Heartbreak.
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That’s how Boggabri coach Shane Rampling described Saturday’s 40-39 loss to Narrabri in their Group 4 first grade clash at Jubilee Oval, Boggabri.
His Kangaroos had led 39-38 up until the final minute as they almost pulled off one of the most courageous wins in their history.
Boggabri had clawed their way back from an early 22-nil deficit. All on their Old Boys day, too.
“It was a great day – apart from the last 30 seconds,” club president Greg Haire said.
The Kangaroos were chasing their first win of the new season but stumbled late when they dropped a ball from a scrum win and then gave away a penalty close to the posts – something akin to the amazing finish to the South Sydney-North Queensland NRL match, where the Bunnies won, later that same day.
“It was heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking,” Rampling said.
“We were down 22-nil, too. Never had the ball early. We had it three times in the first 20 minutes.”
Yet they recovered and still managed to more than take part as the Kangaroos led late when Kyle Gallen kicked a field goal before the Blues got out of jail.
Yet, in all that disappointment, Rampling found inspiration.
“I’m proud of the boys, to come back like that,” Rampling said.
“Slow starts have been killing us. In the three losses we’ve let in at least three tries early on. We’ve got to work on that slow start but I’m just proud of the fight shown by the boys.”
Narrabri coach Wayne Saunders thought his side was lucky to win after “wasting” such a good start.
“A penalty got us home,” Saunders said.
“It’s a funny game, the bounce of the ball, but that’s football.
“A draw probably would have been a good result but we’ll take the two points.”
Saunders said his side was its own worst enemy at times with mistakes leaking into the match.
“You can not give any side in this competition that much possession,” he said.
Hooker Jacob Nichols, prop Daniel Jobson and Brenton Cochrane led the way for the Blues against a Kangaroos outfit headed by brilliant pivot Kialu Brown.
“He had a massive game,” Rampling said of Brown.
“Dangerous every time he touched the ball.
“Willy Urquhart ran the ball hard, Andrew Cameron had his first game of the season and played a full 80 minutes, ran hard and tackled hard at prop.
“Mitch Campbell lifted the intensity when he went on. Mikey Long, a young hooker, went on and gave us plenty of speed out of dummy half.”
For Boggabri the season doesn’t become any easier as it plays another derby game against Gunnedah at Kitchener Park, Gunnedah next Saturday while Narrabri travel to Dungowan on Sunday.