The Wallamba Bulls' game against the Old Bar Clams ended near nightfall on a grey afternoon threatening rain which never fell, a perfect day for the resumption of the Lower Mid North Coast's abridged rugby union competitions, for the first roar of the Bulls' charge towards a third men's premiership.
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They were initial impressions from the Bulls' six tries to three and 43-15 defeat of the Old Bar Clams at Nabiac on Saturday, "a good, hard game of rugby," in the evaluation of assistant referee and former long-time Gloucester club goal-kicking, front row forward, Michael Wooster.
No-one was carried away by the Bulls' performance after the pandemic months without regular training or physical preparation, time away from the gymnasium, unnatural disruptions to sporting lives.
The afternoon started with the women's 10-a-side game, a game in which the Wallamba Bulls' superb, little sprite, Courtney Currie, confirmed everything thought of her last winter with her running and dancing step, especially her courage, her broken hand still strapped, aided nobly by Sharron Cobb, Shannon Hessing, Stella Tijou and Jayne Macklin.
If anyone fancifully believes that men's rugby is more physical than the women's game they were not at Nabiac when pandemonium broke out mid-match with players streaming from the benches to defend team-mates, pulling hair and punching.
Referee Wooster eventually restored order, but not before waving a red card to Marinda Clarke for punching and one victim proudly proclaiming: "I've got a black eye - and I'm on a date tonight."
The men's teams' prepared nearby, a parade of familiar and new faces, Wallamba's team containing all too many Forster Tuncurry Dolphins players from the champion club which failed to find a path through a maze of excuses to defend their premiership title of last season... money, sponsors' lack of money, electricity costs, clubhouse costs, trips to Bali...
From premiership-winning front rower, Gavin Maberly-Smith, now with the Old Bar Beach club, to Blake Newcombe, who scurried over for the first try, the former Dolphins' utility back, now with Wallamba, then, one by one, breakaway and premiership-captain, Tom Homer, devastating backrowers, "Hau" Honema'u and Atu Katonitabua, premiership hooker Scott Walmsley, and centre Aaron Fox.
Everybody, it seemed, save for the splendid captain, Mark Hagarty.
After the willing struggle, the Bulls' coach, Peter White, said: "The first half of our game against Old Bar was a scrappy affair, from a Bulls' perspective anyway. On paper we looked strong across the park.
"But with so many new players and new combinations, there is only so much you can work out on the training paddock. There is nothing like the heat of real battle to give you a reality check. And we got one. We were rubbish. Old Bar had a massive pack that we found hard to dominate in the initial stages. Our decision-making was poor and communication was non-existent.
"Consequently, we found ourselves down, 15-12, at half-time. But the first half was really the trial we never had.
"Trial games are there to get feet moving again, and for new team mates to get to know each other. With that out of the way, our season really started with the second-half whistle.
"We have put a lot of work into our fitness over the past few months and the boys looked fresh and keen on the resumption.
"Changes were made and the bench players really made their presence felt. Our pack started to dominate, we were getting the push on our feed and theirs. We saw some outstanding performances from our skipper Dan Hessing and the front row in general, but especially prop Dylan Barrett, who was solid all day and anchored the pack.
"Our loose forwards, Tom Homer and 18-year-old Luke Martin, were everywhere with Homer in his first game for us full of energy the whole time he was on the park.
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"In his first senior game of rugby Martin was impressive, and our Number 8, Ash Rushby, as usual, put in a fierce and tireless game, rewarded with two tries. Our two big backrowers, Atu and Hau, were a great luxury to come off the bench and cause havoc.
"Likewise, our young second rower, Jarrod Dagger, made some damaging hits, both in defence and attack.
"As soon as we fixed our scrum the rest followed. New vice-captain, Jake Schumacher, took a stronger hand with his back line in the second term, and the tries started to flow.
"When you have a gun centre pairing like James Handford and Jake Samoa and one of the best fullbacks in the comp in Chris Tout, it's a crime not to use them.
"These guys were starved of ball in the first half, but when we gained possession in the second half, the scoreboard began ticking over.
"It was a 31-0 scoreline in the second half, so a 43 to 15 victory over all. But it must be noted we scored freely against a tired side. Still, we made plenty of mistakes and looked scrappy on occasions so two big training nights await the lads this week, to prepare for what will be a tough and vital clash against a travelling Wauchope.
"So, the lads gained a pass mark for sure, but no gold star yet."
The second first grade men's game saw Wauchope Thunder draw 19-19 with the Manning River Ratz in Wauchope.
