THE Blackwater Basilisks are hoping their recent good form in the Blackwater Rugby Sevens competition translates into the season proper.

Sevens coordinator and Basilisks committee member, Teran McCasker, said the Blackwater boys were pleased to finish third, losing just one match to Townsville based team ‘Island Breeze’.

“The guys from Townsville are a group of missionaries that travel around looking after homeless people and disadvantaged youth, they’re all volunteers so they make their money playing in rugby tournaments. They were a class above everybody else,” he said.

The sevens tournament provided a good chance for experienced Basilisks players to find form before the start of the regular rugby 15s season.

“Our two club captains from last year, Eric Smyth and Robert Coppo both played very well, they really led from the front. Dane Heron had a great tournament at scrum half too, he sort of pulled everything together.”

Despite the Island Breeze going through undefeated, the player of the tournament went to a CQ local.

“Stephen Tarliton from Emerald took home the player of the tournament, he was a real crowd favourite, everybody got behind him and cheered whenever he touched the ball.”

The upcoming season, which kicks off on Anzac Day weekend, will also see the Basilisks blood some new talent in the senior competition.

“We’re struggling for numbers at the moment, over the last few years we’ve lost a lot of our core group of players. We’ve had a few under 18s from last year step up to the senior competitions, so they should do really well.”

Shift Miner, Justin Carlos, Tuesday 1st April 2014