Recap

Hall bush-whacked by red-hot Reddies

By CHRIS GORDON

The Goulburn Dirty Reds first-grade side completed the rare feat of an undefeated season with a confident 23-14 win against longtime rivals, the Hall Bushrangers.

After 30 seasons playing against each other, the historical rivalry between Hall and Goulburn is real, but this year Hall has also been the side nipping at Goulburn’s heels.

In both of their competition matches this year, the Bushrangers led Goulburn at some stage with Goulburn needing to fight back. In both games, both sides were aware it wouldn’t have taken a lot for Hall to walk away winners and in this game, both sides realised a win was within their grasp.

As expected, it was tough with a fair bit of feeling thrown in for good measure, but it didn’t play out like the two other encounters this year.

Hall’s scrum didn’t command the dominance it has at times, and the Bushrangers discipline faltered in the face of Goulburn’s growing lead.

Goulburn was the only side to score in the first half and led by 18-0 at the break.

Matt Spratley put Goulburn on the board after 8 minutes with the first of his two tries, which was converted by Mik Webber.

Webber added a penalty goal ten minutes later followed by a Brad Clements try at the 24th minute (too late to exclude him from the nudie run, according to legal experts) and a second Webber penalty goal combined for the 18-0 lead.

When Goulburn was first to score in the second half (a second try to Spratley, capitalising on a sensational Abram Kara break) it looked like the floodgates might have opened, but to their credit, Hall lifted and stemmed Goulburn’s scoring for the rest of the match.

Outscoring Goulburn in the second half, the Bushrangers scored a converted try 10 minutes from full time, and another in injury time. Whether Goulburn had eased off knowing the game was sewn up or not, Hall went out swinging for the fences but left their run too late and were nine points shy at full time.

Amongst the celebrations, a bittersweet part of every season is seeing off the retirees. Boyd Newby hangs up his boots after 18 seasons and 261 games, Jeff Caldwell after 19 seasons and 225 games and Sam Tabner has finished up after 11 seasons and 107 games in grade. NOT retiring is reserve grade coach and first-grade fly-half, Abram Kara who was named Man of the Match by the refereeing officials. 

At the end of an extraordinary (and abbreviated) rugby season that contained few games, too many byes and even rained out rounds, the Reds were the dominant team all year and in as much as any team ever deserves a premiership, this team did. 

Congrats on a great season to coach Mik Webber, to his coaching crew, to the players and all Dirty Reds supporters. Thanks for holding things together in difficult circumstances. In a year that has offered little to cheer about, the two Goulburn men’s premierships stand out as absolute highlights.

Now go have a couple of weeks off before we commence pre-season training.

Goulburn 23 (Matt Spratley 2, Brad Clements try, Mik Webber 2 penalty goals, 1 conversion) bt Hall 14.

Photos: PETE OLIVER.

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Photos: CHRIS GORDON

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