Ben Rumble’s first Jersey Flegg Cup outing of the season was a successful one with the silky fullback nabbing four tries in the Dragons’ 50-12 win over the Kaiviti Silktails.
It proved an inspiring celebration of culture, heritage, and inclusion within the Rugby League community at Jubilee Stadium with the Dragons and Silktails coming together postgame as the Fijian-based outfit performed their renowned hymn.
Some early Silktail errors gave the hosts an opportunity in desirable field position with Khye Russell nabbing the opening points of the contest off a sleek sweep play courtesy of Rumble to make it 4-0.
Match: Dragons v Silktails
Round 3 -
home Team
Dragons
3rd Position
away Team
Silktails
12th Position
Venue: Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
A penalty the following set sent the Dragons straight back on the attack with a near identical right-side shift resulting in Rumble dummying and stepping his way through for the side’s second.
No.7 Ashton Ward threw over the extra two to make it an early double-digit lead for the Red V.
The Dragons earnt a repeat set off the following set of six and more points came – this time through left winger Cain Barnes who was again the beneficiary of a sweeping Rumble.
The Dragons continued their hot start the very next set with Barnes this time streaking down the left touchline and repaying the favour by finding Rumble back on the inside for his second.
Ward nailed his third consecutive conversion to make it 22-0 less than 20 minutes in.
The Silktails looked to hit back through a rampaging Kelevi Tuilomaniwai but the Dragons defensive wall managed to hold him up over the line.
They instead claimed their opening try on the stroke of halftime through lock Senivalati Vunibola who was the beneficiary of a superb bomb and offload to the right of the sticks.
Melikiseteki Nacaginimasei piloted through the extras to make it 22-6 heading into the sheds.
The first points of the second stanza came through Ward who dummied and juked his way over to extend the lead back beyond a trio of converted tries.
A Ward 40/20 put the Dragons back on the attack and it was again Rumble who obliged gliding around the back on a left edge sweep play and diving over for his third of the afternoon as the lead grew to 34-6.
A soccer-esque sequence laid the platform for the Silktails to hit back through Vunibola – his second of the contest – who was the beneficiary of a grubber and subsequent toe-forward in front of the posts.
Rumble again inserted himself into the contest soon after charging through the middle of the park and into the backfield from his own 30-metre line and handing it off to a supporting Nick Quinn for the hosts’ seventh of the afternoon.
Rumble grabbed his fourth try of the afternoon late thanks to a shrewd, short side raid and classy Campbell Watchirs offload.
Ward dove over under the sticks to claim his second in the final stages and converted his own try as the Dragons hit the half-century mark.
