Former club-mates clashed with some bone-crunching tackles in front of an energetic crowd at the Bega Recreation Ground on Sunday, where the Sea Eagles made the best of the start. 

The Roosters had contained Tathra to their defensive half from the first set with a ravenous defensive effort for the first game of the season, but the Sea Eagles were soon slipping the net to get the early points. 

A sweeping right hand play saw the ball find Declan Bower-Scott who palmed off three defenders from his former club to find the line on the edge, but the kick was waived away. 

The Sea Eagles reinforced the lead with a well-weighted grubber from Callum Bower-Scott forcing the Bega error for prop Mitch Carter to dive on the ball under the posts. 

However, the Roosters found their feet with the returned Jackson Whitby causing the Tathra defence some headaches on the right flank, while it was Josh Shepherdson making waves with back-to-back tries before the half-time break. 

The second had been set up by his brother Shannon Shepherdson with a right-side line break to within metres of the line, with a left-movement from the play-the-ball setting Josh loose near the posts. 

Todd Ingram was brutal in defence, while also playing the role of Michael Ennis niggling at his former club mates; no one can know for sure what was said on the field, but a session of 'Mic'd up' with Ingram could have proved very colourful. 

A Clay Knight try in the second half started Tathra's fight back after trailing 18-10 at the break. 

Then it was a series of penalty kicks that first levelled, then put Tathra two in front at 20-18 with Callum's boot providing the goods. 

It was a second try with just two minutes to play by Bega pick up Tom McMillan that sealed the result in a well-balanced local derby. ​