THE Country Eagles Western Province 17s started their Junior Gold Cup campaign in winning fashion at Dubbo on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Central North and Western’s best combined to beat the Sydney Stars Eastern Province 29-17.
“It was a very good start,” assistant coach (backs) Tony Mills said.
Most of the things head coach James Grant had on his cheat sheet they performed well in.
Mills said they led pretty much most of the game and played very well as a team.
“The structures that we’ve put in place, they all really worked to,” he said.
That provided them with scoring opportunities.
One of the most pleasing aspects of the performance was their patience.
“Their patience in defence was good and their general support play was pretty good,” Mills said.
“And the overall work-rate from everyone.
“They’d make sure they got back into the game to provide an attacking or defensive option.”
The set pieces were a bit rusty, but “overall not too bad given it was the first actual game against some opposition”.
He said the six Central North boys who were involved – Bo Abra (Pirates), Lochie Urquhart, Sam Rooney, Sam Gray (all Tamworth), and Will Morley (Narrabri) – acquitted themselves well.
“Bo and Sam Gray were tried out in new positions and did well there,” Mills said.
Normally number eight, Abra played in the front row while Gray had a run at half-back.
He’s normally a five-eighth.
They have a bye this week before a double header in Sydney against Met East and Victoria.
The Country Eagles Northern Province side, containing TAS’s Ben Loius and Angus Mazzei, also kicked off their campaign on the weekend.
They tackled Darling Downs at Ballymore in a curtainraiser to the Reds-Brumbies trial.
Mazzie played hooker and Louis on the left wing in what was a see-sawing tussle.
The lead changed hands several times and, with a minute remaining, scores were locked at 20-all.
But the Queenslanders broke through to score and converted to snatch a 27-20 win.
The Northern Inland 15s meanwhile convened at TAS on the weekend to prepare for their game against Hunter at Gunnedah on Sunday.
It will be the Jeff Watt and Daniel Bowcock-coached side’s first for the campaign.
