As Zone 8 Champions, the Cootamundra squad head to the Far South Coast today, their destination Merimbula, their goal, returning home with the No 3 pennant flag in their possession.

Cootamundra has been grouped in Section Two for the weekend’s round robins alongside fellow Zone Champions Gladesville (Zone 10), Concord (Zone 11) and Blayney (Zone 5) and while they are sure to provide stiff opposition, the Country Club boys are confident of a strong showing and the chance to finish at the top of their pool and

qualifying for the semi finals on Sunday

afternoon.

One change has been made to the team that claimed the Zone 8 title in Tumut last month.

Geoff Knight, the Country Club’s general

manager, has had to relinquish his position in order to play host to the more than 400 visitors his club is expecting over the next three days, his place to be taken by the experienced Bill Ledger.

Ledger will slot in as number two for the team skipped by Richard Smith and includes David Bateup as lead and Ron Rosengreen as third, while the remaining two teams, Bill Manwaring, Kevin Black, Graham Davidson (skip) and Des Guthrie, Kevin Breasley, Doug Wallace and Rodney Crowe (skip), remain unchanged from the Zone victory.

So determined is club stalwart Breasley to take his place in the final he has cut short a Queensland holiday in order to make the trip to Merimbula.

Manwaring’s quartet set the platform for victory against the tough Wagga Rules Club in the Zone final recording a 21-15 win which, when coupled with Crowe’s 19-all draw and Smith’s narrow 17-13 loss gave the Coota side a aggregate victory of 53-51.

That in itself is one of the secrets to pennants play, where every bowl can have an impact on the final outcome.

While matches are played on three rinks and each result is vital, it is the overall score that

determines the victors.

The Cootamundra players have been practicing hard in the lead up to their date with destiny and last week enjoyed a battle with Harden who will

be the Zone 8 representatives in Coota this

weekend.

The Country Club’s appearance in the State Finals represents the third successive year Coota has been represented at the highest level of

pennants play after the Ex-Services Club’s efforts in 2008 and 2009.