The Australian team produced some brilliant pegging on Monday to secure the top three placing they required to qualify for this years International Tentpegging Federation World Cup.
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The Aussies hopes of taking on the world’s best were looking a bit shaky heading into the final day of competition at Paceway Tamworth trailing the United Arab Emirates for third.
But the team of Tamworth’s Barry Biffin, Bryson Roser, Scott Miller and Todd Carey, and Donna Davidson rose to the challenge to claim the bronze behind India and Pakistan.
They finished 45 points clear of the UAE in the end and just over 43 off second-placed Pakistan.
The Aussies also won silver in the single file event, while Biffin and son-in-law Roser tied for second in the individual competition behind Pakistan’s Nigha Hassaim.
“Bryson and Barry might have missed one item (on Monday), they did exceptionally well,” manager Jake Van Dorssen said.
Davidson was also “very good” although the whole team did “very well”.
Third after the first day, but slipping back to fourth after the second, Van Dorssen was confident going into Monday they could make up the ground they needed to on the UAE team.
“I reckoned they would come good because they are good,” he said.
For the Tamworth contingent the rare opportunity to represent their country in their home town made it that extra bit more special.
“It was very enjoyable,” Roser said.
“It’s always good to compete at home and in front of family and friends.”
“Obviously nine times out of 10 we have to go overseas.”
It was the third World Cup qualifying campaign he’s been involved in after competing in Pakistan and Abu Dhabi, and he is relishing the chance to wear the green and gold again.
Like the Aussie team though he had a bit of an up and down three days.
“The first day I didn’t drop a peg, then I came into day two and missed the first two,” Roser said.
“But that’s pegging. You can be red-hot one day and on the bottom the next.”
To finish second alongside his father-in-law was also “pretty exciting”.
That is nothing new for the pair.
“It’s about the third time this year it’s happened,” Biffin said.
“We’re level pegging,” he added – pun intended.
He has been pushing for Australia to host a World Cup qualifier and couldn’t have been happier with how things went.
They had a lot of old tent-peggers come out to check out the event, Biffin mentioning the likes of Peter and Bruce Marshall, Eric Cannon and Laurie Andrews.
The current president of the Australian Tentpegging Association, Biffin will be heading over to Oman in a couple of weeks, along with wife Judy, to coach/manage the Australian team competing at the ITPF’s first-ever women’s competition.
Davidson is also part of that side.