AFTER tasting scattered success against college rivals St Albert’s in recent years, Robb well and truly has the bragging rights this season after toppling them for the second successive week on Saturday.
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The 17-3 win was in effect their third win after beating them in the Armidale Knockout, and then in their annual Parents’ Weeekend clash the weekend before.
“The boys played really, really well,” Robb co-coach Jim Boland said.
It was, he thought, the best they’ve played this season.
Again, they found themselves behind at half-time, but created more than enough opportunities to be ahead.
“We went within a metre of tries probably 10 times in the first half,” Boland said.
Albies just continually denied them.
“It was as good as defence as I’ve seen,” he said.
“We probably had 70 per cent of the ball.”
He said the Albies backrow especially was good and pilfered a lot of ball close to the line.
They managed to break the shackles in the second half, scoring three unanswered tries.
At the same time they held Albies scoreless – something of a rarity.
“It’s the first time I can remember Albies not scoring,” Boland said.
Like it was the week before, pressure was a key part of the formula for Robb.
“Whenever we lost it we got it back through our pressure,” Boland said.
It was a lot harder game to get up for.
There wasn’t the aura of Parents’ Weekend and no atmosphere with hardly anyone there to watch.
That was the concern for Boland and Sam Ditchfield, but they were switched on.
“They kept their mental attitude up,” Boland said.
“And they kept their discipline and patience.”
The win took them to equal with Albies in second but third on for and against, and could prove huge for their season.
“They’re a bogy team for our guys,” Boland said.
Now they’ve got that belief that they can beat them.
Boland said it was tough to pick any standouts. They all had good games.
“Our forwards to a man were outstanding,” he said.
That was reflected in the points, with breakaway David van Lubeck and prop Wilson McKenzie both figuring along with winger David James.
Guyra was the big mover with their 33-8 win over Barbarians pushing them off the bottom of the table.
TABLE: Armidale 15, St Albert’s 12 (+22), Robb 12 (+6), Guyra 5,
Barbarians 4.
