Hills try harder

By Justin Robertson
ENDEAVOUR Hills rugby team had double cause for celebration over the weekend.
Not only did they secure a spot in this year’s grand final against Footscray by defeating Geelong 34-7, they also snapped a four-match losing streak in the process.
“I always had the confidence the boys can do it, and it came at the right time,” coach Archie Kennedy said. “We still need a bit more structure to our play which we’ll work on this week before the big game against Footscray.”
Saturday’s semi-final against a usually gritty Geelong side was meant to be a tough and bruising encounter going by their previous match which saw the Hills lose 20-19. The Harlequinn oval at the Holmesglen campus was draped in mud – end to end – and looked to play a role at keeping scores low.
But that’s not how it played out.
Despite a predictable low-scoring first half, the game broke open in the second with the Hills scoring a series of tries that seemingly ended Geelong’s season and earned them a place in the grand final.
“The boys were a little bit sore after playing in the mud on Saturday but seemed to be bouncing around at training last night,” Kennedy said. “ Optimism is high and we are quietly confident we can take on these guys come Saturday.”
Kennedy said that the return of some key play makers should increase their team spirit and chances of claiming this year’s rugby crown.
“We’ve had some key omissions over the past month which is partly why we haven’t been performing,” he said. “But one or two guys doesn’t make a team so we need to play with intent like we did on Saturday and I think we’ll go close.”
The Hills have lost all three encounters against Footscray this year, but Kennedy remains up-beat about reversing their poor record against them.
“We haven’t played our perfect game so far this season,” he said. “If we can put it all together, I think we will win it.”