Narrabri Rugby Club travelled up to Inverell with only a first grade side on Saturday as the club continues to be plagued by injury and illness in the 2022 Central North Rugby Union season.
With almost 30 players from the senior men’s roster sidelined, the Blue Boars were forced to forfeit their second grade contest against the Highlanders.
That meant that only the first grade game went ahead, and the hosts won that match 40-14 as the Narrabri men were unable to return home with the Kookaburra Challenge Cup.
In their first match with the cup on the line, Narrabri was outscored six tries to two and five conversions to two as Inverell ran away with a 26-point victory.
Blue Boars skipper Will McDonnell continued his superb 2022 campaign scoring form with both five-pointers. He has now scored in four straight games for the second time in 2022 and is the Blue Boars’ leading try-scorer with 11.
His teammate Toby Knight slotted both conversions in Narrabri’s round 14 loss.
Not only did that result deny the Blue Boars the chance to hold the cup for the first time this year, but it also saw the side drop to fourth spot on the ladder after entering round 14 ranked second.
Narrabri remained on 54 points after the loss and was overtaken by both the Highlanders and Pirates.
The Tamworth men scored a 50-12 home ground victory against Walcha to join Narrabri on 55 competition points, and they overtook the Blue Boars as they have won an extra game.
Those two sides are both one point behind the Highlanders on the ladder.
The other round 14 game played on Saturday saw Gunnedah Red Devils score their ninth win of the season as they outscored the Moree Bulls 28-27 away from home.
That one-point victory meant that Gunnedah moved 11 points clear at the top of the table.
Seventh-placed Quirindi and last-placed Scone both had byes in round 14.
In second grade, Narrabri dropped to fifth following its forfeit loss as the Highlanders overtook the Blue Boars to finish the round in fourth.
The Blue Boars stayed on 41 points and are now two behind the Inverell men.
Other round 14 matches were won by first-placed Moree Bulls, which edged out the third-placed Red Devils 26-24, Quirindi, which beat Barraba/Gwydir 39-15, and the second-placed Pirates, which prevailed by forfeit against Walcha.
Meanwhile, the Blue Boars had the bye in the women’s 10s competition and remained in second place behind the Pirates, which won 97-0 against Scone on Saturday in round 14.
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