WEEBOLLA WHITEWASH: Narrabri Blue Boars down rivals Moree Bulls in both grades

Narrabri Blue Boars and Gunnedah Red Devils have set up a blockbuster top-of-the-table round eight match after the two top-ranked Central North Rugby Union first grade sides scored convincing round seven victories on Saturday.

The Blue Boars travelled up the Newell Highway to Weebolla Oval where they outclassed rivals Moree Bulls from start to finish to earn a 43-5 victory, while Gunnedah scored a 45-14 home ground victory against Scone.

Those results saw both sides earn five competition points each as Gunnedah held onto its one-point lead above Narrabri at the ladder’s summit.

The Blue Boars can overtake the Red Devils with a win at Dangar Park under lights on Saturday evening when Narrabri Rugby Club celebrates its annual ladies’ day event.

Blue Boars coach Hunter Harley told The Courier that he was pleased to return home from Moree with the five points.

“I think any win against Moree, Narrabri gets a kick out of,” he said.

“Whether it’s comprehensive or only just, a win against Moree is worth more than the competition points.

“To be blunt, I wasn’t real happy with the first 40 minutes.

“I thought we were beating ourselves to a degree, we started to make a few inroads early and thought ‘hang on we’ve got these guys’ and we tried to play a bit too pretty instead of playing more direct and that was what we conveyed at half-time.

“Everyone was in agreeance and we went back to basics, really focusing on running hard, straight lines, really playing direct and focusing on going through Moree’s middle.

“We were able to do that and as a result it made for a good day out.

“Once we went forward the backs scored some easy tries out wide.

“I couldn’t be more happier with how we performed in that second 40.”

Harley said that Todd Farrer, who started not only for the first time this season but for the first time “in about five years”, was the Blue Boars’ best on the day.

“Todd Farrer was outstanding,” Harley said.

“He really got us going forward and he led from the front.

“Jacob Nichols was very solid at five-eighth, I thought he was very good.

“Dan Baker was good too, he continues to improve at loosehead prop.

“Those three were all good and got our three, two and one votes (respectively) .”

The Blue Boars took an early 7-0 lead in the first grade contest at Weebolla Oval on Saturday when Nichols converted a Matt McDonnell try inside the first 10 minutes of the game.

That became 12-0 in the 23rd minute when Jack Maunder crossed for the Blue Boars’ second try, but Moree reduced its deficit back to seven with a try five minutes later which made the score 12-5.

Will McDonnell went over for Narrabri’s third try in the 32nd minute which Nichols converted to make the score 19-5.

The match took an ugly twist four minutes before half-time when a Moree Bulls player went down with a gruesome ankle injury and was taken from the field in an ambulance.

The final four minutes of the first half were not played but when the second stanza began the Blue Boars started right where they left off when winger James Albert secured a bonus point for the visitors with a try in the 43rd minute which made the score 24-5.

Maunder scored his second try of the contest in the 50th minute as the score became 29-5, before Jydon Hill and Farrer crossed for a try each in the final 20 minutes which were both converted by Nichols.

The Blue Boars also defeated Moree in Saturday’s round seven second grade contest.

The Narrabri men won 20-5 off the back of a brilliant defensive performance.

They defended for the majority of the first half but managed to score the first try of the game when James Baker crossed on the half-hour mark.

Peter Meppem and Nathan Nott scored second half tries while Toby Keys added five points off the boot via a conversion and a penalty goal.

Moree scored a try with two minutes left to play which was merely a consolation as the Blue Boars claimed their third victory of the 2021 season.

In first grade games played elsewhere, four-time defending champions Pirates rejoined the top four when it scored a 41-22 victory away from home against

Quirindi Lions while third-placed Walcha scored its fifth consecutive win when it demolished Barraba 83-7 on the road.