Old foes, Clutha, Crescent poised for another final

The Clutha Rugby team celebrates its 60-12 win against Crescent in the Southern Region final on...
Clutha celebrate their final win last year against Crescent. Photo: Samuel White
The Southern Region competition comes to an end this weekend and it is the final everyone had expected.

Fierce rivals Clutha and Crescent will battle it out for glory in Balclutha. It is a repeat of last year's final, which Clutha won by plenty.

The Crescent players are a year older and a year wiser. They have the same squad and have added more depth over the season. Crescent has lost only the one game to Clutha, in the first round, as the teams drew 24-24 in the second round.

Clutha is unbeaten for the second year in a row and made the final courtesy of an extra-time win over Heriot last week.

It has lost key players over the year and has had to trust its depth on occasion.

One of the main strengths of the Clutha side is its ability to bring game-changers off the bench - something which will need to happen again on Saturday.

Both sides can make cases as to why it should be favourite. Crescent's squad for tomorrow's game will be almost identical to the one that took the field in the final last season.

The players have another season's toil under their belts and as the saying goes, you need to lose a final to win one.

Clutha has the home-ground advantage and the added bonus of a galvanising victory last weekend.

It has players who will be new to a game of this magnitude but has enough experienced players around them to see it through.

Clutha stalwart Rym Geary will be playing his 100th game for the home side which will give his team an added edge.

 - Francis Parker

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