DESPITE their best efforts, Bowral couldn’t stop a near first grade strength team on Saturday as Avondale’s giant forward pack monstered the Blacks 54-0 in second grade rugby.
With no first grade team this year, Bowral have played second grade and Bundanoon third, which means the club Bowral faces has bye in first grade on that particular Saturday.
As a result, Bowral have come up against a steady trickle of first grade standard teams all year, as clubs play their top picks against the second graders.
Likewise, Bundanoon have battled the left over second graders in their third grade fixtures.
Bowral coach Val Tyson said he was proud of the way his players applied themselves on Saturday, but they couldn’t make up for the difference in class.
“Not to take away from the Avondale win, but I was speaking to the former Bowral first grade coach and now Avondale first grade flyhalf, Chris Creber after the match, and his comment was, that the Avondale second grade forwards today, were the best eight forwards the club could field at the time,” Tyson said.
“I am not sure exactly what that meant, but I know the opposition were much better than the one we faced in the first round.”
Bowral tackled their hearts out against the monstrous pack and were constantly back-pedalling as Avondale’s forwards steam rolled towards the line.
But the Blacks refused to fold like deckchairs and walked off the field proud of their efforts.
“Time and again, we had to commit two and three players to an attacker, only to have him offload to another mammoth and the process would start again,” Tyson said.
“Apart from a 15 minute period in the second half, our backs tried all day to do the things we practice and I give these young guys credit for that.”
Bowral’s scrum was solid all game and even won a tight head off the opposition.
Hooker Troy Ingrey was back in the middle of the front row for Bowral and, despite carrying a painful knee injury for which he is awaiting surgery, the gallant Black led the team with fantastic courage.
Ingrey was the Blacks best on the day, while fellow hooker Ben Lewis, who was switched to loose head prop, was also technically sound under the pressure of a very big opponent.
“Jack Gates gave very good service at halfback and the backline performed their plays quite well, but the Avondale defence system was well organised and difficult to penetrate,” Tyson said.
“Our mauling kept us with good quantities of phase possession, but again, the opposition defence was up to the task.”
The experienced coach summed the Blacks’ game up in one line.
“A bad score card, but a long way from a bad team performance.”
Bowral’s season wraps up with a home game against Kiama on Saturday.
Tyson said his team should be at full strength for the season’s final run.