RHYS DUNCAN has already had a season of ups and downs as the CNRU completes one round.
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The Tamworth Magpies captain scored a hat-trick of tries on Saturday although it wasn’t enough to stop the Rams.
“Easiest tries I have ever scored,” Duncan said, laughing.
The number eight was the final man in three driving mauls that ended with him falling over the line.
“Right time, right place,” he said.
It was Duncan’s first game back since the birth of his first child, daughter Louellen, a fortnight ago.
It also marked a full return in confidence for the number eight who was given a scare in round one when he suffered a suspected spinal injury.
“I was told at the Moree hospital that I had fractured my vertebrae but they had to check it with John Hunter,” Duncan said.
“They kept me on the spinal board and sent the scan away but then they came back and said it was fine.”
Cleared of any serious injury and with a new daughter, the Magpies captain is now looking for some silverware to top the season off.
Tamworth is in the bottom tier of the CNRU competition, and could be a chance if it keeps improving.
“There have been three games recently that we were right in and could have won,” Duncan said. “If they went the other way we could even be in the top tier.”
The captain said the club had a good bunch of young blokes and was looking at the future.
Young star flanker Harry Veitch is one of those players the captain loves to play beside and believes can take the club forward.
“He likes playing pretty loose and is an aggressive young man,” Duncan said.
“He is great to play beside and will only get better.”
The Duncans, Rhys and un-related coach Ross, will have the Magpies hitting the scrum machine this week after giving up a couple of tightheads.
“Our scrums were a bit disappointing,” Duncan said.
“Our lineouts were good and we were winning ball at the breakdowns.”
The Magpies will need to fix that scrum if they are any chance of upsetting new second tier favourites Scone this weekend in Scone.