Coach wants to forget victory

ORANGE CYMS may have won their opening match of the WIN TV Challenge but coach Michael Sullivan would rather forget the game entirely.

Leading Group 11 outfit Wellington Cowboys 28-nil after 26 minutes, CYMS showed plenty of class on their way to the half-time break to lead 34-12.

Thanks largely to some sublime backline movements which saw Ben McAlpine and Nick Tarlington both claim doubles, CYMS had the perfect opportunity to put their opponents to the sword but fell away to a whimper, only scoring two points in the second half to hold on by eight, 36-28.

A predominantly dour second half crescendoed when a string of penalties against Wellington saw their centre, Rian Humphries, spend 10 minutes in the sin bin while tempers reached boiling point with five minutes remaining resulting in the referee calling the game off early due to an ugly fight spilling over the dead ball line.

Sullivan, still sidelined with a foot injury, watched on as his side nearly surrendered a 28-point lead and believes his side will need to improve before next weekend’s match against the Blayney Bears.

“I think probably the biggest thing for us at the moment is mentally once we think we have the other side’s measure we switch off,” Sullivan said.

“We have a lot to work on. Once we hit round one I think you’ll see a totally different side. Hopefully a lot more consistent too.”

While Sullivan was happy with the opening exchanges of the match, which included a wonderful 70-metre effort finished off by McAlpine, the 29-year-old was disappointed with the majority of the match.

“We started good for the first 20 minutes but after that there really isn’t much to talk about,” he said.

“As a whole we can’t take too much from that match. We’ll rest a few for next week’s match, like I’ve said before, I’m not to concerned with the pre-season just yet.”

Wellington coach Graham Blackhall was impressed with his young side’s fight-back and is hoping they can continue to show that sort of character in the future.

“There are plenty of positive signs for not only this season but plenty more after that,” Blackhall said.

“We have a really young side at the moment and what we are trying to do is bring in the next generation.

“Take out the first half and we would have done really well. If the side can continue to play the way they did in the second half then I’ll be happy.”

Wellington will host Gulgong next weekend while Orange CYMS will travel to Blayney to take on the Bears.

n ORANGE CYMS 36 (Ben McAlpine 2, Nick Tarlington 2, Jeffery Tushuizen, Steve Kerr tries, Ben McAlpine 6 goals) def WELLINGTON COWBOYS 28 (Corey Stanley, Richard Peckham, Nathan Smith, Robbie Dawton, Chris Jones tries, Robbie Dawton 3, Corey Stanley goals).

n BY THE CLOCK: 2min: Ben McAlpine try and goal (CYMS 6-0); 7min: Nick Tarlington try, McAlpine goal (CYMS 12-0); 12min: McAlpine try (CYMS 16-0); 18min: Tarlington try, McAlpine goal (CYMS 22-0); 26min: Jeffery Tushuizen try, McAlpine goal (CYMS 28-0); 34min: Corey Stanley try and goal (CYMS 28-6); 37min: Richard Peckham try, Robbie Dawton goal (CYMS 28-12); 40min: Steve Kerr try, McAlpine goal (CYMS 34-12); 52min: Nathan Smith try (CYMS 34-16); 59min: Dawton try and goal (34-22); 64min: Chris Jones try, Dawton goal (CYMS 34-28); 68min: McAlpine penalty goal (CYMS 36-28).