Blue Boars bounce back with a big win against Brumbies

Narrabri Rugby Club’s round four away visit to Walcha certainly didn’t go as planned, however, the club bounced back in the best way possible in round five of the 2021 Central North Rugby Union season.

The Blue Boars welcomed Scone to Dangar Park on Saturday and scored convincing victories in both grades.

Hunter Harley’s first XV demolished the Brumbies 65-0 in the main game after the club’s second grade side downed the visitors 38-0.

In the first grade contest, centre Jacob Nichols started the scoring with a fifth-minute try which Henri Knight converted to make the score 7-0.

The hosts had earned a bonus point by the 25th minute when Knight claimed his side’s fourth try following earlier five pointers scored by Nick Tomlinson and Will Turner.

Knight kicked one of those conversions as the Blue Boars established a 24-0 lead before Jydon Hill extended the team’s advantage to 29 points at the break with his first try of the match in the 29th minute.

Knight crossed for his second just three minutes after play restarted, then by the time the hour-mark had arrived the score was 48-0 after Hill had run in two more tries to complete his hat-trick, both of which Knight converted.

Will McDonnell scored two five pointers in the final 20 minutes either side of a Nick Anderson try which Hill converted as the Blue Boars put a 52-10 round four loss against the Rams well and truly behind them.

Elsewhere, the Pirates lost their third straight game when they travelled to Gunnedah and were outscored 36-21 by the ladder leading Red Devils.

The other two matches saw Moree lose 32-12 at home against Walcha, while Inverell suffered a 33-22 loss away from home against Quirindi.

Those results allowed the Blue Boars to leapfrog both Inverell and Moree and finish round five in second place.

In the second grade game played at Dangar Park, the Blue Boars led 12-0 at the break following first half tries to Matt McDonnell and Hamish Nolan, the first of which was converted by Jimmy Schwager.

Peter Meppem ran home tries two minutes either side of the hour-mark to secure a bonus point before James Baker and Toby Keys chipped in with a try each late in the contest.

Keys converted three of those tries to add six extra points and make the final score 38-0.

Narrabri Rugby Club will travel to Inverell in round six with all three grades.

The women’s sevens sides of both Inverell and Narrabri will play their first games since round three and the two clubs will also meet in first and second grade.