Ecstatic and colossal.
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Those were two of the adjectives that Tamworth prop Harry Mills used to describe the side's 17-17 round three draw against Barbarians at Rugby Park on a glorious Saturday afternoon.
To draw with a side that was coming off a win over St Albert's College, who humiliated Tamworth 82-7 at home in round one, showed that the Magpies were "building", that they were "getting better, their inspirational prop said.
Tamworth may still officially be chasing their first victory of the season (Armidale beat them 38-15 in round two), but Mills said Saturday's result felt like "an absolute win".
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"I think we're ecstatic," said Mills, who, in the 49th minutes, scored a typically strong try. Fly-half Liam Allan converted from out wide and it was 12-12.
"To tie with the guys who beat Albies last week, after our first round disappointment [against Albies], was colossal," Mills said.
Baa Baas led 7-5 at half-time. And when No 8 Paea Taulanga split Tamworth's defence in the 43rd minute and then beat Magpies fullback Mitchell Bowen to score a stirring, long-range try - his second for the match - the visitors led 12-5.
But from there, Tamworth controlled proceedings - with the rest of the stanza played almost entirely in Baa Baas' half.
![Magpies Colin Fogarty (left) and Callum Macpherson probe for a weakness. Magpies Colin Fogarty (left) and Callum Macpherson probe for a weakness.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/818b88a5-3428-48bb-a0e9-b0d4f75a0b74.JPG/r1858_1350_4278_4010_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
However, with Barbarians down a man after inside centre Josh Clark was sent off, they broke the 12-12 deadlock against the run of play when outside centre Edward Pitt intercepted the ball on his own 22 and raced away to score in 62nd minute.
Pitt was brought down just before the tryline, but did well to twist in the tackle and reach out to score. He missed the conversation: 17-12 Baa Baas.
And then in the 76th min, Magpies second-rower Ross Widdett charged on to an Allan pass and crashed over. Allan missed the conversion: 17-17.
Pitt missed two penalty goals at the death - the last one from 20m out and almost directly in front.
"Obviously we were devastated after round one, and weren't gonna let that happen again," Mills said.
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