A is the joys of country rugby, the southern team was struck down by two key withdrawals on the morning of the game. 

The previous week at training had seen the team spend hours on the intricacies of the backline only to have a complete re-shuffle on game day and the hour long warm up become a mini training session with the new players pouring over pages of ambitious moves only to decide that if they stand with a bit of depth and hit the ball with pace, the opposition would eventually buckle. 

This indeed turned out to be a cunning plan, although it took the first half to get it sorted. 

Southern went into the half time break leading 7 to 5, and           having to run into a stiffening southerly in the second half, they managed to absorb 10 minutes of extreme pressure to hold out the western boys before the three word half time speech of run, catch, pass surfaced through the mental fog of physical exertion. 

The clarity of these three words were the turning point of the game with the Douglas boys playing at 10 and 12 unleashing some ground breaking runs to get in behind the western defence, which allowed the Sam Laurie led forwards to make easy metres.

By this time the Douglas boys were combining well with the entire back line and Ben Douglas was able to cross for a trifecta, with Sam Lawrie crossing for one try. 

Luke Duncan and Nick Jackson were able to add the extras and southern ran out comfortable  winners 28 to 5.

It was the only joy the Brumbies had that day with the Brumbies reserve grade being easily outplayed by Tamworth Magpies, and first grade coming off their best win of the year against Walcha the week before, succumbing to a very enthusiastic Barraba who made the most of Scone’s average week on the training paddock and ignoring the 40 point drubbing the last time the two sides met.

This Saturday the firsts have a bye; there are a few giving thanks to whatever God they believe in for that small mercy, while reserve grade and the colts head up to Quirindi to take on the hosts.