NORTHERN Inland 15s chalked up their first win of this year’s Junior Gold Cup in Sydney on Sunday but made it harder work than it should have been.
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After acquitting themselves well against a strong Sydney North Harbour side on Saturday, the Bushrangers were well on top against South Australia at 27-5 up at half-time.
“Then we capitulated,” co-coach Jeff Watt said, their 22- point lead cut back to just five.
But they managed to rally and hold on for a 27-22 win.
Watt and co-coach Daniel Bowcock had had high hopes on the back of what they’d shown against Sydney North Harbour the day before.
“We went down 27-nil but 22 of that was scored in the first half,” Watt said.
“We held them to 5-nil in the second half.”
It was the best anyone has done against them so far this season.
They’ve been putting 40 to 50 points on sides.
Watt said they were under pressure for most of the game but saw some encouraging signs.
“We forced them into a lot of turnover ball,” he said.
Sunday then started brightly, with the Bushrangers turning it on.
“We did everything well,” Watt said.
“The scrum was good, the lineout was good, we set a good platform for the backs, moved it (ball) quickly and the backs looked slick.”
“It was a real pleasure to watch.”
The second half was the complete antithesis.
“Even the players were disappointed with the way that they played,” he said.
He said Jock Thompson was good at outside centre over the weekend as was centre partner Josh McLaughlin.
Captain Toby Maslen at eight, and backrow cohorts Nathan Watts and Josh Jones were also superb.
The Country Eagles Western Province 17s also enjoyed mixed fortunes from their double header.
Their results went the reverse, accounting for Met East on Saturday before going down to a strong Victorian side 19-7 on Sunday.
Tamworth’s Sam Gray, Sam Rooney and Lochie Urquhart, Scone’s Sam Laurie, Narrabri’s Will Morley and Pirates’ Bo Abra all ran out for the Eagles over the weekend, and performed well.
Across the board the boys played really well, head coach James Grant said.
“We’re very happy with them so far,” he said.
“Every game they’ve played they’ve stepped up.”
So too has the level of competition.
Sunday saw them up against a big and experienced Victorian side, and take it to them.
“We were 12-7 and had a try disallowed.
“That turned the game a little bit,” Grant said.
It was their first loss and while they were upset they got beaten, Grant said they certainly weren’t deflated.
Exhausted maybe, the Victorians’ size understandably wearing them down.
“They had on us 5-10kg per man,” he said.
“But our boys didn’t take a backwards step.”
“But what used to take us one man to do took us two.”
