Bogan Bulls outplay the Cobar Camels to win 47-10

The scoreboard at Ailsa Fitzsimmons Memorial
Oval may have read 47-10 in Nyngan’s
favour at the end of the match on
Saturday, however the Cobar supporters
would still be encouraged by the Camels
performance up against a very good side.
Saturday’s Western Plains Rugby Round 2
match had the Cobar Camels playing the Nyngan
Bogan Bulls for the Chris Elder Memorial
Trophy, which the Bulls’ captain Brendan
Nelson was pleased to accept from Dawn Elder
at the presentation after the match.
The Bulls went into Saturday’s game as the
favourites having defeated last year’s Western
Plains premiers, Walgett, 42-35 in a tough
Round 1 match last week that was decided on
the final bell.
The Nyngan side is already demonstrating
they are the team to beat in the Western Plains
competition this season.
The Camels started off well in their second
home game of the season on Saturday playing
a much more structured game under the guidance
of their experienced captain, Steve Gillette.
For the opening 15 minutes of the game
Cobar matched the Bulls in attack and defence.
Sustained pressure on their line eventually
resulted in the Bulls scoring first points in the
16th minute of play but it was only five
minutes later that the scores were tied when
Johnny Best, playing in fullback, negotiated
his way through the Nyngan defence and raced
60 metres to score next to the posts.
The successful conversion by Kody Martin
put the Camels narrowly ahead at 10-7.
That was however the last time the Camels
would have the upper hand as the Bulls then
regathered and took control of the match.
By half time, they led 20-7 having run in
three unanswered tries after they worked hard
in the centres to create overlaps on both wings.
While the Cobar boys held their own in the
scrums and also grabbed their fair share of
possession in the line-outs, the Bulls, led by
their Argentinean and New Zealand imports,
clearly dominated the second half.
The Bulls’ superior knowledge and experience
of the game came to the fore and the pure
rugby tactics they deployed nullified the raw
talent, speed and ball handling skills of the
inexperienced and young Camels backline.
The Bulls pushed hard in the centres which
the Camels defenders found difficult to contain
and with extra men needed to hold their
line, it left them short on their wings and that
was where the Bulls headed to score most of
their points.
Cobar however had the opportunity to score
the final points in the game when they were
awarded a penalty just before full time.
The successful conversion took the final
margin to 47-10.
Camels coaches Tony Jacklin and Simon
Oliver, who both played in Saturday’s game,
said despite the final margin being 37 points,
they were however pleased with the progress
their mostly young side is making.
Both agreed having their captain Gillette on
the field this week helped the Camels to play a
more controlled game, however Oliver said
they still need to simplify their play.
“Too many times today we tried to play at
Nyngan’s pace, not ours.
“We didn’t slow the ball down once we got
the turnover and that hurt us,” Oliver said.
He said they would be working on not pushing
their passes at training this week.
“We’ve got Joe Regan helping out with the
backs.
“He’s still injured and can’t play at the moment
but he can give them some direction
while we concentrate on working with the
forwards, which is where we’re more experienced,”
Oliver said.
The Camels head to Warren this Saturday
for Round 3 of the Western Plains Rugby
competition and Coach Jacklin has predicted it
“should be a good battle”.