Even though Narrabri Rugby Club had the bye in all three grades in the 10th round of the 2023 Central North Rugby Union campaign on Saturday, there was still plenty of action right across the zone as the second half of the season kicked off.
Headlining the weekend was the Kookaburra Challenge Cup contest between the top-ranked Gunnedah Red Devils and fifth-placed Walcha Rams in first grade, and it was the Walcha men that got the job done as they defeated Gunnedah 32-26.
Gunnedah led 19-15 at the half-time break and was then in front 26-22 in the 65th minute. However, the hosts finished strongest as Dominic Bower converted a Sione Kamoto try in the 29th minute to put Walcha ahead 29-26 and then slotted a penalty goal in the final minute to secure the victory and help his club get its hands on the Kookaburra Challenge Cup.
Gunnedah had held the cup for all but two rounds after winning it off Moree back in round three.
The Rams winning it means that the Narrabri Blue Boars will play for it for the second match in a row when they host Walcha this weekend in round 11 after they were beaten by Gunnedah in round nine before the bye with the Cup on the line.
Walcha earned a four-try bonus point during its victory, which saw the side remain one point behind fourth-placed Quirindi Lions and four ahead of the sixth-placed Blue Boars after those two teams both had the bye.
The loss was the Red Devils’ first of the season but they remained on top of the table.
While Gunnedah stumbled in round 10, the other two teams in the top three were victorious as Tamworth Pirates travelled to Scone where they took down the Brumbies 39-17, while the Moree Bulls scored a 52-17 win at home against Inverell Highlanders.
Pirates are now two points behind the Red Devils and the Bulls are still one point behind the Tamworth men.
Scone and Inverell are seventh and eighth, respectively.
The two top-ranked women’s tens teams both picked up an automatic five points in round 10 on Saturday as first-placed Gunnedah and second-placed Narrabri both sat out with the byes. Gunnedah remains three points above Narrabri, as was guaranteed going into the weekend.
Third-placed Moree and the fourth-placed Tamworth Pirates also picked up five points as they scored bonus point victories.
Moree downed Inverell Highlanders 62-10 while Pirates won 38-27 against Scone.
The other match was won 45-15 by Quirindi at home to Barraba.
Those results saw Scone, Quirindi, Barraba and Inverell finish the round ranked fifth to eighth, respectively, in the women’s tens competition.
The second grade division offered up an entertaining day and it was the Pirates that stayed on top of the table with a 43-0 win at Scone.
Moree is still just two points behind the Tamworth team after it won 47-17 against Inverell and Narrabri rounds out the top three as it remained 12 points behind Moree after sitting out with the bye and picking up five points.
It got tighter in the middle as fifth-placed Quirindi beat fourth-placed Barraba 25-15 at home while sixth-placed Gunnedah went down 36-31 at Walcha as the last-placed Rams secured their first win of the year.
Scone and Inverell finished the weekend in seventh and eighth place, respectively.
Narrabri Rugby Club’s men’s teams will be back in action this Saturday when they host the Walcha Rams at Dangar Park in first and second grade, but the Blue Boars’ women’s team will have another bye as Walcha does not have a women’s side.
Other round 11 fixtures on Saturday see Gunnedah Red Devils host Scone Brumbies, Moree Bulls travel to play Tamworth Pirates, and the Inverell Highlanders welcome Quirindi Lions.
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