THE Crookwell Doggies had an uplifting win over the weekend, defeating new competitors Harden 48-7.
The Dogs looked quite flat during the first half despite having scored two tries and being quite dominant in defence.
The Dogs constantly ensured they shut down Harden's attack but often looked too compact during the first half in their own attack which was attributed to the windy conditions.
Harden's only points for the match came from their big Polynesian centre planting his huge hands on the faces of several Dogs players before crossing the try-line.
Crookwell's two tries during the first half were complements of the Seaman brothers who both played out of their skins during the Dogs' first victory of the 2008 season.
Neil, in the position of fullback, scored out wide for the Dogs after another crisp backline move and brother Ryan, playing at halfback, dove over a ruck to bring the Dogs to 12-7 before half-time.
Coach Greg Anderson was unhappy with the first half effort and gave them a good barking at to let them know his concerns, this seemed to shake the Dogs out of their slumber and realise they were the better side on the day and could play a lot harder.
The second-half was a joy to watch for any Dogs supporters with the opener being Ryan Seaman's second for the game, Seaman's quick thinking at a close line-out saw the Dogs elated yet again.
The next try was one for the record books when veteran Dogs' second-rower Ken McCallum scored a 20 metre try when he snatched the ball from a ruck and marched in for the fourth try for the away side.
The Dogs continued to lift and this was shown in their actions on the field and their enthusiasm during stoppages, the players constantly yelling encouragement at each other.
The next try scored will be heard about for the rest of the season, simply because it was Ryan Seaman's third of the game and who could ever forget him having scored a hat trick.
The triple came from a Dogs' scrum five metres from Harden's try-line when big Rob Christie picked up the ball from the back of the scrum and broke several tackles before off-loading to Ryan to score the try.
The game was quite physical and the Dogs showed a lot of grunt in defence and were lucky not to have Rob Christie sent-off when he attempted to scalp a member of the opposition.
Harden had no such luck when one of their centres was given ten minutes in the bin after he picked Dogs' fly-half Hugh Clem up off the turf and dumped him back down.
The Dogs young wingers Matt Howard and Ed Atfield also showed a lot of promise when they were forced to tackle men much bigger than themselves on several occasions.
Late in the game, Harden were a man down and running out of puff and this showed when Dogs' fly-half Neil Seaman re-wrote and re-released his book on the classic show and go on a counter-attack raid in which he ran through the whole of Harden's scattered defence and scored beneath the posts.
It was clear that Harden had not been put through a vigorous pre-season training a-la Greg Anderson because the Dogs appeared much fitter and much more eager to play rugby in the last 20 minutes of the game.
Each try resulted in the Dogs lifting their heads a little higher and raising their voices a little louder and although much of the season still remains, everything seemed to be in working order.
Before the final whistle was blown Crookwell scored two more tries to the delight of their much appreciated supporters.
Troy Bensley managed a put down in the corner worthy of a Sports Tonight highlights package after a good line-break and some consistent rucking by the Dogs.
Bensley's try will also be remembered as a hard-fought one, having left Ken McCallum unable to consume the desired amounts of post-match fluid after he was left with a severe fat-lip in the initial phase-play.
The final try of the game came from some good hands by the Dogs' backs who simply used the classic draw and pass philosophy to eventually send centre James Frost over for the points.
The Dogs' scrum-half must be getting comfortable in his new position, having played flanker most other seasons as he also managed to kick four from eight conversions.
Crookwell travel to Jindabyne on Anzac Day weekend and will hope to make a wearing impression.
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