Last time Alex Newsome and Jock Campbell played at Narrabri's Dangar Park, they were on the same team.
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But on Friday night the former Inverell juniors suited up for opposite sides as Newsome's Waratahs did battle with Campbell's Reds.
In front of over 3000 fans who had traveled from near and far for what was the biggest rugby game Narrabri has hosted, Newsome and the men in sky blue came out on top with a late double to Joey Walton seeing them prevail 45-33.
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New skipper Jake Gordon also crossed for a double and had the honour of receiving the inaugural Santos Cup along with a cheque for $25,000.
Newsome also got in on the try action, the Glen Innes product finishing off a sharp backline move to put the Waratahs ahead 31-19 with five minutes to play in the third quarter.
But typical of what was a see-sawing tussle Reds winger Filipo Daugunu finished well on the left to give the Reds the lead 31-26 at the final break (the trial was played in quarters) after they had trailed 19-14 at half-time.
Campbell also had a strong involvement in the game, setting up Moses Sorovi for the opening try.
Picking where he left off last season and showing some of the form that had him in Wallabies' conversations, the 25-year old sliced through the Waratahs defence.
The main event of the three-day Santos Festival of Rugby, both sides were, understandably being their first hit-out, guilty of some handling errors but also produced some encouraging passages of play.
Campbell said it was nice to get the footy back in the hands after a long pre-season.
"It's a bit foreign, it's a lot different to training, you get the body hit and fall back a few times but it's always good to remember what it felt like," he said.
"It was a bit scrappy from us and we've got a lot to work on but I thought we didn't play too bad."
They were far from full strength with Gunnedah product Harry Wilson among a handful of starters that stayed back in Queensland.
The Gamilaraay Next Generation also made their presence felt throughout the game, with protesters voicing their objections to Santos' Narrabri Gas Project and their sponsorship of the Reds and Waratahs, and the festival, from behind the fence on the south-west end of the ground.
The action continues from 10am on Saturday morning with community 7s sides taking the field.
