A women’s rugby game between the Cobar Bactrians and Bourke Ewes attracted the biggest crowd of the season to Ailsa Fitzsimmons Oval last Saturday.
The annual women’s match highlighted round 7 of Western Plains rugby featuring traditional rivals the Cobar Camels and Bourke Rams in two grades.
To the delight of their large
contingent of travelling supporters, competition leaders
Bourke convincingly won all
three games including the crowd-pleasing Bactrians versus Ewes clash.
FIRST GRADE
The Rams’ first fifteen kicked off Saturday’s feast of football with an emphatic 42-nil victory over the injury-prone Camels after leading 21 - nil at halftime.
Bourke gained the ascendancy during the opening minutes, running in three quick tries as Cobar struggled to reproduce their previous good form and contain their opponents’ relentless attacking pressure.
Standout player was loose forward Brett ‘Tricky’ Trindall, who was later sinbinned for an on-field altercation, crossed for the first of his hat-trick of tries after receiving a clever off load from Ram’s frontrower Aaron Coyne.
Speedy winger Mick Willoughby touched down for Bourke’s second five-pointer when centre Nathan Ryan created an overlap outwide with a long cut-out pass.
Not to be outdone, Trindall then showcased his own style of pace attack, intercepting a loose ball and sprinting 40 metres to the uprights to take the score out to 21-nil.
In another setback for Cobar, an injury forced secondrower and captain Jarrod Marsden from the field but somehow the Camels, through sheer determination, eventually managed to counter Bourke in the set plays and at the breakdowns.
As the forwards, led by hooker Ewan and props Gillette and Rixon together with backrowers Schmitt and Baker, secured a greater share of possession, five eighth O’Hara’s tactical kicking turned the Rams around but the match developed into a scrappy affair during the later stages of the first half.
Both teams squandered backline scoring opportunities through poor handling and lack of support and it was well into the second period before the Rams posted their fourth try.
Several phases of vigorous attack resulted in a clean break by wide-running backrower Matt Gaukroger but Bourke were denied another five-pointer minutes later when former Cobar Rooster and now Rams winger Marc Cummins, was driven into touch by a desperate Will Dobbs tackle.
A line-side altercation between rival forwards ‘Tricky’ Trindall and Cobar’s Steve Gillette saw both players sinbinned but the incident had little impact on Bourke’s renewed attacking ability.
Late tries to fullback Jarrod Samuelson and Trindall after his return to the field, combined with veteran goalkicker Ben Strachen’s sideline conversions, capped an impressive performance by the Rams.
BOURKE 42 (Brett Trindall 3, Mick Willoughby, Matt Gaukroger, Jarrod Samuelson, tries; Strachen 6 goals) defeated COBAR 0.
Best and fairest points for the Camels were awarded to Sam Baker (3), Steve Gillette (2) and 1 each to Al Ewan and Chris O’Hara.
Andrew Schmitt was named Players’ Player.
SECOND GRADE
Bourke conceded a lone try to Cobar during last Saturday’s minor grade match which the Rams also won comfortably 21-5.
Cross-code fullback Justin Schick, who missed the first grade call-up because of a soft tissue injury, scored the consolation points for the Camels.
Team-mate Adam Buck also touched down from a Scott Meadows in-goal kick but was ruled offside.
BOURKE RAMS 2nd XV 20 (Mick Willoughby, Brett Trindall, Jarrod Samuelson, Gil Sutton tries;) defeated COBAR CAMELS 2nd XV 5 (Justin Schick).
Best and fairest points were awarded to Chris O’Hara (3), Justin Schick (2) and Tull Mitchell (1).
WOMEN’S RUGBY
Cheered on by their large contingent of supporters, Bourke’s Ewes continued their male counterparts winning form, scoring six mostly runaway tries including a hat-trick to outstanding five eighth Melissa MacFarlane.
Frontrower Tracey Rankmore also crossed twice while a 60 metre solo sprint by winger Chelisha Simmons helped extend the 19-nil halftime lead to a comprehensive 38-nil victory.
Goals for Bourke were kicked by Ellisha Wright 2, Fallon Ord and Rankmore.
Although outclassed by their more experienced rivals Cobar’s Bactrians displayed glimpses of good form with Jade Goonrey and Zoë Harland’s early try-saving tackles on Melissa MacFarlane providing some of the game’s defensive highlights.
Captain Kayla Stephens, Amie Fugar, Vanessa Jansen, Nicky Miller, Christine Wheeler and Anita Neate showcased attacking skills while Jasmine Bain’s tactical kicking constantly turned the opposition around.
Paige Henmann, Kathleen Berryman and Kayla Stephens shared best and fairest.
Camels’ co-coach John Carswell, resplendent in his ‘Old Boys’ attire, provided the refereeing expertise for a free flowing game.
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff
Twitter