Defending champions bounce back with a big win at Dangar Park

Narrabri Rugby Club’s women’s tens team bounced back in style from their first loss of the season with a crushing 63-14 victory against Scone at Dangar Park on Saturday in round four of the 2024 Central North Rugby Union season.

A week after losing the grand final rematch against the Gunnedah Red Devils by six points away from home, the Blue Boars recaptured the form that saw them defeat Moree by 48 in their season opener in round two.

Narrabri outscored the Brumbies 11 tries to two and four conversions to two in their first home game of the 2024 season to finish the weekend in second spot on the ladder.

Three Blue Boars players crossed for hat-tricks including the side’s skipper Bella Cruickshank, debutant Amelie Cobb-Johnson and the in-form Shaine Maunder, who has now scored seven tries in the team’s first three games of the campaign. Their teammates Emily Smith and Peta Cox also scored a try each, and Cruickshank slotted four conversions to add eight extra points off the boot.

Scone came out firing early on and struck early when Caitlyn Etheridge crossed for the first try of the game and converted it to make the score 7-0.
However, Narrabri hit back and led 12-7 at the quarter-time break after Cobb-Johnson scored the home side’s first try and Cox went over for their second. Cruickshank converted one of those to add two extra points.

Narrabri were dominant across the final three quarters as they outscored the visitors 51 points to seven to earn a comfortable 49-point victory.

The Brumbies scored their final try five minutes out from full-time when Etheridge went in for her second and then slotted her second conversion, but the Blue Boars had the final say when Cobb-Johnson became the third Narrabri player to complete her hat-trick, which made the final score 63-14.

Narrabri’s coach Mitch Creighton was away for his side’s round three loss against Gunnedah, so although he was unable to compare the two performances, he was thrilled with the way his players bounced back with a dominant win.

“I’m very proud of them,” he said.

“From what I’m told what they did, or actually didn’t do, the weekend before, they capitalised and did those things against Scone.

“They were told to use the whole field and they did. We scored a lot of tries out wide through our backs.

“Our first quarter though, I thought was not who we are, and it wasn’t how we were there to play. But in our last three quarters, we just turned it on and ran with it. The girls played how they have been training to play.

“At the start we were pretty pumped up and we ran out guns blazing, but Scone just kind of came firing straight at us, and that put us on the back foot pretty quick. Defensively, Scone were very solid at the start of the game and I don’t think we expected them to hit that hard.

“After we got our first two tries, we realised what we needed to do.

“We also had a few girls out again and a few girls playing in positions they don’t normally play in, but they gelled together and they got it done.”

The Blue Boars now have a bye this weekend and will be back in action in round six when they host Barraba at Dangar Park on Saturday, May 11.