Cobar Camels soundly thrash the Nyngan Bulls
Wednesday July 22, 2009
Sam Baker and Daniel Howard ‘steal’ the ball from a Nyngan player in Saturday’s
Western Plains Rugby match at Nyngan. ▪ Photo contributed
The Cobar Rugby Union Camels bussed to Larkin Oval on Saturday to play Nyngan in one grade of the Western Plains Rugby competition and demolished the hapless Bulls 62-20.
Cobar established their authority early after winger Chris Gilbert fielded a clearing kick to pass to fullback Justin Schick who found Travis Schintler in support.
When cornered, the winger reversed the ball to Schick who scored the Camels’ first try out wide, which halfback Matt Low converted.
A successful penalty attempt and an unlikely try to the ‘Boganites’ (which they converted) saw the Bulls somehow in the lead 10-7 even though the Camels had by far the better of the play.
Number eight for Cobar, Sam Baker, was in everything.
Gilbert had decided to take on the Nyngan defence and he was ably supported by loose forward Phil Dent and hooker Al Ewan.
Finally the Cobar pack presented the ball for five-eighth Chris O’Hara to deliver on to centre Daniel Howard who forced the ball for Cobar’s second converted five pointer.
An individual effort by big striding winger Gilbert was rewarded with a touchdown and ,after enterprising work by centre Mark Crossing and breakaway Todd Lumber which led to a rare penalty to the Camels, Gilbert called for the ball on the blind to score his second.
Low raised the flags after his sideline conversion attempt for Cobar to lead 26-10.
From the kick-off Gilbert put in a towering punt which he followed through only to have his third try disallowed but then from the ensuring scrum O’Hara threw a long pass out to Schintler who scored in the corner.
Again Low beggared belief and converted from the touch line.
Utilising their superior pace out wide, the Camels again threatened Nyngan’s line for the forwards to pick and drive, with Cobar’s captain and co-coach Jarrod Marsden finally using his big frame to force his way over the line for a try.
A clever one-on-one steal by O’Hara restarted the Camels’ onslaught and smart support play by Dent saw him post another Cobar try.
The half-time siren sounded, just after replacement second rower Tull Mitchell backed up a Matt Low charge, to call for the change-over.
They opened the scoring in the second half with a bustling try which was not converted but a long run by Schick, supported by Lumber ,resulted in the Camels’ second penalty.
Following a quick tap, centre Howard forced the ball over for his second try.
O’Hara then diffused a Nyngan rally with a huge clearance for the Crossing brothers, Mark
and Evan, to pick and drive and fiercely retain possession.
Low fed O’Hara who found tight head prop Steve Gillette positioned wide who showed remarkable pace to then draw the defence and give Schick an uninterrupted passage to the try line.
Second rower Ian Hartog, who had already pulled off several stop-dead tackles, then won a couple of line-outs to put Nyngan under siege again.
Baker took off from the back of the ruck to pop a pass to Low who found ever present Schick who then kicked through to win the race for the ball and score.
Not yet finished with the plucky Bulls, Howard found Baker in support who unloaded to O’Hara who then cleverly chipped over the Nyngan defence only for Schick to lose the ball over the try line.
Evan Crossing, who has really instilled some muscle and finesse into the Cobar forward pack, comfortably won a rare lineout to send the Camels into the attack yet again as the referee blew full time.
Pleasing aspects to be taken from the game included the raw talent that the Camels show-cased, the eight reserves on the sideline keen for a run and the return of former high-flying second rower Darran Wells.
This overwhelming victory to Cobar was not without negatives however.
Cobar allowed a badly beaten side to score three tries through the ruck, a situation which will be exploited far more brutally by any of the higher placed teams; the penalty count was horribly in Nyngan’s favour (giving away senseless penalties will prove fatal); and finally it is painfully obvious that shift work is playing hazard with training.
On a day of very many fine efforts, Ewan earned three best player points for a traditional tight forward performance geared on ball retention; Schick surely found his niche at fullback returning to smashing form to gain two points; while Gilbert showed his class and Hartog had a sound all round game to each claim one point.—contributed
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