Queensland Reds back Heremaia Murray will make his debut for Bond University in the StoreLocal Hospital Cup with a visit to Ashgrove on Saturday.
He will be a valuable addition at fullback to lift the penetration of the backline when the Bull Sharks take on GPS.
Murray has done exactly the job asked of him by the Reds since being recruited from New Zealand late last year. He has stepped in as fullback or been a versatile reserve covering fullback or wing in 10 games this season.
His chip-and-regather gem over 80m for a key try against the NSW Waratahs in March says it all about his deceptive running and easy movement.
With only leaders Easts (29 points) and Brothers (25) really skipping away, Wests (20), Souths (19), GPS (16), Bond University (15), Norths (13) and University of Queensland (12) are all in the melting pot chasing semi-final spots.
It makes this GPS vs Bond Uni game one of those key match-ups that can redirect a season.
For GPS, they are still missing inspirational flanker Matt Gicquel with a broken jaw.
At halfback, they will welcome the return of scheming James Martens, fresh off his time with the unbeaten Australian Under-20s in South Africa.
Across at Crosby Park, Australian Under-20s backrower Tom Robinson and silky mover Tom Howard, an Australian Under-18s performer last year, will make their run-on debuts for University of Queensland. Howard will play wing.
They face one of club rugby’s big tests against Brothers in front of the club’s one-eyed fans at Crosby Park.
UQ have a more experienced rudder with flanker Conor Mitchell back. He was non-stop for 50 minutes in last weekend’s win over Souths and will be invaluable against the Brethren.
Norths host Wests and undefeated Easts are away to Sunnybank in the other matches.
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Great to see all the smiles among the young faces who enjoyed a training session and sausage sizzle at Ballymore on Wednesday night.
A group of Brothers juniors were the lucky beneficiaries of a winning “Rugby Experience” auction prize from The Sportsman’s Night held by Eagle Junction State School in March.
Former Queensland Reds James Hanson, Ben Lucas and David Croft directed the skills session after the boys enjoyed a guided tour of the dressing rooms in the BMS National Rugby Training Centre.
Another former Red, Sean Hardman, was busier taste-testing the sausage sizzle and keeping an eye on energetic son Tom in his Brothers kit.
Money raised from the auction is directed to the Eagle Junction State School Social Justice Program, which helps families in need to cover the cost of uniforms, books, excursions, camps, lunches and all things that assist children at the school to be involved and learn.
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Plenty of tries and skill improvements amongst those involved in the second leg of the Schoolgirls Super 7s Series at Norths Rugby Club last Thursday.
King’s Christian College seems to have an endless fountain of eager young talent being nurtured the right way on the Gold Coast.
The school took out the Under-14s and Under-16s while The Glennie School from Toowoomba edged KCC 21-12 to top the Under-18s.
The third leg of the series will be played at Toowoomba's Highfields Rugby Club on August 7.
Neha Kumar's photo gallery of the day is on Instagram below.
