Blue Boars determined to end Pirates’ flying start to the 2021 CNRU season

Narrabri Rugby Club will host Central North Rugby Union’s defending first grade champions, Pirates, this Saturday when round three of the 2021 season comes to Dangar Park.

The Blue Boars’ round three opposition is currently enjoying a flying start to its 2019 title defence following two big wins across the past two match days.

The Tamworth-based club’s start to the season has been the most dominant across the competition by a long way, so much so that its for and against points differential is an impressive 110.

The Pirates are currently on top of the table after demolishing the Walcha Rams 57-6 in a 2019 grand final rematch in round one before scoring an even larger victory in round two when they accounted for the Scone Brumbies 64-5.

In what is expected to be a blockbuster first grade match, both the Blue Boars and the Pirates will be playing to keep their unbeaten streaks alive. They are two of the three sides (which also includes Gunnedah) that have not lost in the opening two rounds of the campaign.

The Blue Boars won their round one match 34-18 then had the round two bye last weekend.

However, they were still in action as they welcomed the Tom Cullen-coached Western Plains representative team to Dangar Park.

A Narrabri side which was missing several key players won that match 39-29.

The club will be without several first grade starters again in round three, but head coach Hunter Harley told The Courier that anyone who pulls on a Blue Boars shirt in the first grade fixture on Saturday would be expected to stand up to help bring the Pirates’ early dominance to a halt in his side’s round three match against the Tamworth men on Saturday.

“We knew this first month we wouldn’t have a full strength team on the field and we’ll have three or four out for weddings this weekend and on top of that a couple of injuries but I’m not going to hide behind that,” Harley said.

“I haven’t finalised the final 15 yet (on Tuesday) but the team we will be fielding will be a pretty good side.

“I’m expecting a very good performance at home, I want to make Dangar Park a fortress this year and that continues Saturday.

“We’ve got a lot of new combinations and we are very much a work in progress but I know all of those guys are Narrabri Blue Boars so I expect them to stand up and do us proud.

“We’ll have a low tackle focus. [Pirates] are a very big side but they are an older team as we know, which hasn’t stopped them from winning comps, but we can quicken up their own ball by putting them on the deck, no one likes getting on the deck.”

A major boost for the Blue Boars will see the side welcome back Henri Knight who will play alongside Matt Schwager in the halves. That will see Will McDonnell line up in the centres, which in turn pushes Jimmy Schwager to the bench.

Clayton Pursche will miss the game with a shoulder injury and will be replaced on the wing by Nick Tomlinson, while the side’s standout player from round one, Matt McDonnell, will also be away as will fellow forward Mitch Wheaton.

Harley, who played in Saturday’s trial run against Western Plains at Dangar Park, said that it was a good matchup ahead of the Pirates clash.

“It was really good for club morale I think,” Harley said.

“People got opportunities and they went really well.

“We had a big squad but we were very short on backs, we had a few guys away at various things. Some were unavoidable because guys had planned things for the bye weekend weeks ago.

“But I definitely wanted the game because we are short on a run going in against Pirates.

“The Western Plains boys were good, tough and hard, it was a good matchup especially because they were coming off scratch with a lot of blokes having their first hit out and we were trying some new combinations.”

Harley said that the club was honoured to welcome Cullen back to Dangar Park. The pair were co-coaches when the Blue Boars scored their most recent home ground grand final win back in 2014.

“Tom did the jersey presentation on Saturday and he explained to our boys how it takes 25-30 blokes to win a premiership and that everyone has to buy in,” Harley said.

“He spoke some pretty good words and I think he was thrilled to be asked to do it.”

Meanwhile, round two of the 2021 Central North Rugby Union season delivered two eye-opening results, with Walcha going down 17-14 away from home against Inverell and Quirindi winning 35-27 on home soil against Moree.

Gunnedah Red Devils scored its second consecutive win when it travelled to Barraba and outscored the Rams 43-5.

Narrabri Rugby Club will be in action against the Pirates in all thee grades in round three. Gates will open at midday at Dangar Park before the first women’s sevens match of the day kicks off the action from 1.10pm. The second grade match will be played from 1.30pm, before the club’s women’s sevens teams meet again from 2.55pm. The first grade contest will then kick off at 3.15pm.