The stage is set for a genuine Old Boys Day Bottomley Park blockbuster against Brothers after the Stara Easts Tigers produced a heroic defensive display in the 26-22 victory over Souths in Round 6 of the StoreLocal Hospital Cup.

 

It will be a top-of-the-table clash on David Wilson Field this Saturday when the unbeaten Tigers host the reigning premiers who also boast an undefeated record in 2025 with both sides to take a 5-0 record into the barn burner.

 

They are the only two undefeated teams remaining in the Hospital Cup and have already put a gap between themselves and the rest of the competition to set-up a potential finals preview.

 

The Brethren accounted for Bond with a 33-26 win in Round 6 while Easts triumphed in a ding-dong battle with the Magpies at Chipsy Wood Oval that went down to the wire.

 

Tireless flanker Alex Smit scored the match-winner for the Tigers with a try off the back of a rolling maul with two minutes left in regulation time but Easts needed to produce a character-filled defensive display to courageously repel a surging Souths.

 

Souths went within a whisker of scoring on multiple occasions in the dying salvos as they pounded the stoic Easts defensive line with the referee forced to immerse half of his body into the final ruck of the match to see if the Magpies had grounded the ball.

 

He could find no evidence of the ball touching the turf and blew time much to the disappointment of the Magpies who dominated for much of the second half.

 

Easts led 19-10 at halftime after the Magpies scored early only for the tenacious Tigers to swing the momentum back in their favour on the back of a dominant scrum, a judicious kicking game from co-captain Eli Pilz and flyhalf Lachlan Kirk and some sizzling running sorties from fullback Meli Dreu.

 

A penalty try from a relentless rolling maul, a five-pointer to winger BJ Oates – in his best game in an Easts jersey – and an opportunistic try to the scheming Pilz from a broken up rolling maul put the Tigers on top.

 

Wild weather arrived just before halftime and the winds of change took hold of the contest.

 

Souths enjoyed a glut of penalties, possession and field position that would have put holes in the Great Wall of China and the Magpies were able to cross twice to establish a 22-19 lead going into the home straight.

 

The Tigers bench provided fresh legs and enough impetus to help Easts make a rare second half visit to their attacking half of the field.

 

Easts are priding themselves on digging deep and delivering when it matters most in 2025 and they executed a textbook rolling maul with the ball transferring from replacement hooker and freshly minted Reds debutant Max Craig to Smit who crashed over for the visitor’s only try of the second half.

 

Powerhouse no.8 Nuku Swerling put in another robust shift with his bone-crunching defence at the top of his bulging highlight reel and the cult figure will be central to Easts’ hopes against Brothers in what will be the biggest and most-eagerly anticipated contest of the competition so far this year.

FIXTURE RESULTS