Match Report: Camden Rams v Shoalhaven

Camden Rams suffered another home loss on Saturday afternoon, when Shoalhaven took all five points from their Round 10 encounter. The Rams hosted the southern side at Wire Lane on what was a perfect winter’s afternoon, but captain Tim Windle’s 100th game wasn’t a memorable one for the right reasons.

Camden started strongly, holding Shoalhaven in the opening 15 minutes, before the Shoalhaven right winger, who had a strong afternoon, scored the first of his three tries. Camden stayed in the contest though, keeping Shoalhaven at bay with some good defence, as they limited the visitors to just two tries in the opening forty minutes, with the second coming six minutes before halftime after a scrum inside the Camden 22. Shoalhaven led 12-0 at the break. Thankfully for Camden, Mark Brandon had an off day with the boot, missing a conversion and penalty before the break, which could have made the scoreline much worse.

The second half again started well for the home side, before Shoalhaven clicked into gear, as the undefeated ladder leaders worked towards another victory. Tries came with regularity in the second period, with Keiran Brandon crossing 10 minutes after play resumed, extending the Shoalhaven lead to 19-0. The Camden left edge defence was an issues on Saturday, with the Shoalhaven right winger bagging a second half double, in quick succession, as the lead continued to grow. One highlight for Camden was the try from centre Sam Liney, who crossed with 13 minutes remaining on the clock. Shoalhaven added a final try with five minutes remaining, as the bonus point had been secured early in the second half.

Camden will be looking to bounce back from the disappointing loss in two weeks time, when they head east for the second Macarthur derby against Campbelltown. The Rams put on an excellent showing in the opening derby at Wire Lane, despite the 41-20 loss in Round 2, and the Camden coaching staff will be keen to atone on Campbelltown soil.

The next home game for Camden will be another tough task, when they host the high-flying Avondale in Round 12 on June 26. The day will also be a highlight on the social calendar for Rams’ fans, with the annual Ladies Day being held. Contact the club for more details on prices and activities to be held on the day.

With only three more home games for the season, the Rams will be looking to improve on their record at home, with only one win at home for the year to date. The remaining home games will be broadcast live on the Camden Rugby Facebook page, with live commentary being simulcast on Macarthur Sports Radio, with Mike Shean and the Running Rugby team describing the play.