Wombats Complete Almost Perfect Season

With eighteen rounds of the IDRU Builders Club Premiership completed all attention now moves to next week’s Semi-Finals at Ocean Park and Camden. Avondale who finished the rounds with a 45 -12 win over Tech Waratahs, have completed an amazing season on top of the table with 88 out of a possible 90 points. With eighteen straight wins the Wombats sit nine clear of second placed Vikings, the only side to deny them bonus points in their two encounters this year. Vikings only two losses for the year came at the hands of the Minor Premiers. Vikings had to work hard to overcome Shoalhaven 27 – 12 and will now meet the Wombats in the Major Semi-Final on Saturday at Ocean Park Woonona.

Fourteen points behind Vikings in third spot on 65 points, Bowral finished with a big 43 – 0 win over Campbelltown having already secured third spot, carrying on from last year’s breakout season to qualify for their second successive final series. They will play reigning Premiers University in Sunday’s sudden death Minor Semi-Final at Camden Rugby Park. The Bulls had to fight back from a half-time deficit against Kiama before winning 45 – 25 at Kiama Showground to take winning form into the elimination Semi.

The final points table for 2017 has strong similarity to last season with the same clubs finishing in the top five. Last year’s Minor Premiers Shamrocks finished fifth with a 36 – 29 victory over Camden after a season dominated by injury which prevented the club from building any consistency in their 2017 campaign. Shoalhaven showed improvement to finish sixth in 2017 after finishing second last in 2016. Tech Waratahs have enjoyed a much more fruitful season this year registering three wins but still have to accept the wooden spoon after finishing on equal points in last place with Camden. The Rams secured 2 bonus points in their match with the Rocks to move to twenty points and with a better for and against than Tech managed to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.

So now it’s down to the final four with Avondale starting as deserved favourites in what will be an interesting three weeks to come. There was nothing between Avondale and Vikings in their two previous encounters this year with the Blueys very unlucky not to get the points only going down by five points on both occasions. Avondale and Vikings have qualified in all three grades for the finals.

This Weeks Results

Avondale 45 Def Tech Waratahs 12

Bowral 43 Def Campbelltown 0

University 45 Def Kiama 25

Vikings 27 Def Shoalhaven 12

Shamrocks 36 Def Camden 29

Final Points Table: Avondale 88, Vikings 79, Bowral 65, University 58, Shamrocks 50, Shoalhaven 40, Kiama 27, Campbelltown 26, Camden 20, Tech Waratahs 20.