Blue Boars double up at Dangar Park with wins against Barraba

The Narrabri Blue Boars returned to Dangar Park on Saturday where they welcomed Barraba Rams in women’s tens and reserve grade matches, and the hosts were victorious in both of the Central North Rugby Union round six matches.

The Blue Boars kicked off the day with a 24-12 reserve grade win over the Rams before their women’s side demolished the visitors 53-12.

The Narrabri first XV had a bye as Barraba have not fielded a first grade team this season.

In reserve grade, the Barraba men took an early lead as Connor Rodgers went over in the sixth minute to make the score 5-0, but Narrabri equalised in the 13th when prop Rhys Orman crossed for his team’s first of the day.

Barraba regained the lead in the 26th minute as their hooker Jacob Clarke added the visitors’ second try and then their fullback Liam Mack kicked them out to a 12-5 advantage, but Narrabri bounced back again just before half-time when coach Nathan Nott scored his team’s second try and Jydon Hill added the extras to make the score 12-all at the break.

The Blue Boars came out of the blocks fastest in the second stanza and went ahead for the first time in the match one minute after play had restarted when Luke Tuckey crossed for their third. That made the score 17-12, and it became 24-12 just short of the hour-mark when Hill converted a try scored by winger Damon Gleeson. That fourth try earned the hosts a bonus point and they held on to win by 12 to end the match having earned five competition points, which saw them finish the day ranked third on the eight-team ladder.

Narrabri have now won three games and lost just one, leaving them level on 23 points with the fourth-placed Quirindi Lions, two points behind the second-placed Tamworth Pirates and five behind top-ranked Moree Bulls. The Lions beat the Pirates 15-8 in Tamworth on Saturday while Moree picked up an automatic five points after winning by forfeit over Scone Brumbies. Inverell Highlanders and Gunnedah Red Devils both had byes.

The women’s tens match at Dangar Park was a second-versus-third battle, but the Blue Boars dominated as they ran in nine tries to Barraba’s two and kicked four conversions to Barraba’s one during a crushing 41-point win.

The Rams’ skipper Charlie Norton scored seven of her side’s 12 points after crossing for their first try in the fifth minute and converting Jessica Kelso’s 33rd-minute try.

However, Narrabri were far too good as Cassidy Morley ran in four tries, Amelie Cobb-Johnson scored a hat-trick and skipper Bella Cruickshank and April Smith claimed one each. Cruickshank also knocked over four conversions to finish the match with 13 points. She is now the only Blue Boar to have scored in all four of their games so far this season and she is the side’s equal leading try-scorer with seven five-pointers alongside her teammate Shaine Maunder, who crossed for her seven during the side’s first three games. Morley and Cobb-Johnson have now both scored six tries in two games.

The Blue Boars entered the weekend in second place and that is where they finished it after their bonus point win saw them earn five competition points to sit two behind the Gunnedah Red Devils, who moved to 27 after sitting out of round six with a bye.

The other women’s match played on Saturday saw Moree Bulls defeat the Scone Brumbies 40-14 in a bottom-of-the-table battle.

Barraba are still third, the Tamworth Pirates are fourth after their round six bye, Moree are fifth and Scone are sixth.

There were two first grade games played across the day as Moree Bulls and Tamworth Pirates both scored home ground wins. The Bulls demolished Scone 67-10 while Pirates prevailed 19-8 against Quirindi.

Moree are still first on the ladder as they moved to 29 points, comfortably out in front of second-placed Inverell (24) and third-placed Narrabri (22), who both had byes on Saturday. The Pirates are sitting fourth with 22 points and there is a sixth-point drop between them and the fifth-placed Lions.

The Blue Boars are back in action in first grade this Saturday when they travel over to Inverell to challenge the Highlanders in round seven. Narrabri’s second grade team will also meet Inverell but the women’s tens team have a bye.

The Blue Boars will then return to Dangar Park the following weekend when they host Quirindi Lions in first and second grade and Moree Bulls in the women’s game during round eight.