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HILLIES V BLACKTOWN @ BORONIA: ROUND EIGHT REVIEW
For the early risers there was Fifth grade, a tough grade to perform consistently in and a grade that has had mixed results this season. On Saturday it was an inspirational start to the day as the small men of the Hill kept tackling some very large men from the Town. As the minutes wore down, Hunters Hill had kept it close enough to try and steal a win. Enter Chase Mason to crack open the game, combining with two try hero Shane Phelan to power the Hunters to a great victory. Tim Shanley was powerful in the mud and the irrepressible Viren Fernando busy as ever. In the writers' opinion, our reigning premiers Fourths have been missing something for the past little while. Whatever it was, they found it on saturday streaking away to a conclusive 38-0 victory. Shrugging off his 3 point disappointment of the previous week, Scott Keenan was very, very sharp at 10. He did everything but put the ball down for his outside men in setting a backline to catch fire, Fiji Tim and Mike Kellaway grabbing two each. It was also wonderful to see former First grade and Club Captain Ben Smith back on duty. The club breathes a little easier when Smithy is around. Third Grade are nothing if not consistent. They consistently win, often to nil. What was notable about this game was how a winger (Shannon Thomas) decided to smash every thing in his path and everything with the ball. If there was a club player of the day he would have won it. Timmy V's 3s now just have to overcome Petersham to get the full set of victories. Seconds are nothing if not scrappers. They, more than any other team, can win the tight ones and they did so again on saturday. A 3 point triumph with Alex Vertoudakis with something to prove and Johnnie Mallos again recovering well. I have heard the Twos may have been lucky to get away with this one. A W is a W. The Firsts were up against the the reigning premiers, a heavy history of last minute losses and the fact they have struggled this season to play well two weeks in a row. A 24-5 victory did well quash those concerns as they stood up to a big pack and stood firm in the winds and rain. Sam Henry ignited the backline on a cold day, his head-bobbing and hot-stepping attacking forays laughing in the face of the slop underfoot. Deano Thomson played like Deano Thomson and his try, try-assit and line-out work in the wet made him a popular choice as player's player. Special mention must be made of Stuart Woodbridge who took ownership of the wet ball from the scrum base and kicked and schemed the Hunters to a position of strength. His 3 points are a fitting reward for a season where he has found his way home back to 9. The bottom line said five wins but no BP in seconds. We are still chasing 215 but the sweep extended our CChamp lead over Balmain who are shaping as the major contenders for promotion. Cheers to the Blacktown boys for their performance at the Hunters Hill Hotel after the match. They looked like the were having fun with more to come. See CCC for more. Hunters Hill 5th Grade 21 ( Shane Phelan 2, Chase Mason tries, Chase Mason 3 goals) beat Blacktown 10 Best and Fairest: 3- Tim Shanley, 2- Viren Fernando , 1- Blake Shields Hunters Hill 4th Grade 38 ("Fiji Tim" Latilevu 2, Mike Kellaway 2, Ben Smith, Liam Cooper tries, Mike Kellaway 4 goals) beat Blacktown 0 Best and Fairest: 3- Scott Keenan, 2- Joel Firth , 1- Renny Iles Hunters Hill 3rd Grade 38 (Richard Smith, Tim Vertoudakis, Matt Taka, Jon Gelling, Shannon Thomas, Adam Liberiou tries, Dean Vandine 4 goals) beat Blacktown 0. Best and Fairest: 3- Shannon Thomas , 2- Matt Taka , 1- Tim Vertoudakis and Jon Gelling Hunters Hill 2nd Grade 10 (Will Carew, Chase Mason tries) beat Blacktown 7. Best and Fairest: 3- Alex Vertoudakis, 2- John Mallos, 1- Killer Cuniowski Hunters Hill 1st Grade 22 (Dean Thomson, Jordan Butler, Burzin Mehta, Luke McLennan tries, Sam Henry goal) beat Blacktown 5. Best and Fairest: 3- Sam Henry, 2- Dean Thomson, 1- Luke McLennan Refs Points: 3- Stu Woodbridge, 1- Dean Thomson Player's Player: Dean Thomson HILLIES V PETERSHAM @ CAMPERDOWN: ROUND NINE PREVIEW
