NORTHS PREMIER GRADE DESTROY GPS HOPES OF MAKING THE FINAL FOUR

Norths beat GPS 31 -26  in the Premier Grade match at Shaw Road yesterday,  after establishing a commanding lead early in the game, which GPS were never able to reign in.

Faithfull Norths supporters were treated to a feast of attacking rugby by Norths who were able to maintain their workrate for the full 80 minutes, to wreck the hopes of a GPS team, which was never going to give in.

The particularly pleasing apect of this win is that it was against a team that has been in or near the top 4 for most of the season and which had to win yesterday to have any realistic chance of playing in the finals in August.

Tireless hooker Dan Sutherland was rewarded with two tries for his efforts as was inside centre Emmanuel Coleminlois who had his best game of the season.

Scottish import Tane Jericevitch kicked four conversions.

Special mention needs to be made of No 8 Tristan Hill, who had another tremendous game as did lock Phil Haslett and prop Peter Loane, who had a stormer.

For GPS  T Heenan, T Atkinson, B Roberts,and  P Phelan scored tries with Donovan Slade kicking three conversions.

Norths showed far more patience than GPS on the day, the latter turning over ball at crucial stages.

"We were hoping to go into the break in front and we did" said Norths Coach Chris Roche - " We knew this would put GPS under the pump, and when you are under pressure with time running out, teams can lose their composure and push passes, and this is where GPS came unstuck".

 In other Grade matches GPS took the honours although Norths Reserve Grade have improved tremendously. Whilst losing 38-21 Norths showed they were no extremely competitive and for a large part of the game had the better of  GPS, particularly in the forwards.

Coach Lew Price has done a magnificent job in rebuilding this Division and his commitment and standards are now being reflected in the attitude of the players.

Colts 1 were unlucky to go down to GPS 7-16 in a hard fought contest, which places a final 4 spot in jeopardy. Colts 2 lost by 4 points and Colts 3 won.

The Colts have done Norths proud in 2006 and in many ways have been the flagbearers of the Club. Colts 1 coach Murray Shultz said whilst he was bitterly disappointed for the boys, he was extremely proud of them and the way they have played all year.

There is absolutely no doubt that the Club is continuing its improvement and 2007 is shaping up as an extremely exciting time with the first crop of second year Colts coming through to Grades.

As Coaching Director Chris Roche said "We are rebuilding this club from the floor up. We believe in our Colts and they have already laid the platform from which we can continue to build a strong and sustainable club. We all need to stay the course. Success is the result of overcoming adversity. We are in the middle of that process now. We are up to the challenge and we have every faith that our players are as well. It takes character and that's a quality our young men do not lack."