The Chronicle

Emus fly high in vital win

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RUGBY UNION: Goondiwind­i struck the first significan­t blow of the 2018 Wagners Risdon Cup season when it downed defending premiers Dalby at John Ritter Oval on Saturday.

The Emus took the roundeight clash 29-14 after leading 17-9 at half-time.

It was the first meeting of the competitio­n co-favourites since Dalby defeated Goondiwind­i in last season’s grand final to relegate the Emus to runners-up for a second successive year.

Both teams were undefeated going into Saturday’s clash which now leaves the Emus five points clear of Dalby on the competitio­n ladder.

At USQ Rugby Oval, Saints bagged five valuable premiershi­p points but not before the UQ Gatton Black Pigs shook the life out of the game in an enthusiast­ic display which had Uni on the ropes for much of the match.

USQ’s class got it home 2013 in the end, with the win keeping Saints in the race for a top-three competitio­n finish.

The Black Pigs grafted out a 13-10 half-time advantage after tries to Hahns Sperling and Todd Daniels gave them a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes.

Uni’s first-half reply came through tries to Lachlan Moodie and Tim Erbs.

Saints responded to the Pigs’ bold challenge with a more committed second-half performanc­e to keep the visitors scoreless while stretching their points tally to 20 through a second try to Erbs and a fivepointe­r from Andre van Staden.

USQ coach Gary Briscoe was relieved to claim the points in a disjointed effort from the Saints.

“It was a scrappy game,”

Briscoe said.

“But an unusual interpreta­tion of the rules I thought made it more difficult for the play to flow.”

UQ coach James McColl felt the spirited performanc­e from his troops deserved a better fate.

“We’ve lost a lot of players from last year and we’ve only got a small squad,” McColl said.

“But they’re willing to work hard.

“I think as we showed again today we’re up to what’s needed from a top-five team, but we just can’t finish our games off.”

Photo: Kevin Farmer

 ??  ?? IN CONTROL: USQ’s Sam Lewis fires off a pass.
IN CONTROL: USQ’s Sam Lewis fires off a pass.

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