RUGBY UNION
ORANGE Emus will take a near full-strength side to Cowra on Saturday aiming to essentially spoil the biggest day in the history of the Cowra Rugby Club.
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Gunning for a top-five spot, the Eagles will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this weekend as a bumper crowd prepares to pack the Cowra Rugby Ground for the hosts' round 15 Blowes Clothing Cup clash with the in-form, second-placed Emus.
For most, it's a far from ideal time to be drawn the monster Eagles.
But for Emus, it's the perfect chance for Graydon Staniforth's men to prove they're the real deal in 2015.
"I think so. We've had some really good results this round, and this is just another chance to see if we're going to be one of the good teams this year or not," Staniforth said, Emus welcoming back fullback Isaac White and half TJ Cunynghame for the Cowra trip.
VIDEO: Michelle Cook and Matt Findlay preview Saturday's Blowes Clothing Cup games:
"We've beaten Dubbo and Bathurst away so far this round. Everyone is on the same page.
"We know where we've got to match them, and if we can do that then we'll get the chance to play the way we want to, and that's up-tempo rugby."
Cowra, too, is shaping up impressively for the match.
Missing a number of players for last weekend's 7-nil loss to the Bulldogs, the Eagles welcome back Jimmy Montgomery at nine - the one back who tore Emus apart despite a 26-18 loss at Endeavour Oval - and will monitor prop Gabe Brown (shoulder) in the lead-up to Saturday's first grade encounter.
After receiving a red card after a melee the last time these two met, the removal of Brown's shoulder all together would appear the only method of keeping the hulking prop out of a match Staniforth says the Eagles have been "targeting".
"We know they've been resting guys for this clash," he said.
"It's going to be a big day for them, but that'll make it enjoyable for us as well."
Saturday's clash at Cowra kicks off at 3.15pm.
ORANGE EMUS: 1 Nas Havealeta, 2 Tom Goolagong, 3 Steve Fergus, 4 Nick Hughes-Clapp, 5 Sam McLean, 6 Scott McLean, 7 Andrew Cosgrove, 8 Scott Udy, 9 TJ Cunynghame, 10 Adam Perri, 11 Tom Green, 12 Simon Badgery, 13 Nigel Staniforth, 14 Carter Hirini, 15 Isaac White.