THE Manning Ratz returned to the winner's circle with a 46-0 thumping of the Old Bar Clams in their Lower Mid North Coast Rugby Union match at Old Bar.
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It was the first time this season that the Clams, playing at home, had fielded a full 15 man contingent, with the Ratz wary of an ambush from a pumped-up home team, many of whom had attended the funeral of former player Trevor "Tracka" Bailey that morning.
The match started well for the Ratz, with coach and five-eighth Jake Maurirere, returning from a knee injury, guiding the youthful Manning backline around.
Strong shunts in the scrum from a beefed-up forward pack enabled the backs to run riot, with fullback Tyler Duroux a beneficiary with two tries.
Inside centre Chris Fitzsimmons also finished with a double, while his centre partner Luke Bartlett enjoyed his best game of the season, setting up several tries and scoring one himself.
Halfback Mikah Gibson dashed over for a try before leaving the field with a back injury, while speedsters Jack Chapman and James Grainger both scored a try a piece.
Goal-kicking number eight Sam Hartnett endured a tough day with the boot, kicking just three from eight.
The Clams, who had previously played 10 a side rugby this season due to a lack of players, battled bravely, stringing together some good forward play in tight, but a fresh Ratz bench helped the Manning team run out convincing winners.
The win comes a week after the Ratz were demolished in a 50-point hiding by the Wallamba Bulls, and ensures they stay in touch with a top two position ahead of the representative break this weekend.
