The first Interclub round of 2024 was held at Stirling in very pleasant conditions. The skies were completely clear, apart from the local birdlife (and a few helicopters covering the nearby progress of the Tour Down Under cycling race), but the temperature was quite mild for January. Breaking the trend of Eastern Suburbs dominance that we have seen so far this season, it was Club d’Adelaide’s turn to shine on this occasion. Taking the top honours for the day was the first-time combination of Lionel Pujol, Louis Oltarczy & Jean-Luc Gonnet, putting up a commanding performance throughout the day. These three all featured on the podium in the previous round, but this time they came together and moved up to the top step. The silver medals went to their Adelaide club compatriots, Alain Rousse, Adrian Clements & Dominique Pierre. The other stand-out club was Novar Gardens who also finished with two teams in the top five, including the bronze medallists Deric Oehlers, Jonathan Giddings & Justin Smith. Congratulations to Deric for his first League medal.
On the premiership table, the order of merit remains much the same but there have been some significant shifts in terms of the margins. A maximum haul of 54 points has moved Adelaide to within 9pts of the ladder leaders, ESP. In the battle for third, Novar Gardens have broken clear after having been tied with Adelaide Hills since Round 2, with a margin now of 18pts.
Thanks to the umpires and to the Adelaide Hills club and volunteers for hosting the day.
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