The Maitland Blacks stormed home but it wasn’t enough to get them across the line against Southern Beaches at Allen Davis Field on Saturday.
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The Blacks fought back from a 19 point half-time deficit but were beaten 24-17 by the home side in round nine of the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union first grade competition.
“I was very disappointed with the first half but the second half was much better,” Blacks coach Bobby Tynan said.
“We turned it around completely and to get within a whisker after being 19-0 down was a great performance.”
The Blacks had the run of play in the opening quarter but three tries in the space of 10 minutes put Southern Beaches in control of the score board.
The Blacks rallied following a half-time spray from Tynan and got within seven points of the hosts before Southern Beaches sealed the match and a bonus point with a fourth try.
The visitors then crossed for a late converted try to make the margin five but it was only a consolation.
“The way we were going it looked like we were going to get done 40-0,” Tynan said.
“We had dominated the first 20 minutes but they scored from a lucky bounce of the ball and then went bang.
“We never let them out of our half except for the three occasions they scored.
“Just those crucial moments really cost us.”
It was the third time this season that the Blacks have lost a match by eight points or less with 14-9 and 22-14 results against Wanderers and Hamilton respectively.
Overall the Blacks have four wins and five losses next to their name at the halfway point of the year and sit in a share of sixth position with Nelson Bay (21), four points outside the top five.
“We are far from giving up,” Tynan said.
“We aren’t getting beaten by 50 or 60 because we are staying in the arm wrestle.
“We just need to fine tune a few things and hang onto the ball.”
Blacks second-rower Nathan Brennan was the best in a beaten team while Josh Gray’s move from fullback to inside centre was successful according to Tynan.
Skipper Dan Runchel, flanker Nick Davidson and fullback Josh McCormack were the try scorers while five-eighth Jono O’Toole kicked one conversion.
The Blacks were beaten by Southern Beaches in all grades on Saturday.
In other first grade fixtures Wanderers maintained their perfect start to the season with a 36-6 win against Nelson Bay, Hamilton demolished The Waratahs 62-12 in their grand final replay, Merewether Carlton edged past Lake Macquarie 24-23 while Easts accounted for University 36-29.
SOUTHERN BEACHES 24 (Daniel Marshall 3, Kj Ng Lam tries; Mark Butler 2 conversions) defeated MAITLAND BLACKS 17 (Dan Runchel, Nick Davidson, Josh McCormack tries; Jono O’Toole conversion)
LADDER
Wanderers 43; Hamilton 35; The Waratahs 33; Southern Beaches 31; Merewether Carlton 25; Nelson Bay 21; Maitland 21; Easts 12; Lake Macquarie 7; University 4