After a slow start, the Cobar Camels have recorded their first win of the season in a tough match against Bourke 36-24 at home on Saturday.
The Camels took on an under-strength Bourke side in Round 7 of the Western Plains Rugby Union competition, with four Cobar players switching sides for the game to fill Bourke’s gaps.
It was Bourke who put the first points on the scoreboard when a mistake in their own territory saw the Camels concede an early try five minutes into play.
It wasn’t long before the Camels hit back when Tom Best crossed over the line for his first of two tries in the match, and the conversion by Travis Schintler took the scoreline to 7-all.
Some sustained attack by the Camels paid off and they scored again to take the lead.
Schintler’s kick this time was just off leaving the scoreline at 12-7.
It wasn’t long before the Camels were on the board again with Best scoring his second try for the match to extend their lead to 17-7.
A chip and chase by Bourke led them through to score and tighten up the margin to 17-12.
Cobar continued to apply sustained pressure on Bourke’s line resulting in a try out wide to Wiaan Oosthuizen, which was converted to give the Camels a 24-12 lead.
With Justin Schick leading team play the Camels took the chance to extend their lead heading into half time with another try under the posts. The successful conversion gave the Camels some breathing space with a 31-12 lead at the break.
Broken play combined with an inexperienced Camels backline allowed Bourke to post two more tries in the second half and made for an exciting conclusion to the game, but a further try to the Camels sealed the victory 36-24.
The Camels forwards had a solid game, successful slowing the pace to suit their own style of play and dominating the opposition’s forward pack.
The side’s attacking football style was a highlight of the match, boosted by an experienced inside backline.
The addition of Tilpa’s James McClure proved valuable to the Camels, along with Sean Bayliss playing in his first game for Cobar after a stint in Mudgee.
Sam Jeffrey was another standout for the match collecting the three best and fairest points.
The Camels will next week head to Nyngan to take on old foes the Bogan Bulls.
