The start of the second round fixtures of the NRC would see a flurry of matches as always. But the pick of the week has to be the titanic clash between the Bedok Kings and Bucks in the premier division, in what will possibly be the title decider of the season – it’s make or break time.

Since a nail-biting loss in the season opener against Bedok, Bucks have notched up impressive wins in the league, with in-form flyhalf Todd Feather pulling the strings as a playmaker; and returning juggernaut Aaron Browne bashing through the midfield. The recently crowned cup champions of the Blacks Midnight Sevens have since made a clear statement to league leaders Bedok Kings, and the challenge is on.

The Kings, on the other hand, have continued their winning streak and remained indomitable. Their level of fitness often made the difference as they would repeatedly run the opposition ragged and open the flood gates during the last quarter of the game. The ‘pancake’ drills seemed to be an excellent driving force behind this well-conditioned side.

The decision by Bedok Kings to rest their premier division players for the Midnight Sevens has raised debate amongst the supporters, but this may well turn out to be a smart strategy as players will be well-rested and the break offers a crucial recovery period for currently injured players.

“The sevens tourney is an interesting competition but we also have to keep in mind the main focus of our season. It’s a balancing act, I’m afraid; winning the league and keeping my players injury-free is more important right now,” said Bedok boss, Tony King.

When asked about the threat posed by the Bucks backline, Kings head coach Danny ‘Tau Sa Pao’ Tauroa responded, “We can talk about their style of play and succession planning ahead of the clash. But the basic principle of the game is to win the ball and contest every breakdown situations as well as set pieces; and then you can worry about everything else.”

As for the NTU SELECTORS, they will be putting their money on the midfield tussle between Aaron Browne and NTU’s very own Daniel Thiam.

“Aaron Browne is a cross between Mark ‘The World’s Strongest Man’ Henry and Justin ‘The World’s Fastest Man’ Gatling. And Thiam is..., well, a typical local rugby player – short and stumpy.”

“It would be an interesting encounter on hand,” said the NTU SELECTORS, remaining neutral when asked on the prospects of the midfield battle.

When asked on the odds against a formidable foe, Thiam replied confidently, “I have taken him out before, I’ll take him out again. He won’t see me coming, literally.”

“It’s gonna be a tight, forward dominated game. We have to maintain a singular and ruthless state of mind. This will be a defining game for me… er… I mean us,” claimed Bedok Kings and NTU frontman, Rebel Rong.

Recent SMU target, Rongy, also believes that the game would be based on this premise. “This game may well be won by the team that dominates field position. If we can secure some decent field position through accurate and tactical kicking, we are confident that our lineouts will be strong enough to win not only our own set pieces but some of their’s as well.”

“Week in week out, we have come up with astute game plans and we’ll have one for them. These game plans will be executed to perfection, I know perfection is a tough task to ask from the lads, but it will be the benchmark for our victory,” said Tauroa.