StoreLocal Hospital Cup semi-finals – five things we learned

Wests advanced to the StoreLocal Hospital Cup Grand Final in dramatic fashion over the weekend, while Brothers outlasted GPS to set up a preliminary final clash with Uni this Sunday.Let’s take a look at ‘five things we learned’ from the weekend’s action.1. Hospital Cup finals starts with a bangWeek one of the StoreLocal Hosptial Cup finals series produced two absolute crackers, with both matches coming down to the final minutes of play.Almost 120-minutes of Rugby couldn’t separate Wests and Uni, with the Bulldogs eventually moving through to the decider as minor premiers, while Brothers were forced to repel phase after phase of Jeeps attack in the final minutes to keep their season alive.If this is what the semi-finals served up, we can’t wait for this week’s preliminary final and the big dance at Suncorp Stadium on September 18.2. Eat your greens, kick your goalsReigning premiers UQ will be left to rue a number of missed chances off the tee on Saturday afternoon, with Cooper Whiteside’s precise boot the difference in this one in the end.Whiteside kicked three of five conversions and two penalties to go with a pair of tries, while Uni duo Brad Twidale and Nick Jooste struggled off the tee at Yoku Road.The Heavies kicked just two of six conversion chances and also missed a straight-forward penalty chance in golden point that would have sent them through to their seventh-straight Grand Final.Usually one of the competition’s best goal kickers, Twidale will get his chance for redemption against Brothers at Bond University this Sunday.3. Wests overcome Yoku Road curseIt was hard to not cast your mind back to the end of Wests’ 2021 campaign when they ran onto the field at Yoku Road.After a slow start in the minor-semi-final last year, Jeeps overcame a huge deficit to give Jason Hofmeyr the chance to end the Bulldogs’ season and he did just that, icing the game with a sideline conversion after the siren.It’s no secret that that dramatic loss has been driving Wests this year, but with minutes to go it looked like Ashgrove would again be the scene of Bulldog heartbreak.Two late tries, and a gusty golden-point defensive effort flipped the script, sending the men from Sylvan Road through to their first decider since 2006.4. O’Connor class shines throughBoasting over 100 Super Rugby caps and 63 Tests for Australia, James O’Connor is a playmaker chock-full of class and he showed all of it at Sci-Fleet Stadium on Sunday.O’Connor collected 18-points of his own for the Brethren, scoring a try and maintaining a perfect record of the kicking tee.His composed presence kept Brothers calm and poised in the face of a GPS comeback, with the butcher’s stripes denying a late surge from the Gallopers to keep their season alive.O’Connor’s battle with Uni playmakers Jock Campbell, Twidale and Jooste will be massive in this weekend’s preliminary final.5. Brothers’ old guard stand tall Much was made of Brothers’ Reds and Wallabies contingent in the leadup to the minor semi-final, but it was the club’s experienced campaigners who were just as impressive.Evergreen frontrowers Dustin Henegan and Tom Moloney more than held their own in a huge set-piece battle, while Paddy James and Sam Hyne were strong in a star-studded backline.James is the sole survivor from Brothers’ last Premier Grade premiership in 2016, and he’ll be doing all he can to ensure his side has the chance to break that drought this season.StoreLocal Hospital Cup Preliminary FinalUniversity of Queensland v Brothers | Bond University Rugby Club | Sunday 11 September | 3:10pmClick Here: baby knitted accessories