Rugby: Eagles ascend against Bulldogs

Cowra Eagles have secured a solid victory over the Bathurst Bulldogs, in a physical and hard fought match. Despite the 44-17 score at full time, first grade coach Adam Meikeljohn said the game was far from straightforward - describing the win as 'ugly.' With the home side battling through several challenges, including a five yellow cards for infringements and high tackles. The penalties left the team temporarily playing understrength on multiple occasions, putting additional pressure on the squad. "We made it hard on ourselves," said Mr Meiklejohn, saying that Bathurst "Just didn't lie down. But to their credit, they kept coming. It was a very physical game, our boys were pretty sore afterwards, and said, Yeah, that was a good physical hit out. They didn't lie down. But yeah, obviously our tackle height was too high. We paid the price." The high tackle count and the resulting yellow cards played a key role in the game, with players finding themselves penalised for high tackles throughout the game, leading to disciplinary issues that could have easily shifted the momentum in favor of the opposition. However, the team managed to hold strong, refusing to let their mistakes dictate the outcome. When asked about standout players, Mr Meiklejohn was quick to emphasise the work of team overall: "No-one really stood out to be honest," he said. "But the tight five did a great job. They really got through a lot of work, and that made a difference in the game." The visiting team also earned praise for their resilience. Mr Meiklejohn praised Bathurst for pushing forward - noting that the game was "played exactly how we expected it to be: very direct and trying to maintain speed with quick taps." Despite the physical nature of the game, both teams shared handshakes and words of encouragement. "What happens on the field stays on the field," the coach said. "It's all about respecting your opponent and the game. After the match, we tunnel each team off the field, and then we all gather for a beer and some small talk in the clubhouse." Looking ahead, the Eagles are looking at facing off in an away match against Dubbo - who head the top of the table. "Dubbo has been in dominant form, winning all three of their matches, each away from home," Mr Meiklejohn said, adding "They're going to be flying high and pretty hard to stop. So we're gonna have to be right on our game to put it to them." The Eagles face off against the Dubbo Kangaroos on May 10th.