Barbarians have taken the spoils in a low-scoring affair against Tamworth to score their first win of the New England Rugby Union season on Saturday.
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Both teams were searching for their first win heading into the round six clash as a try to Keith Ellis and the boot of Edward Pitt was enough to see Barbarians win 19-8 over Tamworth who were sporting special green jerseys to support the local mental health headspace branch.
Barbarians co-coach Greg Wynn said he was “really proud of the gutsy win” but also said his side made it hard for themselves at times.
“Very happy with our effort, not so much our execution,” he said after the match.
“Our effort is probably something that hasn’t been there up until this point.
“There was a bit of drop ball. Not winning our lineout hurt, especially in the later stages of the game. [We were] really just giving them an opportunity back into the game.”
The sole Barbarians try came at the 13-minute mark when the Baa Baas switched the play and Ellis sliced through the Magpies defence to score.
Pitt kicked his first of three penalty goals just a few minutes later to take the lead past a converted try.
Tamworth struggled to get of their own half and another Barbarians penalty goal saw the scoreline sit at 13-0 with 15 minutes left in the first half.
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The Magpies gained some much-needed possession and territory as the clock wound down to half-time.
It resulted in a penalty goal to Matt Blanch for the score to read 13-3 at the break.
The lead was extended to 13 with another Baa Baas penalty goal 12 minutes into the second half.
With 15 minutes to go, Tamworth struck back through Joe Evans but the conversion was waved away to see Tamworth down by eight.
Tamworth had a couple cracks at the line but couldn’t muscle over before a Pitt penalty goal at full-time sealed the win.
After edging closer to an elusive first win in the NERU over the past few weeks, a “deflated” Peter Burke said Saturday’s performance was a “huge step back” for the Magpies.
“I thought that was our worst performance of the year. Easily,” the Tamworth coach said.
“I can’t remember the ball getting to second phase in the first half.
“Our turnovers were incredible. We fell off tackles.
“Our scrum – all credit to them, their scrum went really well – but our scrum deteriorated.
“We took silly options, I can’t pick an area – perhaps our lineout – that went well.
“If I was marking us out of 10 we might have got a one.”
Burke said things didn’t look good for Tamworth before they even took to the field.
“I could see it before the game that they weren’t mentally ready to go,” he said.