Giving that we have had the week off that Petersham did not, let's go in fresh and hungry. If we can do that, I am sure we will get fed. CLUB CAPTAIN COLUMN
It was also lovely, albeit quite dirty, to play consecutive weekends at Boronia. We are building the ramparts of our fortress at the "Boro" and it is the cornerstone of a successful club to be very tough at home. What has impressed me most about the last two games however was not black and white. It was our opposition, HAC and Blacktown. Why? Because they had a bus. Thankfully suburban rugby is one of the last bastions of the rugby who has not sold its soul to marketing, profit sharing and spin. The rugby bus trip is part of that soul. Yes both HAC and Blacktown didn't win a game on Boronia but they showed us the great courtesy of attending the HHH in big numbers. When the speeches were done they sung, got on the bus and their night began. Whatever had happened on the field that day they were going to enjoy their night, and enjoy it as a club. Any of you who ask some of the older heads in the club will be told that playing for a Rugby club is more than what goes on inside the rectangle. The best memories are often in the sheds, at a meal or on a bus. I am telling you this because I want our road trips this year to be epic on and off the field. We have Hawkesbury Valley on July 18, HAC on August 8 and Blacktown on August 15. Obviously more will be organised and discussed closer to the date but give it some thought and diarise those games. Give your Saturday to Hillies on those dates, that is what being a rugby player is all about. The hunt continues. Jules REGO FEES- WE ARE NO LONGER PLAYING GAMES, NOR WILL YOU BE. Thank you to all that have either paid their fees in full or have started paying by instalments. Rego fees remain the same as last year: $200 for Seniors and $150 for Students. We are taking payments on Tuesday & Thursday nights or you can pay via direct deposit. If you have not paid, make arrangements or spoken to someone regarding the situation you will be spoken to. Bank Account Details: Commonwealth Bank BYRON TOUR: OLD BOYS AND CATS VERY WELCOME!!!
If you are then you are welcome on our 7's tour. If you wish to play you will need to fill in a club rego form ASAP so you are covered by club insurance for playing on the tour. July 25 is coming. A $50 deposit books your much sought after and personalised Byron kit. PLAYERS MILESTONES
Chris Collins = 99 HHRUFC @ THE CITY TO SURF Arndt Bandit and Jim 'look at my' Bone back to Index |
This week's game Social
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5 from 5 against Blacktown was a pipe dream last season. In 2009 it was reality as the Black and Whites had more fun in the mud to extend their club championship lead.
This weekend marks the final match of the first round of fixtures against one of our oldest foes: the Shammies. It presents an opportunity for Third grade to get a full set of scalps and for our club to defend our precious CC lead. Petersham are a strong and proud club, especially tough to beat at Camperdown Oval. They featured in four grand finals last year and are the masters of lifting when they need to, often against the Black and Whites.
It has been a very enjoyable 3 weeks. We have managed 9 wins from 9 starts, picked up 7 bonus points, opened up a handy club champs lead and have gone through the bye bubbling instead of limping.
Are you a Hillies Old Boy, a super-keen Hillies fan or a grand master Cat? 
This weekend sees a few with a chance to make it to the century for Hunters Hill and a few make it to 50, and one who we forgot to mention made 50 a little while back (Sorry Cam). Here are the player stats of note coming into this weekends round:
The Verto boys have been squirrelled away in a top secret think tank and have brainstormed the following plan, entering a social team in this years’ City to Surf. If you are interested then please contact Timmy V at verto_3000@hotmail.com (lets just hope there really isnt 3000 other Verto’s out there). 
