THE boot of Jack Keppel has made plenty of yards for CSU, but come Saturday the students will be hoping it can bring them an even greater reward.
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The CSU skipper and flyhalf is set to try his hand at field goals in round two of the New Holland Cup when the students host Mudgee at University Oval.
It is a prospect which excites CSU coach Luke Kelly and something he hopes can lift the side to its first victory after falling 36-25 to Blayney in the season opener.
“This week we’ll have Jack Keppel in the pocket looking to pot the three pointers, the field goals. He’s been hitting them from 45 metres out at training and he wants to have a crack this week,” Kelly said.
While Keppel remains in the number 10 jumper for the second consecutive week, there has been plenty of movement in the back line.
Josh Buttenshaw and Nick Greenberg will swap wings, Aidan Kennelly comes into the centres alongside Kam Norris, while Nick Plunkett moves from scrumhalf to fullback to replace the absent Lochie Robinson.
They are changes Kelly hopes will hand the Wombats their second consecutive loss, having going down 33-0 to Narromine last Saturday.
“Absolutely they’ll come out fired up, but I’m really backing Kam Norris in defence this week. He’s starting calling himself the chiropractor after some of the hits he pulled off last week,” Kelly said. “Hopefully we can match them in the forwards, stand up to their big boppers and roll with the big boys.
“The animals are back at the zoo as we say, so I expect the boys to come firing and play for the full 80 minutes.
“You’ve got to do that, play for the full 80, if you want to get the chocolates.”
Kick-off at University Oval is at 3.15pm.