Wallamba continued their impressive early “Year of the Bulls” rugby union campaign while the defending Lower Mid North Coast premiers, Forster Tuncurry, sounded a strident warning to all rivals again on Saturday, April 22.
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But the drama of the afternoon occurred in the Gloucester ranges when the Cockies’ gripping game against the Myall Coast was halted early in the second half after the Cockies’ former Mid North Coast Axeman representative hooker, Ben “Pumba” Williams, sustained a compound fracture of the ankle.
With Williams in anguish, his cries ringing across Gloucester Park, and a helicopter summoned from the Toll NSW Ambulance Rescue Helicopter due to the severity of the injury, Gloucester’s club president, Michael Wooster, conferred with Myall’s captain-coach, Ash Rushby, and proposed they abandon the game to prepare Gloucester Park for the helicopter’s landing.
Williams’ injury was so serious it is understood that surgery continued until 4am on Sunday morning (April 23).
With Myall leading, 14-7 and two tries to one, despite Gloucester’s much improved scrummaging and lineout play, it was decided that the Mudcrabs should be awarded the match points.
“Ben went down in a heavy tackle and I heard him scream. I don’t want to see anything like it again,” Wooster said.
“Our local ambulance is based only a few minutes from the ground, but they were so concerned they might affect the blood circulation in Ben’s leg they left the treatment to the helicopter paramedics.
“It was a terrible accident and an awful way to finish the game.
“Myall were terrific in assisting us clear the playing field for the helicopter,” Wooster said.
Result from round three of the Lower MNC rugby union:
Myall Coast 14 beat Gloucester 7; Forster Tuncurry (N Naqito 4 J Nicholson 3 M Nuku 2 M Hagarty 2 J Logan,T Haines T Homer tries; M Nuku 7 goals, J Nicholson goal, J Paff goal) beat Old Bar 3 (B Petrisic goal); Wallamba 34 beat Manning River 14.
At Tuncurry, the Forster Dolphins began the season with a swag of 14 tries in their 88-3 defeat of a heavily outgunned Old Bar at Tuncurry while the Wallamba Bulls had their second win from as many games in overcoming a willing Manning River Ratz combination, 34-14.
With Old Bar’s numbers bulked up by a number of young players to aid the likes of the formidable front rower, Teia Ambrosoli, the Dolphins were too well drilled up front and too fast out wide for the Clams. However, teenage Clams backs Daniel Tout and Ben Petrisic appear to have special talents.
Led by their pair of breakaway hornets, Tom Homer and Troy Haines, the Dolphins played enterprising rugby with young hooker Jeremy Innes gaining strikes against the feed, giving five-eighth Matt Nuku opportunities to exploit the speed of his back line where M.N.C. representative, Naibuka Naqito, was outstanding.
The unified performance was extremely satisfying for the Dolphins’ new coaches, Ron Rae and Paul Drake, and will reinforce their confidence for the April 26 rain-delayed first round game against the Ratz under floodlights at Harry Elliott Oval, Tuncurry, from 7pm.
Ratz coach, Jake Maurirere, will appeal to his players for greater training numbers, pointing to Wallamba’s superior stamina, but he was delighted with the performances of strong-tackling breakaway Steve Taylor, raw 18-year-old forward, Stephen Fitzsimmons, and brothers, Blake and Brodie Howard.
Results from round three of the Lower MNC rugby union:
- Myall Coast 14 beat Gloucester 7
- Forster Tuncurry (N Naqito 4 J Nicholson 3 M Nuku 2 M Hagarty 2 J Logan,T Haines T Homer tries; M Nuku 7 goals, J Nicholson goal, J Paff goal) beat Old Bar 3 (B Petrisic goal)
- Wallamba 34 beat Manning River 14