Blue Boars and Bulls contest a 36-all thriller at Dangar Park

The remarkable rivalry between the Narrabri Blue Boars and the Moree Bulls produced another thriller on Saturday as the two clubs contested a 36-all draw at Dangar Park in round 13 of the 2022 Central North Rugby Union season.

The Blue Boars trailed by four points late in the contest in front of a huge home crowd on the club’s old Boars’ day and sponsors’ day and then went behind by seven with a minute and 50 seconds left on the clock when Moree slotted a penalty goal.

Narrabri then won possession back off the kick-off, and two penalties put them right on the Moree line.

The hosts threw everything they had at the Bulls defence and just after Sam Spanton went inches from scoring, Linton Grumley forced his way over between the sticks for his sixth try of the year.

Down 36-34, Narrabri’s Toby Knight was then tasked with the challenge of converting the try to even the score up, and he was able to do so as the two sides shared the competition points.

Narrabri and Moree scored five tries each in that game and slotted four conversions and a penalty goal each.

Blue Boars winger Will Sharpe and prop Will Ciesiolka scored their first tries of the season in the first half, and then Will McDonnell crossed for his eighth and Tom Nolan and Linton Grumley both scored their sixth of the year in the second stanza.

The Blue Boars established an early lead when a Knight penalty goal put them ahead 3-0, but Moree hit back with a ninth-minute try through Alex Barker that Jono Spain converted to make the score 7-3.

That became 10-7 in the 11th minute when Sharpe scored the home side’s first try of the day as the winger went over in the left corner before Knight converted from the sideline.

Barker was too hot to handle for the Blue Boars’ defence as he scored his second try of the contest on the 19-minute mark and then set up his team’s third in the 28th minute as the Bulls went ahead 19-10.

Bulls left winger Asesela Ravuvu, who scored the third try, then went in for their fourth in the 34th minute and Spain slotted a conversion from the sideline to put them ahead 26-10.

Despite being behind on the scoreboard and losing the field possession battle, Narrabri’s forward pack had dominated Moree’s at the set piece throughout the half, and that winning battle contributed to the home side’s second try of the contest a minute out from half-time. Daniel Kahl won a lineout deep in Narrabri’s attacking half and the Blue Boars pack powered the Bulls back 12 metres into their in-goal with a powerful maul.

Ciesiolka was credited for the try that made the score 26-15 at the break.

The Blue Boars came out firing in the second stanza and reduced the deficit to four points with a converted try in the 46th minute.

Captain McDonnell scored it as he turned great field possession for his side into points with a sharp dummy and step close to the line that created a hole which he ran through before diving and stretching out to score.

Knight added the extras to make the score 26-22, but that became 33-22 with 30 minutes left when Moree’s Mitchell Adams converted a Tim Houston try.

The Bulls dropped the ball off the next kick-off and the Blue Boars were able to capitalise as they turned more goal-line pressure into points when Nolan scooped the ball up out of the back of a ruck and sneaked his way through a hole to score with a diving lunge. Knight added the extras again as the score became 33-29.

The Bulls’ lead should have become seven points on the hour-mark, but they threw away three points as they missed a simple penalty kick.

They were the next to score, though, when they nailed a penalty goal with less than two minutes remaining before Knight converted Grumley’s match-saving try on the bell to lock the game up at 36-all.

The two rivals both earned three points from that match as they picked up a four-try bonus point each to go with the two points for the draw.

That result saw the second-placed Blue Boars fall seven points behind ladder leaders Gunnedah after the Red Devils scored a 46-17 victory on home soil against Quirindi Lions on Saturday and earned a bonus point of their own in the process.

The two sides below the Blue Boars also made ground on them as third-placed Inverell scored a 41-27 victory away from home against Walcha and fourth-placed Pirates also earned five points as they sat out with a bye.

Those results left Gunnedah on top with 62 points, followed by Narrabri on 55, Inverell on 51, Pirates on 50 and Moree on 43.

The Blue Boars travel to Inverell this Saturday, where they will challenge the Highlanders in the 14th round of the campaign.

That game will see the Narrabri men play for the Kookaburra Challenge Cup for the first time this season after Inverell defended it for the third time this season against the Walcha Rams on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the second grade match at Dangar Park on Saturday was also a tight affair as the Bulls held on to win the game despite a fast finish from the hosts.

The Blue Boars trailed by 13 points on two occasions in the second half before a Waldo Botha try and Toby Keys conversion made the score 26-21 with 15 minutes left to play.

That was the way it remained when the siren sounded, but the play was still alive as Narrabri had possession and was mounting a charge down the right edge in front of a loud home crowd.

However, Moree held on to claim a six-point victory to remain on top of the table. Narrabri is still fourth on 41 points, 10 points behind third-placed Gunendah, 11 points behind second-placed Tamworth and 13 points behind the Bulls.