Final home game was lacking the true spirit of rugby

The Cobar Camels’ halfback Tom McKenna tackling Gulargambone’s flyhalf in
Saturday’s Western Plains Rugby match at Ailsa Fitzsimmons Memorial Oval.

The Cobar Camels’ final home game of the Western Plains Rugby season on Saturday ended in a disappointing 18-12 loss.

After the Camels were leading 5-3 midway through the first half, a high penalty count in Gulargambone’s favour helped the visitors to their narrow six points eventual win.

Cobar Rugby Club president Jarrod Marsden said despite his estimated penalty count of
37-2 in Gulargambone’s favour, the Camels did play well.

“We competed well at the ruck and our line-outs were very good. Their two tries both came off our mistakes,” Marsden reported.

Playing another big game for the Camels, Alipate ‘Junior’ Gonerogo collected the team’s Best and Fairest three points; halfback Tom McKenna earned two points; and one point went to their prop Todd Gauci.

Jamie Peters was named Players’ Player for the Camels.

Marsden said it was also disappointing to see the spirit of rugby was lacking in the Gulargambone camp on Saturday with a protest made about Cobar’s intention to use a couple of replacement players from Nyngan (after the Cobar team had helped out the Nyngan side the previous week).

A late scuffle also broke out in Saturday’s match in which Marsden said the Gulargambone bench and support staff entered into.

The Camels’ final game of the 2019 Western Plains Rugby season will be played this Friday night against Bourke in their annual Pre Louth Races Derby.