Emus fly high in vital win
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