Rupertswood looking to be the first team to knock off Romsey in RDFL this season as it prepares for qualifying final

THE home-and-away season is over and Romsey is still undefeated. But Rupertswood is rating its chances as it eyes an RDFL qualifying final with the Redbacks this weekend.

RDFL Football: Diggers Rest V Rupertswood. Rupertswoods Jordan Braddy and David Morrice cant stop Diggers Rest

THE home-and-away season is over and Romsey is still undefeated.

But one team believes it is capable of being the first team to knock off the Redbacks this year ahead of a showdown on Saturday.

Rupertswood — which finished the Riddell District Football League season in second spot — will play the runaway premiership favourite at Wallan’s Greenhill Reserve in what shapes as a mouth-watering qualifying final clash.

Romsey will enter the game as warm favourite, but an in-form Rupertswood is rating its chances after a win over another premiership contender in Diggers Rest on the weekend by 28 points.

“We’re going to have to play really, really well just to compete, but at least the form’s good,” Rupo coach Ben Jordan said.

“Finals are always a different game.

“There’s pressure and you’ve got to take your chances when they’re presented.

“But we’re rapt to be playing them, to be honest.

“We’re playing over at Wallan so I don’t see any ­advantages or disadvantages in that for us.”

If history is anything to go by, fans can expect a tight contest.

The last, and only, time this year the two sides met in Round 11, Romsey got over the line by just five points.

But Jordan said his side had improved and was “well placed to give it another shake”.

“We think we’ve improved a bit since then. Maybe they have too,” he said.

“There’s probably a few sides around where you can identify a couple of the better players and quell their influence and you’re halfway to winning.

“But Romsey’s a different proposition as far as that goes.

“There’s just a stack of them and you can’t cover them all so you need a very, very even performance from your own guys to beat them.”

The winner will earn a week off and a preliminary final berth, with the loser to face the winner of Saturday’s elimination final.