top four with a crucial 40-25 triumph over defending premier Souths on Wednesday night.

The four-try bonus-point win helped the Gallopers leapfrog Bond University into fifth place and stay five points adrift of Sunnybank, still with a game in hand.

The Ashgrove side has been impressive in its last four outings, beating Norths, Sunnybank and Souths and falling to powerful UQ by just three points.

“Our last month has been probably our best month of footy,” GPS coach Todd Dammers said.

“We had a really good game against UQ and another one against Sunnybank. It will be another big test on Saturday.”

Their opponents in Brothers will be looking to bounce back after being shot down by Sunnybank on Tuesday night.

The Brethren still sit in second place on the table and will be eager to bounce back after being handed their fourth defeat of the season.

The high-powered Brothers attack has scored more points than anyone this season but face a tough challenge in the Jeeps defence, who have conceded only 30 points once this season.

Last time they met: GPS 29 defeated Brothers 27 at Yoku Rd on April 9.

BOND UNIVERSITY v SUNNYBANK, 3.20pm Saturday at Bond University

A TOUGH encounter looms for Sunnybank when they travel down the M1 to take on Bond University this weekend.

Perennial strugglers of the competition, Bond have racked up five wins on their way to sixth spot on the table and remain well in the hunt for fourth spot, which is currently occupied by Sunnybank.

The Dragons scored a crucial win against Brothers on Tuesday night as they snapped a three-game losing streak. They will need to be on their game against a Bond side coming off a one-point loss to a University of Queensland team that has been dominating all before them during a 10-game winning streak.

Sunnybank scored 30 points in their win against Brothers, the first time they have hit that mark since their Round 5 win against Wests.

They will need to bring their attacking cohesion if they are to beat Bond, who have conceded only 73 points in their last four fixtures.

Last time they met: Sunnybank 42 defeated Bond University 28 at Oldmac Oval on April 9.

UNIVERSITY of QUEENSLAND v WESTS, 3.20pm Saturday at University of Queensland

THE fortunes of the two westside rivals could not be more contrasting, with UQ riding a 10-game winning streak and Wests slumping to nine-straight losses.

The Red Heavies survived an almighty scare from Bond University on Saturday, hanging on for a 19-18 win at St Lucia to extend their competition lead to eight points.

Wests was on the other side of a one-point loss in Wednesday night’s catch-up clash at Ballymore, going down to Norths 14-13 in a battle that had major implications for this year’s wooden spoon.

While Norths (19 points) now appears safe after snapping a six-game losing run, Wests (11 points) has been left to battle it out with Easts (12 points) to avoid finishing last.

The Bulldogs couldn’t have asked for a better time to face UQ however, with the Heavies again missing a host of youngsters on Australian under-20s duty.

Last time they met: University 35 defeated Wests 17 at Kenmore Rugby Union Club on April 9.

NORTHS v EASTS, 3.20pm Saturday at Hugh Courtney Oval

NORTHS will take the confidence of snapping a six-game losing streak into their clash with Easts on Saturday.

The Eagles had lost six straight matches before they squeezed out a one-point win over fellow strugglers Wests on Wednesday night.

The form of Queensland Reds playmaker Duncan Paia’aua has been crucial for Norths this season and his absence could be partly attributed to Norths’ run of losing form.

With Super Rugby taking a break due to the international fixtures, the 21-year-old’s presence could help spark a mini revival in the second half of the season.

Easts have also received a massive boost with Queensland Reds hooker Andrew Ready to suit up for the Tigers.

Ready, who is having a breakout season with the Reds, has returned from Wallabies training camp at Caloundra after impressing in the Super 15 and will play his first game for his junior club in more than a year.

“It’s a huge boost for us, just that experience he has playing with the reds and obviously the skill level he brings at the hooker position,” Tigers assistant coach Pat Richards said.

The Tigers lost to Norths 36-18 in Round 3 and Richards said containing their opponents’ speed was a key factor this weekend.

“It was a close game last time until they beat us at the edges with their speed. We need to be great with our defensive structure so they don’t get an opportunity to use their speed,” he said.

Last time they met: Norths 36 defeated Easts 18 at Bottomley Park on April 9.