Winning teams to clash in grand final preview

Wagga City extended their unbeaten start to the season with a 56-0 win over Tumut at Conolly Rugby Complex on Saturday.

Across town, Waratahs proved too strong for winless CSU, taking a 27-8 victory at Beres Ellwood Oval.

Wagga City are the only team to get the better of Waratahs this season, taking a 47-13 victory in round two.

However Waratahs co-coach Angus Stevenson believes the clash is another opportunity to see where the premiers need to be.

"It's likely now City and ourselves will go through to the grand final, even if we lose the next two games against City," Stevenson said.

"The next two weeks are going to be a great learning curve and a great opportunity for us to really develop a game and pick up as much as we can by playing them.

"It is probably the benefit of this season is you get to see them two weeks in a row and two weeks after that is the grand final.

"It is to our advantage we see them so close and so many weeks in a row."

Goal kicking continues to be an issue with only one of their five tries converted.

However the Wagga club is starting to get more troops back on deck, despite playing the early stages of the clash with 14 men due to a back problem to George Mallat as their second grade stocks returned from Albury.

For Wagga City it was another impressive win in less than impressive conditions.

They have dominated rivals in each of the six games this season, with 32 points their smallest margin of victory so far.

They haven't conceded a try in their last three games and captain-coach Ben Schreiber was pleased with how they overcame the conditions.

Something he described as the worst most of the team had played in.

"The boys attitude in the wet was reassuring as was the positive attitude to defence," Schreiber said.

"We knew the Tumut boys would be strong up front and would bring it to us in the forwards but we were looking forward to the challenge and responded accordingly."

Steven Tracey crossed for a treble while Darryl Hemopo impressed once more.

Not only did he cross for a double but the hooker and Pita second rower Pita Herangi laid a strong platform for the Boiled Lollies.

"Those two were aggressive with the ball and when defending as well," Schreiber said. "They set the platform for us and we just got on the back of that."

Meanwhile Tumut will be looking to bring up their second win of the season when they host CSU at Jarrah Oval.

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