NEW TARGET: Narromine No.7 Mike Harris was strong in the line-out for the Gorillas. Narromine believe Blowes Clothing Cup leaders Orange City can successfully be attacked around the forwards. Photo: JUDE KEOGH 0728city1
IF you ask Narromine Gorillas captain-coach Luke Brown, runaway Blowes Clothing Cup leaders Orange City has plenty of chinks in its armour - you just can’t afford not to attack them for the full 80 minutes.
The Gorillas stuck with the 2012 premiership favourites for the first 40 minutes of last Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash at Pride Park, the visitors even made the Lions sweat long after the second half resumed with the score at 24-20 in Orange City’s favour.
At that stage of the contest Narromine had scored more tries than the undefeated competition leaders, with Jordan Moran, prop Charlie Tuck and Brown crossing the stripe opposed to the double recorded by Sione Lafo’ou.
Narromine matched, if not bettered, the Lions’ scrum.
The Gorillas worked the line-out to perfection as well, with Brown scoring off the back of a rolling maul formed after a line-out win and Tuck the beneficiary of neatly worked line-out move from 20 metres out.
But what Brown and the Gorillas failed to do was maintain it.
And that’s when the Lions pounced.
Still, Brown wasn’t fazed.
And he had this for any other Blowes Clothing Cup team trying to figure out just how to dismantle the Lions:
“Try like we did and muscle it through the forwards,” Brown fired.
“When we controlled ball in the forwards we did well. I guess the opportunities are there straight through the middle but they’ve definitely got some big boys and some fast movers out wide.”
Incredibly, Orange City agreed.
Lions co-coach Mick Gray said Narromine did work their line-outs and mauls well.
“That’s a fair comment. They’re hard to stop,” Gray said.
“I think we scored two tries from rolling mauls, as well. They’re hard to stop if you set them up well. And we find it’s difficult for us to stop too.
“They’re a good team but we gave away far too many penalties.”
Fellow Lions mentor Steve Hamson said the Lions’ pack was up the challenge any opposition side threw down over the next three regular season rounds and into the finals.
“Working as a unit our forwards went really well,” he said.
“To get that push over try against a much bigger side is a credit to their technique.”
Gray added of Narromine: “Their rolling maul was very good, we just couldn’t stop it. That was their one true attacking strength.”