Upset has Roos hungry to atone

THE last time they played, the Tigers did the unthinkable — they beat TSL powerhouse Clarence.

With the Roos up and firing after an uncharacteristically poor start to the season, the Tigers know today’s Round 9 rematch at Blundstone Arena will be a completely different prospect.

And the banter among the players from the two sides only adds spice to the contest.

“Clarence is a proud club and they weren’t overly happy with the result last time,” said Tigers coach Adam Henley.

“There’s been a bit of talk going about and a couple of our boys had a chat with them over the weekend and they’re very keen to change that result.

“It should be a pretty solid sort of game, I reckon.”

The Tigers’ 17-point win at the Twin Ovals in Round 4 was their maiden victory, and cemented Clarence’s horror start to the year with a 1-3 winloss ratio.

The stunning upset came out of the blue, but Henley believes this time the Roos will be ready to rock.

“They’ve got Webberley, Drury, Gleeson and Williamson back in, so it’s a totally different side to . . . six weeks ago,” Henley said.

“They are playing with confidence now so it’s going to be a tough gig over there at Bellerive.”

The Tigers are almost at full strength.

“It’s pretty much the best side we can get out there, apart from the loss of the Mariner boys,” Henley said.

Clarence has won its past two games, but the Roos won’t be seeking revenge on the Tigers.

“We just need to continue building on what we’ve started over the past couple of weeks,” said coach Matthew Drury.

“The fact they beat us the last time doesn’t change the fact that we need to continue moving forward.

“It’s not about them, it’s about taking care of the things we can control and the things we need to do to keep improving.”