WALCHA bounded to victory in the battle of the Roos on Saturday.
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They beat Boggabri 38-14 at Captain Cook Park to earn their first points for the season.
“It was good,” co-coach Peter Berry said.
“We started strong.”
They got on top of Boggy early and led 20-6 into the break.
“Our defence has been good and was good again,” Berry said.
“We had some good line speed in defence.”
Through that, they forced some errors.
They had gone close to the points in the first round.
They led Dungowan 16-6 at half-time only for the Cowboys to score twice in the last 10 minutes and snatch a two-point win.
On Saturday they were a lot more clinical.
“We cut out our mistakes and completed our sets of six,” Berry said.
That was the main difference – they were able to hold the ball for six tackles.
“We had a lot of back-up support,” Berry said.
They also worked to their plans.
“Our ball runners were hitting some gaps and running some good angles,” he said.
Lachlan Brown, particularly, was a real handful in the centres.
The former NSW Country rugby rep scored four of the Roos’ eight tries and, not surprisingly, also received the three best and fairest points.
Winger Dean Kelly also crossed twice and along with Brown, Lachlan Laurie, Max Abraham and Troy Yarnold, were the Roos’ best.
Berry thought Shane Rule also had another good game at fullback after he’d picked up the three best and fairest points in the first round.
Hooker Ryan Gunning was adjudged Boggy’s best.
In the other Saturday game, game Werris Creek overwhelmed Manilla 58-6.
Tim Fenwick received the three points in the Group 4 Second Division best and fairest on debut for the Magpies.
Amo Ioasa, the former Pirate halfback who played at Kootingal last season before moving north to Manilla under new captain-coach Chris Vidler, picked up the two points and Brian Darcy bagged the one point.
The Magpies sit atop the Second Division Shield competition, albeit on for and against.
G4 SECOND DIVISION TABLE: Werris Creek 4, Dungowan 4, Kootingal 4, Barraba 4, Manilla 2, Walcha 2, Boggabri 0, Bendemeer 0.