From The Sideline - It Just Wasn't Our Day.
I spent some time whilst sipping pints during the week pondering what effect a three week break would have on teams prior to playing a grand final, and whether we had the strength in the pack to match that shown by Range in last week’s preliminary final.
On Thursday morning, I was forced to ‘watch’ the Bledisloe Cup fixture on ESPN Scrum, as a communication breakdown had occurred with Stan. In the 79th minute, I invested $10 in Telstra’s global roaming ripoff, addressed a text to Giltrap, Lupton, Froggatt, Petrie, Taina, Kaye Tinsley, Chick Tinsley (Aussies who revert to sheepshaggers at this time of year)……….”Hey Guys, stuck in pommieland, can anyone tell me when the first Bledisloe is being played this year?” Just as I was about to press the send icon the 81’🏉 37-39 message appeared, the Wallabies yet again on the receiving end of another monumental refereeing blunder. We’ve paid dearly for cancelling the nuclear sub deal!
A quick cuppa at 0345 Saturday morning and onto NSW Rugby TV from Kingsford Smith Park for the reserve grade grand final. I thought Cribby was in after 5 minutes, the Gilbert not bouncing kindly. Nothing in a game of rugby at any level is more demoralising than having a pushover try scored against the feed, and a pick and drive from a scrum under these circumstances in the twelfth minute took Range to a 7-0 lead. The XV involved in such a play suddenly grow six inches taller, become a stone heavier, run faster and increase their footie IQ by 20 points. Range continued to hammer home the advantage of their scrum gaining a series of penalties which led to an early reorganisation of our pack. Half chances in the 15th and 22nd minutes, a Nicky B kick just in goal and a questionable forward pass call with Reuben Saric clear went unrewarded. Range scored two more tries in the first half to go to the break ahead 21-0
The new FNCRRA referees voice recording system was failing, Louis sounding like a Doctor Who Dalek when issuing a yellow card, and the NSW Rugby TV cameraman struggling to keep up with the action…..not a patch on the work of Marsh, Shaw and Campbell in the early nineties.
Our fate was sealed in the second minute after the resumption with a Rangers try extending their lead to 26-0. Range were forced to defend desperately for long periods of the half and we were rewarded after 10 minutes when Benny scored from the base of a ruck, followed by Joel Noble scoring under the sticks in the 22nd minute, following a penalty and multiple phases, the drop conversion reducing the margin to 12-26. A try in the 25th minute to Range leading to a well deserved premiership and a final scoreline of 33-12. For the statistically minded firsts reserves and the women’s competitions were all won convincingly by teams having played in the preliminary finals last week, with score lines of 43-12, 33-12 and 27-0.
The President’s Cup was won by Wollongbar, 18’s Lennox Head, Womens Lismore, and firsts Wollongbar. Our congratulations to all premiership winners and to the zone and officials for organising and completing the competition under trying circumstances.
