Boggabri Kangaroos ‘epic comeback’

The Boggabri Kangaroos produced an epic comeback as they achieved a 32-all draw with the North Tamworth Bears in Group 4 rugby league last Sunday.

This was the final game of an action-packed weekend at Tamworth’s Scully Park.

The Bears led 16-12 at half-time and went on to lead 32-16 with less than 10 minutes remaining, before the Kangaroos scored three quick tries to send the game into golden-point extra-time.

Neither side could break the deadlock in the extra 10 minutes, ensuring both teams received a competition point and remained undefeated along with Gunnedah and Werris Creek.

Norths led 10-0 before two converted tries to the Kangaroos enabled them to grab a short-lived two-point lead.

Boggabri lost Jay Urquhart and skipper Matt Gillham to injury, and their absence was felt as Norths scored just before and after half-time to go ahead 22-12.

The Kangaroos pegged the deficit back to six points, before the Bears moved ahead 32-16 in the 70th minute and appeared in control.

Boggabri second-rower Cameron Kerr scored a try with just over six minutes left, and Ash White’s conversion trimmed the margin to 10 points.

Soon afterwards, Kerr scored his third try of the night to narrow the gap to a converted try.

Boggabri made inroads immediately after the restart, and then Ilaisa Kalokalodrau scored between the posts to give White an easy kick to tie up the scores.

Kangaroos coach Shane Rampling was upbeat after his team fought back from what appeared a certain defeat.

“I’m absolutely over the moon that we got ourselves in a position where we could have won that game,” he said.

“At 16 points down with nine to go I thought we were gone and then I thought we were going to run out of time, but the boys never gave up.”

Rampling said it was “a massive achievement” to get to golden-point, and that he would “certainly” take one competition point although the Kangaroos earlier let themselves down with silly mistakes and penalties.

“We pretty much gave Norths all of their territory and they scored off the back of our errors,” he said.

“We found it hard to get back in the grind there at stages, and when they scored to go 16 points up, I thought we’d done ourselves too hard of a task.

“We fought back and we showed so much grit and determination and I couldn’t be prouder of the boys and their effort.”

The Kangaroos host Werris Creek at Jubilee Oval this Saturday in first and reserve grade and women’s leaguetag, after Boggabri played away from home in the first three rounds.