The Elk Valley RFC Bulls kept the Highlanders scores low in a winning match on Saturday, June 13.
Taking to the Sparwood Rec Centre pitch, the match was dominated by the Bulls for a 38-14 final tally.
“I was amazed at how well we played. We were offloading the tackles, we were counter-rucking, everything you can physically want your team to do they did. Every single player stepped up,” said Elk Valley RFC Club Captain Peter Dudman. “Nobody missed an easy tackle or dropped the ball when they should have caught it. We did everything really well.”
The Bulls’ strategy for the match was built on improving their defensive line.
“What we’ve been working on in training the last few weeks is protecting our own ball and getting low body angles,” explained Dudman. “Everything we’ve been working on in training seems to have clicked.”
A highlight of the match came from Adam Foley who dodged a tackle from a covering defender by jumping over him to stay in bounds.
Foley went airborne after catching the ball at the touchline and ran 15 meters to score a try for the Bulls.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better finish in this level of rugby ever … It was fantastic to watch and absolutely magical,” said Dudman.
Notable player was 17-year-old Parker Saunders who made his rugby debut on Saturday after a week’s worth of training with the Bulls.
“It was fantastic to see him do well so quickly,” said Dudman. “Catching high balls, getting smashed in a tackle and playing on the wing … he did exactly what he needed to do throughout the match.”
Dan Parker scored his first try of the season and Matt Hancox was awarded Man of the Match for a second week.
The Bulls will take on the Rocky Mountain Rogues in a home game at Fernie Secondary School on Saturday, June 20. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.