Camels give Brumbies a rugby lesson
Wednesday June 9, 2010
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Chris O’Hara streaking away for a try in Saturday’s rugby game against Brewarrina.
From the outset of Saturday’s Western Plains Rugby competition match between Cobar and Brewarrina at Ailsa Fitzsimmons Memorial Oval, it was clear that the days of the Brewarrina rugby team being an undisciplined rabble were behind them and they well and truly gave the Cobar side a run for their money before the Camels finally ran out 36-12 victors.
With Bruce The Camel safely locked up this week, the visitors were able to put pressure on the Camels from the kickoff.
Ordinary Cobar defence allowed Brewarrina to get close to the Cobar line and force the Camels to touch down in their own in goal area.
Pressure from the Brewarrina forwards at the ensuing five metres scrum and poor tackling from the Camels ensured the visitors were the first to trouble scorer Wayne Beckett.
This was the wake up the Camels needed.
Almost immediately the Camels defensive effort lifted. Led by Alister Ewan, the Camels’ forwards muscled up against their Brewarrina opponents who were unable to get out of their own 22m area.
Good straight running by Camels’ Chris O’Hara and Harry Vari maintained huge pressure on the Brumbies’ line until a burst by Fullback Justin Schick allowed O’Hara to chip and chase his way to the line and convert his own try to even up proceedings at 7-all.
The Camels’ forwards kept the pressure on the Brumbies from the kickoff with locks Ian Hartog and Tull Mitchell working tirelessly to maintain the Camels’ possession and keep the pressure on the visitors.
Not even the frustration of the referee’s ruling of a disallowed tight head could rattle the Camels.
Yet more strong running from Fullback Schick enabled Wingers Daniel Howard and Travis Schintler to find space and seriously threaten to cross the visitors’ line.
Eventually the pressure was too much for the Brumbies, with the Camels forwards providing a strong platform for the backs to work at scrum time allowing Howard to score a classic winger’s try in the corner. An O’Hara conversion put the Camels up 14-7.
With Schick in career best form and breaking tackles at will, the good sized crowd of spectators didn’t have to wait much longer for Howard to bag his double, after Schick was able to put him into space following his own chip, chase and regather.
With the Camels’ defence scrambling well and the forwards gaining some ascendency and supporting well, it seemed as though it was not a question of whether the home team would win but by how much.
Unfortunately, the Camels started kicking the ball away and playing the poor rugby that allowed Brewarrina to score just before half time to go into the break 19-12.
A half time ‘spray’ from Assistant Coach John Carswell was heeded and the Camels started the second half with some bruising defence, led by Halfback Tom Waters which allowed captain O’Hara to run 30m and touch down underneath the posts before converting his own try taking the score to 26-12.
The Camels once again heaped the pressure on the visitors with a raid stating with Outside Centre Vari intercepting a Brewarrina ball and unleashing his backs only to come up short.
The Brumbies opted for uncontested scrums, robbing the Camels of their dominance and so the Camels’ front rowers Steve Gillette, Clint Fennamore and Ewan imposed themselves even more around the ground and ensured the back row of Netava Tagi, Blake Dunne and Sam Baker had plenty of support and were able to set up camp on the Brewarrina line.
A lack of discipline by the visitors allowed Waters to score the Camels’ fifth try from a penalty to take the score to 31-12.
With Jayden Martin providing great service for the Camels and the backs and forwards linking well, it wasn’t long before Schick was repaid for setting up numerous tries.
Prop Steve Gillette was able to make the most of a gap in the Brumbies’ line to put his fullback away and take the final score to 36-12
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