Team of the week selections for Narrabri duo following NSW Waratahs’ win over the Reds

Narrabri boys Sid Harvey and Joey Fowler are lighting up the 2024 Super Rugby Under-19 competition for the NSW Waratahs and are making a name for themselves among their team’s success.

The Waratahs remained undefeated on Saturday in the third round of the campaign when they took down the Queensland Reds 42-31 away from home at Norths Rugby Club’s Hugh Courtney Oval in Brisbane, and the Narrabri duo were both named in the competition’s team of the week by Rugby Australia after impressing again.

For Harvey, it was a second appearance in that team after the fullback was named in the number 15 jersey after NSW’s first game in round one, and for Fowler, it was his first time named in the 10 jersey after he was unlucky to miss out in round one.

The Waratahs showed no signs of rust early in the game following their round two bye as winger Thomas Klem dived over to score in the right corner just five minutes after Harvey had kicked off.

Harvey stepped up to take a tricky conversion from out wide and the left-footer put it wide across the face of goal, but he made no mistake with his second attempt after setting up the Waratahs’ second try in the 11th minute with an offload to outside centre Liam Grover, who made a brilliant 40-metre run to the tryline as he brushed off three tacklers.

The Reds hit back with their first try in the 17th minute to make the score 12-5, but NSW were next to score as a Grover offload put winger Brendan Palmer away to score.

The Waratahs still led 17-5 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half but the Reds found another gear and crossed for two tries to level the score up at 17 apiece in the 37th minute.

It looked set to remain that way at the half-time break, but the talented NSW team got themselves back in front when Fowler’s halves partner Hwi Sharples put Grover through a gap with a classy long pass close to the line and the outside centre then powered his way over to score. Harvey converted the try to put NSW ahead 24-17 at the break and he extended the away side’s lead to 10 points just seven minutes into the second stanza when he knocked over a penalty goal.

The Reds scored and converted in the 51st minute to make the score 27-24, but the two Narrabri boys put NSW back in front by 10 when they combined for their side’s first try of the second stanza in the 27th minute as Harvey charged onto a perfectly-executed Fowler chip kick from the 22 and made no mistake with the put down or the conversion.

Queensland gave NSW another scare with a converted try on the hour mark to again reduce their deficit to three points as the score became 34-31 on the 61-minute mark, but a 66th-minute Matteo Cleverley try and a 75th-minute Harvey penalty goal made the final score 42-31.

Wallabies and Queensland Reds senior team captain Liam Wright was in commentary for the game on Stan Sport and was full of praise for both Fowler and Harvey, as well as the other members of the NSW spine.

“NSW’s spine was very good. Sid Harvey probably man of the match for me. He found his way into everything,” Wright said.

The other round three contest was played on Saturday as ACT Brumbies downed Melbourne Rebels 59-15.

The Waratahs are now second on the ladder following their two wins, just one point behind the ACT Brumbies with a game in hand on them.

NSW and ACT will meet at Pittwater Rugby Park on the Northern Beaches this Saturday as the NSW boys get the chance to go top of the table heading into the fifth and final round.