Sydney Women will take on NSW Country Women in their first of two exhibition clashes at 1310 AEST at Concord Oval.
Sunday 23 September
NSW COUNTRY vs Canberra Vikings, Bellevue Oval UNE, Armidale at 1300 AEST
Broadcast details: The match will be livestreamed on Fox Sports
The NSW Country Eagles head to UNE Armidale this Sunday to meet a very strong Canberra Vikings outfit. The squad has been in Armidale since Friday, spending today catching up with children in the local region.
NSW Country and Canberra Vikings last met in 2017 at the same venue, where the Eagles won a thriller in the final minute, thanks to a try in the left corner followed by a sideline conversion to Taylor Adams.
The Eagles have made a number of changes following their victory over Sydney on Wednesday night.
Jed Holloway returns to the frontline alongside Seb Wileman who, with a strong running game and one of the best players in the Shute Shield this year, will get his starting chance.
The Vikings boast a very strong forward pack and a dangerous backline with plenty of pace, so NSW Country will have to be at their best for a repeat result.
The Eagles will host an open training session with local juniors from 1645 on Saturday at Bellevue Oval UNE.
NSW COUNTRY
1. Matt Gibbon (Southern Districts)
2. Mahe Vailanu (Warringah)
3. Paddy Ryan (Sydney University)
4. Jed Holloway (Southern Districts)
5. Emmanuel Meafou (Warringah)
6. Sam Figg (Australian 7s)
7. Will Miller (Northern Suburbs)
8. Sam Ward (Warringah)
9. Mick Snowden (Eastwood)
10. Mack Mason (Eastern Suburbs)
11. Alex Gibbon (Brothers, QLD)
12. Will McDonell (Sydney University)
13. Seb Wileman (Warringah)
14. Jaline Graham (Parramatta)
15. Alex Newsome (Eastern Suburbs)
Reserves
16. Tom Horton (Sydney University)
17. Cody Walker (Eastern Suburbs)
18. Chris Talakai (Sydney University)
19. Alex Humfrey (Manly)
20. Nick Champion de Crespigny (Sydney University)
21. Denny Godinet (Southern Districts)
22. Jack Grant (Eastern Suburbs)
23. Afa Pakalani (Southern Districts)
Sunday 23 September
SYDNEY vs Fijian Drua, Concord Oval at 1500 AEST
Broadcast details: The match will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 503
Wallaby flanker Jack Dempsey has been named to start for Sydney for their NRC clash against the Fijian Drua at Concord Oval on Sunday.
Dempsey, on his way back from a major hamstring injury sustained almost 12 months ago, played 29 minutes in the Sydney side’s loss to Brisbane City at Woolahra Oval last Saturday.
In those minutes at Woollahra, the 24-year-old NSW Waratah showed that he was pretty close to full fitness and that none of his attacking skills and physicality had gone missing in his time on the sideline.
Sydney are yet to sing their victory song in 2018 and come into this game on a three-day turnaround.
Head coach Chris Whitaker and the Sydney selectors have had to make several changes from the side that played at Leichhardt on Wednesday night, with skipper Damien Fitzpatrick and young fly half Will Harrison out, while Rob Simmons will join the Wallabies in South Africa.
JP Sauni gets the chance to start the game while Connor Vest and Nick Palmer, both Norths locks, will start in the No.4 and No.5 jumper.
The back row has a fresh look with Maclean Jones, the Warringah and Waratahs opensider, starting in the No.7 jersey.
With Fitzpatrick nursing those ribs, Hugh Sinclair will captain the side in what will be an extremely testing encounter.
Harry Burey comes into the flyhalf role for the Drua game while Tyson Davis, who has played wing and fullback so far this NRC season, gets a crack at inside centre.
Tim Clements comes back into the side at fullback after working off the bench on Wednesday night at Leichhardt.
SYDNEY
1. Matt Sandell (Sydney Uni)
2. JP Sauni (Northern Suburbs)
3. Dean Dombous (Eastwood)
4. Connor Vest (Northern Suburbs)
5. Nick Palmer (Northern Suburbs)
6. Jack Dempsey (Gordon)
7. Maclean Jones (Warringah)
8. Hugh Sinclair (Northern Suburbs, c)
9. Nick Duffy (Northern Suburbs)
10. Harry Burey (Northern Suburbs)
11. Rob Buaserau (Manly)
12. Tyson Davis (Warringah)
13. Curtis Rona (Parramatta)
14. Latu Latunipulu (Randwick)
15. Tim Clements (Sydney Uni)
Reserves
16. David Vea (Randwick)
17. Kiernan Rabie (Randwick)
18. Shambeckler Vui (Southern Districts)
19. Josh Kemeny (Sydney Uni)
20. Lachie Swinton (Sydney Uni)
21. Mitch Short (Randwick)
22. Ben Donaldson (Randwick)
23. Enoka Muliufi (West Harbour)
