MANNING River Ratz are through to the Lower Mid North Coast rugby union grand final, still unbeaten though shaken and scarred, and with a fortnight to reflect on their short-comings against the formidably strong Wauchope Thunder.
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Beaten in the lineout and battered at the scrum, the Ratz prevailed through premiership starvation, fierce spirit, and glorious, old-fashioned Taree guts, advancing after their two-try and 14-0 breakaway in the first 10 minutes to win, three tries all, through Corey Wheeler's goal-kicking precision, 27-21 .
Rugby league has contributed to the enjoyment of this winter's shortened Kennards Hire rugby competition, some of the local leaguies swinging over to rugby's ranks, at least for this winter, among the best of them young Matt Bridge, enjoying an exciting winter at fullback for the Ratz.
Bridge's speed saw him slash through the Thunder's midfield defence for the opening try and while confidence and consistency are mounting, he is a player of the near future.
"I think we under-estimated Thunder after our good start," coach Jake Maurirere said after the game. "We strayed from our game plan, and didn't return to it."
Jake at the wheel as Ratz seek a grand final berth
Likewise, referee Alan Marshall, responsible for an excellent performance, had cause to over-rule three tries with the last pass determined to have been forward.
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Once again, the Ratz's five-eighth Ricky Campbell was an important factor, displaying strength and speed in cracking Wauchope's defensive line for a splendid try.
And, once again, Stephan Blair was a central figure in Wauchope's offensive game, a young indigenous player of huge gifts, if temperamentally vulnerable, certainly good enough to lead Wauchope to the premiership shield.
This was a grand spring day of bush rugby, supervised splendidly by the Ratz's president, Jim Boyce, and his committee, sadly with the Corona-19 crowd restricted to 500 persons. The football deserved better.
The program began with the Gloucester Cockies women's 10-a-side team overcoming the Manning River Ratz, 22-17, after losing Claire Shultz after just five minutes with a suspected broken nose.
