Tamworth made the short trip to Melbourne on Saturday to face one of the few teams that did the double over them last term.
If Melbourne had seen Tamworth’s previous result so far this season they could not help but be brimming with confidence with three heavy defeats to show from what has been a tough few weeks for this new look Tamworth side.
However Tamworth were bolstered this week with the return of talisman Danny Norton forcing himself out of retirement back into his familiar number 10 shirt and also with the arrival of Jacob Te Rangi from New Zealand who was given the nod although he was barely off the plane.
What had been pleasing in the week was the numbers on the training paddock which could easily have dropped with recent results but the players showed up and applied themselves tremendously making for two great sessions.
This showed from the off on Saturday as Tamworth got off to by far their best start this term hitting hard in defence and showing great patience in attack against a tough defending Melbourne side.
They nosed in front with a Norton penalty before extending their lead with a fine score with the forwards knocking on the door before the ball was whipped wide for Jack Dalton to slide over in the corner. 0-8
Melbourne had now settled into the game and were using their driving maul to great effect with Tamworth struggling to work out how to halt it legally.
They made it a one point game with a converted try. 7-8
They then took the lead from a driving maul which they were turning to at every opportunity as Tamworth still struggled to defend it. 12-8
It would be Tamworth though who would go into the break on top as they defended well in midfield Melbourne tried a speculative cross field kick which was intercepted by Ben Wildes the 18 year old getting his first start after impressing off the bench the previous week. He gathered the ball well under pressure before spinning out of the tackle with 60 meters to go to the try line his pace did the rest just getting him there ahead of the chasing defenders and Tamworth took the narrowest of leads into the break. 12-13.
The second period was barely a minute old when a small skirmish broke out between two players which although as in most cases when this happens was six of one half a dozen of the other the referee only saw fit to card the Tamworth player this effectively ended Tamworth’s resistance as Melbourne took full advantage of their superior numbers to run in three tries in this 10 minute period. 31-13
Once returned to a full compliment Tamworth went back on the attack Te Rangi making himself right at home with a barnstorming performance slotting right into the front row. Callum Roe also getting his first start was excellent too carrying superbly and smashing tackles in defence. It would be one of the more experienced players though that would get his name on the score sheet Second Rower Liam McGreevy cutting a great line from behind the breakdown crashing over to finish an extended period of Tamworth pressure. Norton converted to take Tamworth to the 20 point mark.
The effort put in to this point took its toll on Tamworth and although they added three sets of fresh legs from the bench it was the home side that finished strongest as they finally broke Tamworth’s resolve with two late tries to give a final score that maybe flattered them a little but it’s the score that counts.
As far as Tamworth’s performance goes this was like night and day from the previous weeks and there is a true belief around the camp that they haul themselves out of this hole they find themselves in.
They have a rest week next week before welcoming Mellish to Wiggington Park on October 12th who haven’t got off to the best of starts either so it should make for good test for both clubs.
Final Score
Melbourne 45
Tamworth 20