THE Broulee Dolphins passed what was a brutal physical examination with flying colours on Saturday when they downed Narooma Whales 51-8 at Dalmeny.
Broulee’s latest triumph means it remains unbeaten so far this season and also consolidated its six-point lead over Batemans Bay at the top of the South Coast Rugby Union ladder.
The Dolphins had eight different try scorers in the wet and slippery conditions but Pat McMahon again did the most damage with two five-pointers and three conversions.
Even though the scoreboard was lop-sided, Broulee coach Ron Rae insisted his side had to overcome a determined Narooma outfit.
“It was a pretty tough game, very tough actually,” he said.
“The ball was a little bit greasy and we dropped the ball a few times but it was a very good day.”
On another day it could have been worse for the Whales, much worse.
The Dolphins saw another five tries go begging as two efforts were disallowed before they dropped the greasy ball over the line on three other occasions.
“That was just down to the conditions and of course Narooma’s defence was pretty tough because they knocked the ball out of our hands a couple of times,” Rae said.
Racking up a half century is bound to please any coach but Rae was more concerned about his side’s performance, which he praised after the match.
“Yes, I was (pleased with the performance) considering how the game went,” he said.
“We didn’t have a full complement; we only had two reserves, but the performance of our forwards under the pressure of the defence was pretty solid.
“And the backs scored four tries, so it was pretty good all round.”
Broulee’s forwards laid the platform for the big win and there were none better than Dave Fleming, who scored one try before being named man of the match.
The South Coast competition breaks for a general bye this weekend. The Marlins representative side travels to Wagga Wagga for the Brumbies Provincial Championships.
DEANO’S DISH UP
THINGS could hardly be going any better for the Broulee Dolphins at the moment.
Undefeated after six rounds, it’s going to take a big effort from one of the other teams to bring Broulee’s streak to an end.
A lot of credit must go to coach Ron Rae for the way he’s set out his side, especially when you consider the Dolphins came within a whisker of not fielding a team this season.
The form of prolific centre Pat McMahon has also helped – he has been the standout performer of the competition so far and, despite an off day with the boot on Saturday, he’s shown few signs of slowing down.