PHOTO: Rugby greats from the regions loved the opportunity to come up against the Classic Wallabies over the weekend.
By Tom Cullen
The Classic Wallabies out west fixture has been circled in everyone’s calendar for over 2 years but finally got underway on Saturday in Coonamble. Let me tell you it was worth the wait.
Coonamble saw one of the best days of rugby in its history with a junior clinic and three enthralling games of rugby.
Coonamble Rams vs Western Plains
The first match up for the day was between the Coonamble Rams vs a Western Plains zone team.
The Rams were made up of current and former players and it was a great way for these players to interact and according to the older players ‘Show the young fellas how its done’.
The opposition was made up of players from Walgett, Warren, Cobar, Brewarrina and Gular.
The game kicked off in frantic pace and physicality, setting the standard for the day. Both sides trading blows but it was Western Plains that struck first and followed up again to go out to a lead of 12-0 after the first quarter.
During the middle of the game Coonamble’s past players showed they haven’t lost any form with the Burnheim boys reminding everyone how dangerous they are around the breakdown.
Bradley Pickering was still at career best directing play at fullback and looking dangerous with every touch.
By the last quarter though Coonamble tired and the fitness and youth of the Western Plains team showed scoring another two tries taking the final score to 22-0.
Western Plains vs Wallaroos
The second match of the day consisted of a Western Plains womens team vs the Classic Wallaroos.
It was great to see our local girls take part and playing contact against a very solid opposition and for some of them first time playing contact rugby.
Locals Tory Canham, Hannah Towns, Emily Ryan, Shakaye Walker and Mikaela Cullen all wore the Western Plains jersey and all played well against a very experienced opposition.
This game like the other two wasn’t a social game of footy with some big hits and high level of skill expressed from both sides.
Hannah Towns scored a brilliant run away try once again showing off her blistering pace. The western plains side scored two more tries but in the end the classic wallaroos were too good and were victorious in the end.
Western Plains Barbarians vs Classic Wallabies
The final game of the day was everyones chance to see the best players from Western Plains in eras gone by come together to take on former Wallabies players.
The large crowd was treated to a spectacle with all time great rugby players taking the field including the likes of Digby Loane, Scott Higginbotham, Mark Chisholm and Beau Robinson.
The game had it all; big hits, blistering pace, pinpoint kicking and slick ball handling and this wasn’t just from the Classic Wallabies.
The barbarians played like they were 20 years of age again and with nothing to lose.
This was a physical battle and some champagne rugby was witnessed from both sides.
We obviously all wanted to see the Barbarians get it over the Classic Wallabies but there was nothing better than seeing Digby Loane cut through countless players stepping off both feet or regathering a pinpoint chip and chase.
Seeing Scott Higginbotham and Mark Chisholm up against our players made them look mighty in stature but that didn’t deter the Barbarians with one brave player putting a good shot on Chisholm under the ribs to set the scene.
From then on with both teams knew the standard was set and it was game on.
Tries were traded from both teams with one of the highlights being Coonamble’s own George Skuthorp chipping the ball through to the north-west corner of the ground to regather and score in the corner, no doubt a career highlight for the second rower and something George having practised many times at training and finally living it out on the biggest of stages.
Coonamble’s Andrew Deans also stepped into the spotlight regathering a well-placed kick from Gular’s Curtis O’Connor to score under the posts untouched.
After these two glimpses of brilliance from the Barbarians the Classic Wallabies like they did all game turned it on with a click of a button, showing off the razzle dazzle we all wanted to see to score two tries and seal the game up with a hard fought victory 31-22.
For all players involved it was a great day to come together and play the game. Three fantastic games played in great spirit.
The former Coonamble players and Western Plains players were no doubt pretty stoked at the honour of playing against some their most respected Wallabies players but the chance to play together and relive memories of the glory years was a highlight and well worth the wait.