When the RSL-Whitney Cup draw for 2019/20 was released it wasn't pretty reading early on for Rugby.
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A side which won just three games last campaign, Rugby was drawn to play the reigning top three in the first three rounds.
Captain Jacob Hill didn't want his new-look side to start with three successive losses and they won't now after a thrilling win over RSL-Colts on Saturday.
Rugby won by just one run, knocking over Colts for 224 after Hill's century led his side to 7/225 on day one.
At one point it seemed the men in sky blue would cruise to a relatively comfortable win on Saturday but the Colts final-wicket partnership of Ben Semmler and Grant Malouf changed that.
The pair came together with the score at 9/170 and went on to get in a winning position, only for left-arm seamer Adam Richards to get one through Malouf's defences in the 66th over.
"It was a bit scary at the end there," Hill laughed.
"But they [Semmler and Malouf] batted really well. There's not much more you can say about it, they did well.
"We knew Colts would bat all day and make it hard for us but the boys fought well."
The Rugby bowling attack is still a work in progress but it's showing promise early in the campaign.
Jakke Gardiner has made the move from Colts' second grade side to take on the main spinner's role in the absence of Adrian Carey while Adam Richards is locked in as the new ball bowler having spent the majority of last season in the RSL-Pinnington Cup.
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Teenager Ben Rosenbaum also takes the new ball, while Hill and Baye Wallace are the all-round options.
Ben Wheeler also got a chance with the ball on Saturday and he made it count, knocking over Colts' top three on the way to finishing with 3/41.
"He's been bowling well in the nets and he's been pestering me so I thought I'd give him a bowl," Hill said of Wheeler, before speaking about the bowling unit.
"We're working on it but it's starting to click. It's only been two games but we're getting better and we really just have to bowl to our field.
"Richo bowled well and got the wicket at the end and Jakke did as well, he bowled 23 overs straight."
Gardiner finished with 3/53 from his spell while Rosenbaum claimed 2/46.
The win was a welcome one for Rugby after a disappointing loss to CYMS in round one.
"We knew we had the top three from last season in the first three rounds so we had to step up," Hill said.
"We didn't want to be zero and three and be chasing it. But we're just a team that's going to have to fight and slug it out."
Semmler (28) and Malouf (20) rallied late, after Charlie Kempston (59) and Chris Morton (44) had both got among the runs early.
Elsewhere on Saturday, a scintillating performance from Daniel Medway wasn't enough for Macquarie on day two of itsclash with Newtown.
Medway starred at Lady Cutler 2, making a brilliant 136 at the top of the order but his Blues fell by 31 runs to a Steve Skinner-inspired Tigers side.
Skinner bagged 5/47 from 19 overs, as only Medway was able to negate the nagging off-spinner.
Medway dominated his side's innings, with Ben Strachan's 35 the only other notable score as Skinner ripped through the Blues' lower order.
Macquarie was 3/189 at one stage but when Medway fell to youngster Tom Masonwells (2/33) in the 51st over the end came soon.
Four of the Blues' last six batsmen departed without scoring as Newtown bounced back from a round one loss to Colts.
CYMS won the round's other game to make it two-from-two to start the new season.
Brock Larance and Tom Coady made half centuries as CYMS chased down South Dubbo's total of 230 with four wickets in hand.
Larance made 63 after Coady scored 51 at the top of the order, while a number of solid partnerships saw the Cougars win with 15 overs to spare.