Heavy rain in the lead-up made for treacherous conditions for rugby at Bangalow, with Ballina ultimately proving too strong for the Rebels in a 41-12 defeat played out in increasingly muddy conditions.
The Rebels made a bright start, Luc Lévêque breaking the line and carrying into Ballina’s 22, winning a penalty which Valpy slotted for an early 3-0 lead. The slippery conditions soon took their toll, however, with handling errors from the Rebels leading to a scrum and an unconverted Ballina try to level the scores at 3-5. Ballina extended their lead shortly after, working a lineout and maul over the try line to make it 3-10.
The Rebels responded with sustained pressure of their own, a series of forward carries deep in Ballina’s 22 earning a penalty which Valpy converted to close the gap to 6-10. A further penalty, this time from an offside infringement, allowed Valpy to add three more and bring the Rebels within a point at 9-10. The Rebels were keeping good ball through multiple phases, and a high tackle from Ballina presented another penalty opportunity, though this one was missed.
Slip sliding away
Ballina hit back from a scrum near halfway, breaking through with a strong individual run before their forwards drove it over for a try, extending the lead to 9-17. A lengthy Rebels attack yielded one final penalty before the break, with Valpy converting to make it 12-17 at half time.
The conditions continued to worsen in the second half, with the pitch cutting up badly as both sides searched for a foothold. Ballina were the side to find it, working through phase after phase to score under the posts and push the lead to 12-24, before slicing through the Rebels’ line in open play for another try to make it 12-31.
Ballina’s tempo continued to cause problems, working the ball wide with quick hands to score in the corner and extend further to 12-36. Despite the Rebels earning a series of penalties deep in their own territory, Ballina’s game kept the Rebels pinned back, and a final line break and try closed out the scoring at 12-41.
Rory Miller was awarded Man of the Match for his tireless effort on his return to the starting XV after recovering from jaw surgery.
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