"We were a bit nervous, and a bit off our game, but we got there.”
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To the delight of their coach Wayne Clarke, Orange CYMS Gold on Saturday capped an undefeated season with a premiership, defeating a gutsy Mudgee Green outfit 30-18.
Extra time was needed to split the sides after the full-time bell rang with the scores locked at 18-all.
But tries to man-of-the-match Riley Hoad and speedster Taj Jordan ensured the silverware would stay with defending champions CYMS, who made it two grand final wins on the trot over their Mudgee rivals.
Clark admitted a combination of nerves and complacency may have played a part in a less-than-stellar performance from his troops, but was delighted with the result.
“We beat Mudgee by about 40 points two weeks ago, so maybe we just took it easy [on Saturday],” he said.
“It’s a credit to Mudgee, who have been a great team for two years, but also to my boys, who dug deep and found a way to win.”
CYMS trailed as early as the game’s first set of six, with Mudgee’s blockbusting back-rower Jaxon Griffith scoring the first of his two tries.
But the eventual premiers struck back through a pair of length-of-the-field efforts from dynamic fullback Taj Jordan.
Griffith crossed again in the shadows of half-time, sending the teams to the interval at 12 points apiece.
VIDEO: Mudgee hit the front in the second half …
In the second half Mudgee looked to be on the brink of a boilover, especially when five-eighth Vincent McKid capped a great team movement by scoring out wide.
VIDEO: Thomas Tancred sends the game to extra time …
But with just minutes of normal time remaining, CYMS second-rower Thomas Tancred crashed over, with Isaac Clarke’s ice-cool nerves holding firm to slot the conversion and send the game into extra time.
Hoad and Jordan’s heroics took care of the result from there.
VIDEO: CYMS’ tough extra-time defence …
Mudgee’s coach Fabian Colley cut a disappointed but proud figure after the post-game ceremony.
“We tried, we really put it to them, but they were just too good,” Colley said.
“I’m really proud of my boys. They played a great game and almost got there.”
Hoad and Jordan were the best two players on the park, while for Mudgee, Griffith was a constant threat and his back-row ally Jack Colley never stopped trying.
- ORANGE CYMS GOLD 30 (Taj Jordan 3, Riley Hoad, Thomas Tancred tries; Jordan, Haiden Porter, Isaac Clarke, Hoad, Chayse King convs) def MUDGEE GREEN 18 (Jaxon Griffith 2, Vincent McKid tries; Jack Colley, Connor McLean, Flynn Baggett convs)
