'Really proud of the effort': Pirates rebound with scrappy win over Inverell

In wet, slippery conditions at the Pirates Rugby Club, the home team held off a determined Inverell outfit to claim a 19-14 win.

Kellow was "really proud of the effort" from his side, particularly after a disappointing showing last weekend against Moree.

"We didn't play to our potential or near well enough at Moree," he said.

"The emphasis all week for us has been on a bit more effort, and more completion.

"Credit to them, [Inverell] defended really well today and they were really tough."

The match began slowly, and the Pirates were the only side to score in the first half thanks to a try from winger Josevata Ranuve, which gave Moodie the first of his two conversions for the game.

In addition to his kicking off the tee, Moodie's positional play around the field throughout the game drew praise from Kellow.

"He was just smart around the park," he said.

"We knew it was wet and we didn't want to play in our red zone too much, so I think positionally he set us up for success quite a lot."

Kellow also effused about Starr's judgement calls, particularly when it came to the penalties which were awarded.

"Starry called quite a lot of scrums knowing that we were quite dominant in the scrum, so the more pressure we put on them helped our enthusiasm across the park," he said.

The Pirates' scrum was "strong", Kellow said, and clearly superior to Inverell's, particularly in the second half as the Highlanders began to fade.

After bursting out of the gates to start the second term with a try, Inverell couldn't continue to fend off Tamworth's constant pressure and conceded two tries in eight minutes.

It was a just reward for the patience which Kellow urged in his players at half time.

"We just needed to be really patient," he said.

"We knew they were defending strong, and we knew we had the lion's share of possession and hadn't come away with a lot of points. I think frustration can creep in at times when you get to that position.

"But I think everyone had faith that if we kept going through our phases and kept going through our sets that eventually we'd open them up, and we did."

Despite a consolation try in the last minute of the game, Inverell couldn't overcome Tamworth's lead and the Pirates celebrated their five-point win when the final horn rang.

In total, the performance was "everything we asked the boys to do", Kellow said.

"We trained really hard all week, and so the effort piece and the commitment was there, I can't ask any more of them than that," he said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: