With Taumata on “leave” in Sydney, and fellow recruit Ethan McGuire sidelined with a broken ankle, under-strength Tumut rallied in dramatic circumstances before losing 24-6 to the Tigers.

On a day when two players were transported to hospital forcing the game to be delayed by more than an hour, Taumata’s absence far and away overshadowed Gundagai’s five tries to one try victory.

Amid a swirl of rumours, Tumut stressed Taumata had been given permission by the club to take the weekend off from football.

“He (Taumata) will be back and is still captain-coach,” a Tumut spokesman said on Sunday.

“He was given leave.”

Despite the reassurance, Taumata’s surprise trip to Sydney has definitely left a cloud over the Blues.

The shock omission of Taumata on Sunday was only the start of a chain of remarkable events, which at one stage seemed set to lead to the first grade game being abandoned.

Midway through the first half – and with Gundagai leading 16-0 – Tigers lock Jarrod Crane suffered a serious dislocated knee as he was tackled by the Tumut defence.

Quick-thinking referee Jake White immediately stopped play and Crane was treated by Gundagai staff on the field before an ambulance was called to the ground.

As Crane was comforted by trainers, the ambulance arrived 35 minutes later, only leaving with the injured player after another 27 minutes.

During the lengthy break, and with no arrival time for the ambulance, officials discussed the possibility of abandoning the game.

However, with Crane transported to hospital, referee White re-started the action, only for a second incident to further fuel the confusion.

Barely seven minutes playing time later Tumut lock Ben Kent was heavily concussed, causing another stoppage and a second ambulance to be called to Twickenham.

Ultimately, referee White elected to end the first half four minutes early, later advising the second half would be cut to 35 minutes.

Given the fading light, many spectators took the option of leaving the venue, while the Twickenham lights were turned on to allow the game to finish.

Up by 20-0 at half-time, Gundagai stretched the lead to 24-0 when rookie halfback Joe Rose sent centre Mat Rose over for a try five minutes into the second half.

As both teams struggled for cohesion, Tumut eventually got on the board when prop Joseph Ioane-Toetu burst over from dummy half from short range.

Tigers centre Damian Wills later admitted the enforced stoppages had been a drawback for the players.

“You can’t help injuries,” Willis said.

“It was very hard to get going again after the break.”

Willis said Gundagai’s victory was further emphasis of the rise of the team.

“We’re still improving,” he said.