Late handling errors from CSU Mungoes proved costly in Saturday's loss to undefeated Mid West Cup leaders Portland Colts at Kremer Park.
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Mungoes lost the match 18-10, with both teams matching each other with try for try until some late mistakes from the visitors and tidy play from the hosts proved the difference.
Mungoes captain-coach Callum Ferguson said the game was "hotly contested".
"It was a real, great match-up. We went back to the pub afterwards and the crowd was saying how close, tough and interesting the match was," he said.
"We were doing quarters for the first time in a long while. The first two quarters was a tight and tense sort of match.
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"It was just a case of if they score we score, pretty much right to the end. Just a couple of handling errors on our behalf and tidiness from Portland handed them the win."
The result leaves CSU with just one win from three matches, while it puts Portland in first after three rounds, with the Colts having won all three games its played.
It's a fantastic start to the season for Portland, considering the club did not contest the Mid West Cup in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Flanagan, who remembers playing them back in 2019, believes the club has picked a number of former Group 10 players to help bolster its squad.
"I versed them back in 2019 and they were then a decent team but nothing like you see now," he said.
"I think some ex-Workies have gone there and things like that."
The Mungoes will not be playing this Saturday as they have the bye, however, the students will play the lowly Lithgow Bears the following Saturday on May 22.
That gives the team plenty of time to work on a few things from its loss to Portland.
"Handling errors is a portion of what we need to work on," he said.
"A think a large part of the game, we were relying on our forwards too much. I think our backs were a bit silent and we didn't really get to our sets and use our plays.
"Moving forward, we need to push it wider and use our backs more, utilising the width and speed."
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