Dangar Park is buzzing again this year and why wouldn’t it be? The Narrabri Blue Boars have not lost a Central North Rugby Union first grade game there in more than three years.
In fact, you have to go all the way back to the preliminary final of the 2019 campaign on September 7 of that year to find the Narrabri Rugby Club first XV’s most recent loss on home soil.
Granted, there were no matches played in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but since then, the mighty Blue Boars are undefeated in 17 home competition matches.
They won all seven games at Dangar Park in the 2021 campaign and then won seven of their eight games at the venue in 2022, drawing the other.
This year, the Narrabri men have won two of their four matches across the first five rounds, both of which were scored on home soil.
Their most recent victory in front of a home crowd was on Saturday in the fifth round of the season when they defeated the Quirindi Lions 62-7.
It was the perfect way for the side to bounce back from a demoralizing 38-point away loss against Moree Bulls a week earlier.
The Blue Boars’ try-scoring machine Linton Grumley crossed for two early tries to get his side on the front foot against Quirindi, both of which were converted by Jacob Nichols.
Grumley crossed for 12 five-pointers in 2022 and has already gone over five times this season after his early round five double.
Will McDonnell was the club’s top try-scorer in first grade last year with 14, and he registered his first of the 2023 season against Quirindi when he went in for Narrabri’s third of the day.
James Baker added a fourth try for the hosts as the Blue Boars secured a bonus point before half-time, and Nichols converted one of those two tries as Narrabri went into the half-time break with a 26-0 lead.
Nichols then made the score 33-0 early in the second stanza when he scored his third try in as many games and converted it to add the extras.
It became 38-0 when Josh Schwager scored his first try of the season soon after, and when McDonnell scored his second of the day and Nichols added the extras, the score had ballooned out to 45-0 in Narrabri’s favour.
The Quirindi men eventually found their first points in the 71st minute when Charles Gulliver converted a Bailey Swain try, but a Waldo Botha brace, a Will Ciesiolka try and a Todd Nichols conversion made the final score 62-7 in Narrabri’s favour.
Narrabri Rugby Club first XV coach Jake Packer told The Courier that he was pleased with his side’s response to the loss against Moree.
“They played really well and they answered the challenge that was set at the start of the week,” he said.
“It was a really good performance, and I was really happy.
“I think that it came down to our attitude, all in all.
“We were a lot more aggressive, and in defence we really turned up to play.
“Our defensive structure all year has been good, but our aggression and first-up contact have let us down, and that was a lot better this week, though I think our low tackle focus still needs to be better.
“We’d also tried a different playing style at the start of the year that we had a talk about last week. The boys were honest and said that they found it hard to adapt to that style.
“We went back to our old style, and I think that gave the boys a lot more confidence.”
Other CNRU first grade results in round five saw the Tamworth Pirates beat Inverell Highlanders 51-12 and the Walcha Rams edge out the Moree Bulls 24-22. Like Narrabri, those two sides won their respective matches on home soil.
Gunnedah had a bye in round five and remained on top of the table as the Red Devils moved to 23 points.
The side at the opposite end of the table also had a bye as eighth-placed Scone Brumbies sat out in the fifth round of the campaign.
Narrabri is currently ranked fifth on the ladder after five rounds and is just three points outside the top four.
The Blues Boars have a bye in round six and will then return home in round seven on Saturday, May 27, when they host Inverell.
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