Defensive and handling deficiencies were telling in the round one Central North Rugby Union (CNRU) first grade contest at Quirindi Rugby Club last Saturday, as the Quirindi Lions defeated the Gunnedah Red Devils 56-33.
Reigning premier Quirindi scored 10 tries to five and would have tallied closer to 70 points had the goal-kicking been better, while Gunnedah’s tries were opportunistic and against the run of play.
Having topped last year’s ladder before faltering in the finals, the Red Devils sorely missed the likes of Tim McDermott and Adrian Burl last Saturday while veteran James Perrett only played the final 17 minutes.
The coaches from both teams had ample reason to be disappointed, with both sides repeatedly making errors which resulted in points for the opposition while there were also numerous penalties each way.
Another costly mistake from the Red Devils was crooked throwing in line-outs.
Gunnedah was mathematically in contention for the first 50 minutes, before Quirindi pulled further away.
Quirindi’s No. 5 burrowed from close range for the opening try in the fourth minute, before the Red Devils grabbed a shock 7-5 lead 10 minutes later.
The Lions were attacking, when Gunnedah fullback Ashton Harris snaffled a loose pass and raced 90 metres for a converted try.
A subsequent penalty led to Quirindi quickly regaining the lead, with Sam Gray throwing a dummy and strolling across for a lamentably soft try.
The next try came when the Red Devils paid dearly for not numbering up, as Quirindi won a scrum in the attacking zone. Tom Clare fired a long ball right to Adam Davis who crossed untouched in the corner, but a third unsuccessful conversion attempt restricted the margin to eight points.
Another intercept try to Gunnedah slashed the margin to one point, with Asivorosi Turagalevu racing onto a spinning pass from the Lions and running 45 metres to the tryline.
After Quirindi’s Mitchell Evans barrelled his way across the tryline, a successful conversion reinstated the eight-point margin in the lead-up to half-time.
Evans also scored the first try of the second half, before Turagalevu swooped on a loose pass from the Lions and scored near the posts.
An unsuccessful conversion from a straightforward position kept the margin outside a converted try, before three unanswered tries amid ineffective defence enabled the hosts to jump to a 44-19 lead.
On one occasion a desperate tackle from the Red Devils prevented a try, only for the Lions to score less than a minute later.
Gunnedah’s Angus Bodiam scored a speculative try in the 65th minute as he smothered a clearing kick from the Lions, and ran about 40 metres to the tryline with a defender attempting to thwart him.
The hosts moved ahead 51-26 when their No. 4 muscled over beside the right upright for a converted try, before a wild pass from the Lions in their quarter enabled Perrett to pounce for an easy try.
The full-time bell was delayed due to the referee and touch judge having a discussion, and then Red Devils forward Lachy Mack was controversially yellow-carded.
From the final play of the match, a long pass to the right bounced to an unmarked Davis who bagged another five-pointer.
Quirindi also had the upper hand in reserve grade, winning 36-5.
The Red Devils host the Tamworth Pirates this Saturday, with the Pirates having lost 24-22 to Inverell in first grade last Saturday after the Tamworth reserve graders had won with the same scoreline.
Asivorosi Turagalevu scored two of Gunnedah’s five tries against reigning premier Quirindi.
