The Bull Sharks travelled to Coffs Harbour for their first trial match of the season, taking on NSW Premier Rugby club, the Hunter Wildfires.
Colts 1 recorded a strong win, while the premier men fought out a tough 24-24 draw against a quality opponent featuring plenty of Super Rugby experience.
Assistant coach Sean Hedger breaks down the action:
Colts 1:
Bull Sharks won 31-24
The standouts
“It was a very strong all-round performance from our Colts. They were missing two of our senior leaders Charlie Macauley and Fergus Gillan who were with the Reds, which made it all the more impressive. If I had to pick a couple of players, I think Callum Simpson and Max Angove stood out with quality games, which was great to see.”
The takeaway
If the Bull Sharks lacked any conditioning after the disruption to training caused by Cyclone Alfred, they made up for it in Coffs Harbour.
While Hunter had a massive squad to choose from, many of the Bull Sharks Colts had to back up for second grade, making it a physically brutal day.
“A lot of the squad hadn’t worked in 10 or 11 days because of the Cyclone, so when shifts came up, they had to take them," Hedger said.
“With only 30 players available, our boys had to play big minutes.
“By the end, there were some very tired bodies, but that kind of challenge will only help us in the long run.”
Premier Men
Score: 24-24
The challenge
Again, the Wildfires were able to rotate fresh bodies against the Bull Sharks.
“The Wildfires put out their strongest lineup in the first half, and with 27 players available, they made a lot of changes in the second.
“After missing training, you could tell we were short of a run—not just in conditioning but in our organisation.
“But as the game went on, we improved and finished strong. We scored the best try of the match at the end, holding onto the ball through repeated phases and really putting them under pressure.”
The standouts
“Our new number 10, Luke Depiazzi, set up two tries in the first half and controlled the field well.
“Syris Schmidt started at fullback before shifting to number 10 in the second half, and his kicking game was a real asset.
“Our young props Harry Bell and Harrison Usher were also really strong. They started the game and put in some solid minutes.”
Work to do
“Our set piece organisation needs attention. You can’t fully replicate that at training, and our defensive lineout was tested.
“We had a 100 per cent success rate in the first half, but with four changes to the lineout in the second half, including two different hookers throwing the ball, we dropped to 66 per cent. It’s easy to identify the issues, though, and that gives us something clear to work on.”
Looking ahead
“We’ve got a full club trial against Sunnybank next, which will be great preparation for Wests in round 1. You can’t fully make up for a trial you missed, but we’ll be ready to go when the competition starts."
With Sean Hedger