Red Devils’ effort falls short

By SARAH STEWART

The Gunnedah Red Devils Rugby Club suffered its biggest loss this season, with Tamworth Pirates proving too strong in all three grades on Saturday. 

In first grade, the Pirates began the game with strong attacking play, putting the Red Devils’ defence under pressure straight away. 

Despite the Red Devils denying several attempts to score, the Pirates eventually managed to breach their defence and score the first points of the game.

Tamworth capitalised on this momentum and continued their aggressive attack, finding another gap in the Red Devils’ defence to score again, bringing the score to 14-0 in favour of the Pirates. 

However, the Red Devils managed to turn things around when hooker Tim Wilson charged from behind the ruck, breaking through the opposition’s defence to score their first points of the game.

Cameron Mitchell successfully converted the try, narrowing the Pirates’ lead.

Although the Red Devils showcased some impressive plays and tried to build momentum, the Pirates were dominant and managed to score again, extending their lead to 21-7. Gunnedah’s halfback Daniel Rorke dashed through the opposition, demonstrating an outstanding individual run to score for the Red Devils. Cameron Mitchell’s conversion brought the score to 21-14 in favour of the Pirates.

Despite the Red Devils’ efforts, the Pirates secured their victory with another try and conversion just before full time, the final score being 28-14. This loss has taken Gunnedah Red Devils to second place on the ladder. 

The Red Devils reserve grade team suffered a significant loss with a score of 47 to 12. Unfortunately, this loss has eliminated their chances of securing a spot in the finals for the season. Due to high injury rates in the club this year, reserve grade was unable to have consistency of players as it has had in previous seasons. 
 

The Red Devils women, who were previously undefeated this season, have also dropped to second place on the ladder after a tough, physical and fast paced game, resulting in a 37-24 loss for the Gunnedah women. 

The next match for the Gunnedah Red Devils will be held at Gunnedah Rugby Park, where they will host the Narrabri Blue Boars in all three grades for the last home game for the round. The minor premiership will be on the line in the women’s game in a top of the table clash.