Big Beetles heart on show against Bulls

On Saturday the Junior Beetles rugby teams descended on Margaret River where the under 8s faced the Bunbury Bulls.

Three tries in quick succession put the Beetles well in front, necessitating a balancing of the sides to even things up.

Having been a quiet achiever so far this season, today was the day Bertie Davis stepped into the spotlight with some blistering dashes up the touchline to keep the Beetles ahead.

Finley Ollerenshaw continues to go from strength to strength. Notably on Saturday providing valuable turnover ball by ripping it from the opposition’s grasp on several occasions. Let’s hope he makes the code switch from league to union a permanent one!

Hugo French, in his first season playing rugby, never fails to impress with his natural aptitude for the game and Saturday was no exception. He showed strong skills in both attack and defence bolstering a powerful early showing from Busselton’s finest.

Though the tides began to turn.

Beetles have roamed the earth for 350 million years which is coincidentally about the same amount of time their namesakes were pinned down on their own line late in the first half.

Through countless offloads under pressure they weathered the storm and managed to break out of their own 22. It is these tests that really show the heart of a team and the Under 8s showed just how big theirs is.

The Bulls’ half time oranges must have been good as the second half saw a noticeable increase in the pace of their runners leading to several breakaway tries.

They were further buoyed by the late arrival of a player and the match ended even, or thereabouts. Both sides showed encouraging team performances along with some rare glimpses into the dark arts of rucking and mauling.

Next Saturday morning the Beetles are playing at their home ground of Barnard Park, starting at 9:30am. If you are interested in seeing the teams in action, spectators are more than welcome.