North West's rugby union team finished on the podium

Coach Jason Walker described the Inverell High School student's late chase and chop on a Sydney West player in the bronze medal play-off as the "tackle of the tournament."

Late in the game, the North West team held a 26-24 lead before their opponents broke the line and looked certain to score.

But Kennedy turned and saved the day.

"I have never seen somebody turn and chase so fast," Walker said.

"Over 40 metres, he made that much ground on a guy that is signed with the Penrith Panthers.

"He chopped him down a metre out from the line, we managed to fend that off, get the ball and marched up the other end to score.

"If it wasn't for Dion Kennedy and his absolutely electric speed I would be sitting here talking again about fourth place.

"The whole 22 boys, everybody including the coach, we owe our bronze medal to Dion Kennedy.

"It was the tackle of the tournament, it was the best cover tackle I have seen.

"This guy was that shocked, I think he spilt the ball."

Walker also praised the Tingha teen for his efforts after he was a late call-up to replace NSW Combined High Schools' representative Dusty Hagon.

"One of our boys had to pull out through injury, a week out and the Clontarf team at Inverell High School got him [Kennedy] sorted, got him down to Newcastle," Walker said.

"I honestly thought he was never going to make it and he just turned up at training.

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"He trained hard, he had good touches but that tackle was the tackle of the tournament.

"This was my fifth time in trying to beat Sydney West and if Dion Kennedy hadn't have been there to bring him down, we would be fourth place again."

The North West side went on to win 33-24 for their bronze medal after a superb tournament.

First-up they beat Riverina 7-nil, then they toppled eventual runners-up South Coast 8-7, then the Hunter region 26-14.

Their only loss came in a controversial finish to Sydney South West 18-11.

Capping it off, Narrabri High School's Sid Harvey was named the player of the tournament, as well as being named alongside four others - Farrer's Lachlan Dietrich and Charlie Henderson, Narrabri's Bernard O'Connor and Warialda's Rowdy Laidlaw-Hodge - in the NSW CHS team.

"Everybody was great in what they did," Walker said.

"The effort of our country boys, giving away 20 or 30 kilos against their Sydney cousins, was outstanding.

"They never took a backwards step.

"They ran themselves ragged against overwhelming size superiority.

"Our breakaways and our loose forwards were outstanding and none of them have been picked for that next level.

"As a coach moving forward, I want to get these guys greater recognition."

Walker also credited the sport within the area for developing junior rugby union talent and highlighted the Friday night regional competition as being key.

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