Quirindi’s Doug Blackburn gets a strong grip on a runaway Jack Barker on Saturday. Paul Hurley is coming into assist while Barker has Tamworth team-mate Sam Scott in support. Adam Penman, Ben Reyne (on ground) and James Bracken are also in the frame. Photo: Robert Chappel 180812RCFE015
TAMWORTH 45 QUIRINDI 24
IT’S taken all season but Tamworth’s victory song finally rang out from Tamworth Rugby Park on Saturday.
The Magpies sung it with plenty of gusto too after finishing a tough season on a bright note with a 45-24 win over Quirindi.
It was just their second for the season and the perfect farewell present for departing coaches Joe Goldsworthy and Michael Bird.
Both say they are done for the moment coaching.
There was a lot for them to like about their side’s final performance for the year.
They had the four-try bonus point in hand by half-time after tries to Geoff Smith, Simon Bell, Nick Bradbury and Ben Coombes, and put some good passages of play together
“It was certainly the best the backline has functioned all year,” Bird said.
“There are things we have been working on and come game time haven’t happened.
“Today a few things came off.”
Saturday was the culmination of a good second round.
“It was good to score a few tries,” Goldsworthy said.
They scored seven all up, adding another three in the second half.
Ben McInnes scored the last in the final minute off a short-side dart.
Goldsworthy said it was fitting he was the one to score. He’s been outstanding for them, and was again on
Saturday.
They couldn’t have started much better with Smith scoring after about only 10
minutes.
From there they rarely let the Lions into their half in the firs 40 minutes.
Goldsworthy thought they would come out well after the intensity and focus they showed at training on Thursday night.
“I thought they were pretty determined to do well,” he said. The Lions though did come back at them, but unlike in some other games when they were scored against and capitulated, they responded with points.
Bird said Bell probably had his best game for the season. He showed what he can do in shrugging three or four defenders off to score the Magpies second try.
Michael Pearce in the centres also got them over the advantage line well in the first half and gave them a bit of momentum.
It’s been an equally tough season for the Lions, and while they will finish without a win they did pick up a point from Saturday for scoring four tries.
“The result didn’t go our way but the blokes played some good footy,” coach Ken Cudmore said.
They have just not been consistent enough this
season. He was proud of the way they fought back after being down 28-nil at one stage in the first half.
“Our support play was alright and we controlled the ball a bit better in the second half,” he said.
That then led to points.
They all played pretty well he said but thought Dan Blackman, Jason Guest, Doug Blackburn and Jake Cameron were their best.