Central North Rugby: Narrabri jump to third with bonus point win over Tamworth

Narrabri’s forwards did the early damage at Tamworth Rugby Park on Saturday as the Blue Boars rolled Tamworth 31-10 to register their first away-win.

The visitors came out firing with second rower Daniel Kahl picking and driving his way over in just the third minute of the game.

It was a sign of what was to follow in what coach Dylan Duncan described as an “excellent” first 20 minutes with the Blue Boars forwards consistently punching holes in the Magpies defence and making good metres, as they opened up a 19-nil lead. 

“They were playing really well. And then I think just the conditions got to us,” Duncan said.

“There was a lot of dropped ball. (But) That’s just how it goes with a bit of mud.”

He was really happy with their first 20 minutes.

“In the first 20 minutes when everyone had plenty of wind we had good shape and were attacking well and looked really good, but as soon as everyone started to tire we dropped off,” he said.

Up 19-3 at half-time his main message was to keep up the intensity and don’t let their defence drag. Fortunately they didn’t, with the Magpies enjoying a lot of possession in the second half.

“At the start of that second half it was definitely game on,” Duncan said.

“They came back really well and we gave them the game. We gave away about 10 penalties in a row and we were probably lucky no-one went to the sin-bin.”

Peter Meppem gave the Blue Boars a bit of breathing room, after the Magpies had closed within nine, with a strong run down the right, replacement winger Luke Tuckey then showing some good pace and footwork to seal the result.

Half-back Nathan Nott was busy in attack and defence and topped the points ahead of Mitch Wheaton and Michael Cain.

For the Magpies, while it will count as another loss, coach Craig Summers remarked it was a massive improvement on what they’ve done in the first few games.

“I thought we were still in it until that last try,” he said.

“Just our one on one tackles. That’s what’s been letting us down all year.

“We’re falling off them. We make them it’s a different ball game.”

Both of the Blue Boars’ second half tries the Magpies missed tackles they should have made. Their start also hurt them, but they showed good resolve to fight their way back into the game.

“I was pretty happy. Our scrum was good. I thought ours was better than theirs. And we got some good turnovers as well, which we haven’t got,” Summers said.

“We just still not reacting to that broken play.”

He thought Jack Barker, Billy Urquhart and Kieren McHugh were their best.

In the other games Pirates were too good for Quirindi running out 57-10 victors, a 22-point haul from Jordan Cosh helped Moree to a 42-10 win over Scone while Inverell edged out Barraba in a high-scoring affair 40-36.

Jeremy York’s injection in the second half helped spark the Rams, with the back crossing for a hat-trick as they almost pegged back a 19-5 half-time deficit.