THE Hawkesbury rugby derby is on this Saturday, as rivals Hawkesbury Valley and Hawkesbury Ag College prepare to clash for bragging rights.
The Ag College boys have the honour of hosting their counterparts, while Valley will return the favour later in the season.
Fourth grade kickoff is at 12pm, with the first grade boys starting at 3.15pm.
Hawkesbury Ag College is flying high in NSW Suburban Rugby, while Hawkesbury Valley is chipping together a few wins here and there across the grades.
Nevertheless, Hawkesbury Ag College coach Kristian Berghofer thinks the Valley boys will be pumped up, and labels them a ‘20 point better team’ against his.
He lauded fellow coach Paul Clancy, and said he had a lot of respect for him, ahead of the clash.
“I know Paul and he is a great guy and he'll have them fired up,” he said.
“I think it is great seeing Paul in charge, and he should help them enormously over the next few years if he stays as coach. He is really smart about football.”
Clancy and Berghofer could start a mutual admiration society. Clancy had nearly identical things to say about Berghofer’s coaching ability and character.
Clancy said the team was looking forward to the clash, with the first grade team coming off their best game of the season against reigning premiers Redfield Old Boys.
“We went in with quite a simple game plan to play tight controlled footy,” he said.
“In weeks gone by, the urgency to protect our own ball has not been there.
“To see a willingness to hang onto the ball was fantastic, and we played the best footy we have all season.”
Clancy’s men were right in the match until about the 60th minute when Redfield began to kick away, and finished the game 43-21.
The Ag College first grade team pumped St Ives 82-5, while Hawkesbury Valley went down 43-21 to last year’s premiers Redfield Old Boys.
Berghofer said he had genuinely been expecting a close game from St Ives, and was very surprised by the score line.
“We actually played really well. We've had some big scores this year but we definitely deserved that one,” he said.
“I used all our reserves and they came on and were as good as the starters and that was really pleasing to see.”
Berghofer said outside centre Joey Tuvitu was a force to be reckoned with on the weekend and delivered some simply brutal hits to the St Ives men, and forced them to change their game plan.
In the lower grades, Hawkesbury Ag College won: 45-10 in second grade; 24-10 in third; and, 32-0 in fourth.
Hawkesbury Valley won in the second grade 26-7, and lost 27-6 and 27-14 in third and fourth grade respectively.
