The Tenterfield Bumblebees will play their final home game of their President’s Cup season this Saturday and it doesn’t get any tougher.
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The Bees will take on the ladder leading Evans River side.
It makes it two games in-a-row against the two top sides after the Bees played host to second-placed Yamba for their recent round 17 fixture.
The Buccaneers were too good for the Tenterfield team but Bees coach Phil Jones was far from disappointed with the efforts by his young charges.
“My boys played well, we just have to get a bit more possession, more ball and convert the possession into points, that is the biggest thing,” he said.
“Yamba is a really good side.
“We are not far off the money, just not quite there yet.
“They are a team of rugby players and we are a team of footballers.
“As a team we haven't played a lot of rugby and it is probably those finer things that are letting us down a bit.”
Jones lauded his team’s efforts in defence with their backs up against the wall for much of the first-half.
“Our defence was rock solid, it was 10-nil at half-time.
“They scored one try and kicked a penalty in the first-half.
“We held them out for probably 20 minutes on our own line and they didn't score.
“They got a try late in the half against the run of play and kicked a penalty goal so there wasn't much in it.
“The second-half was much the same.”
When his team did get the ball, they just couldn’t get over the line.
“We had opportunities and we just didn't capitalise,” Jones said.
“Our boys played well but we just had no ball, that was the biggest thing.
“We had no possession and just tackled everything that moved.”
Jones rates the Yamba team as the side to beat and is hoping the Bees can give Evans River a run for their money this Saturday.
“Evans have got a well-disciplined side but Yamba is a bigger side, they are a bit more physical,” he said.
“I think Yamba's backs are good.
“We have got a couple of injuries but we won't be far off full-strength.”