The New England Rugby Union preliminary final was played out at Moran Oval on Saturday afternoon in cold, wet conditions. Bolstered by the home-ground advantage, the Armidale Blues triumphed over the UNE Barbarians with a resounding 44 to 24 win.
The Blues were the stronger side early in the game but second half was an even, hard fought battle – which was exactly how it appeared, with constant rain and slick, thick mud, the players resembled warriors and to simply maintain traction was something they had to strive for. There was a fierce intensity for the duration, with countless hard hits, both deliberate and unintentional (due to the slippery conditions).
Both teams only scored one try each during the majority of the second half. Josh Coulthurst was the final try scorer for the Barbarians, followed by Todd Gisodoni.
The kickers on both sides were on target. The Blues’ Anthony Golding nailed three penalties and five conversions. Other point scorers for the Blues were Geordie Marchant, Alex Smith and Mike TeMoana.
The Barbarians’ kicker, Keith Ellis got one penalty and three conversions. Brad Charter and Tukia Muli also added to the tally for the Barbarians.
Blues Captain, Alex Smith praised his forwards. He said that overcoming St. Albert’s in the grand final next week would be a challenge. The Blues skipper did not give much away as to how his team would prepare for the encounter. “We’ll keep working at what we have been focusing on at training,” he said.
Smith did express hopes for better game conditions for the grand final. “This final was tough. We’ve never been great in the wet.”
It was far from a bitter end for the Barbarians. Making it to the final was a very big deal for a club that was on the cusp of collapse in recent years, in which they struggled through near win-less seasons. One game shy of the grand final in first-grade is the Barbarians’ biggest achievement to date, with a lower grade actually in a grand final next weekend.
Story: Gary Fry
