Bowral Outsmart Premiers

The Bowral Blacks have closed the gap at the top of the IDRU Builders Club Premiership ladder with a clinical and disciplined 20 – 12 victory over Avondale at Eridge Park. With Vikings winning against University the Blueys and Blacks are now just four points adrift of the reigning Premiers after 12 Rounds. With today’s Round 11 match Results University retains fourth, while Shamrocks leapfrog Shoalhaven into equal fifth spot six points back.

At Eridge Park, Bowral played a strong tactical game to blot out the Wombats attacking potential and after scoring the first three tries of the match, took a strong grip on the match when leading 20 – 0 shortly after the break. The Blacks denied Avondale any chance of producing their best attacking game by employing a very effective fast moving compressed line of defense stifling the Wombats usual free flowing style of play.

Bowral got away to the perfect start scoring their first try after less than one minutes play. From a Bowral kick off Wombat Fly-Half Silipa Tuigamala immediately returned the ball up field using the strong tail wind. Blacks Fullback Ryan Hutchings-Knight fielded the ball on halfway and ripped through the Wombat defenders in a forty meter run setting up No. 8 Tim Lewis for the try in the left corner for an early 5 – 0 lead.

In a gripping first forty minutes the Blacks defensive structure repelled all that the Wombats attack could throw at them. The Avondale scrum dominated at the set piece but the Bowral forwards competed strongly at the breakdown with No.8 Tim Lewis leading the way winning several turn overs. The contest in the backs was equally as absorbing with both center pairing competing strongly trying to get the better of their opponents throughout.

With seven minutes left to the break, Bowral Halfback and Captain Tim Small started a play from a scrum deep in his own half. Going to the blindside Small took the ball down the right and kicked ahead for his winger Thomas Mooney. The wingman got the perfect bounce some forty meters out from the Wombat line and took on several defenders in a powerful run down the touch line to score his sides’ second try. Fly Half Lachlan Huntington couldn’t convert the try into the wind but added a penalty goal three minutes later and Bowral took a 13 – 0 lead to the interval.

Bowral had another dream start to the second stanza when Mooney got his second five pointer ten minutes in. Huntington created the play with a quick dart at the Wombat defensive line drawing plenty of attention before producing a sweet pass to Mooney who once again powered away in a forty meter run to the line. Huntington converted and Bowral were out to a strong 20 – 0 lead.