After kicking off their Country Championship campaigns under a cloud of fog, Central North’s under-15 and under-16 boys warmed up to the task at Bathurst on the weekend.
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Both sides performed admirably and improved over the weekend.
Several players also impressed selectors with Tamworth’s Mitchell Watts, Inverell’s Seb Pianko and Scone’s Edward Bell selected in the Country under-16s squad, Watts and Bell playing in new positions.
Kookaburras under-16s coach Tony Mills likened the conditions that greeted them on Saturday morning as reminiscent of the 2006 Super 14 Final between the Crusaders and Hurricanes with a dense fog covering the ground.
The under-15s had to play their opening game in it.
It had cleared a bit by the time the under-16s came to tackle Central West, a lack of possession hurting the Kookaburras as they opened their campaign with a 12-nil loss.
“We probably had 30-40 per cent, which made it very difficult,” Mills said.
“In our second game we led at half-time and things were going quite well. But the response from Mid North Coast in the second half was not met by us.”
Mid North Coast, who went on to make the final, took the win 20-7.
The Kookaburras finished the first day with a 22-12 win over Central Coast.
“We took on our first half from against Mid North Coast and played really well,” Mills said.
“Central Coast came back at us in the second half but this time the boys held their focus.”
He noted a couple of brilliant individual try-saving efforts. Against Mid North Coast Harry Snook not only chased one of the players down as he set sail for the tryline but earned a turnover.
Nathan Clarke then in the next game saved a two-on-one and forced a knock-on.
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They were then unlucky to draw 6-all with Illawarra in their first game on Sunday, a penalty on the bell after a simple error from the Kookaburras in their 22 giving Illawarra the chance to level.
It was a disappointing way to end the game with the Kookaburras controlling possession well. Mills said they regularly put together six, seven, eight phases, even 12 at one stage.
They then had to turn straight around and play Central Coast but couldn’t quite get back up mentally and were beaten 12-5.
Mills was happy with their efforts over the weekend.
“For the main part the group did play as a team and they put together some good passages of play,” he said.
Watts was named the Kookaburras’ best forward for the weekend and Snook the best back while Wayne Seabrook was the players’ player.
Bill Carey was meanwhile the players’ player for the under-15s, Ben Burwell the best forward, Joe Kermode the best back and Liam Caine the most improved.
