It’s that time of year again, Blowes Clothing Cup grand final day.
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The anticipation will reach its crescendo at Endeavour Oval on Saturday, where seven clubs will compete for premiership glory across the region’s five grades – first grade, second grade, third grade, colts and women’s.
Our sports reporters are on the ground at Endeavour Oval in Orange to bring you all the action, but if you can’t get there you can follow along online right here, including live Twitter updates from each game – to have your own Tweets included, use the hashtag #CWRU16.
UPDATES:
SECOND GRADE: A stellar defensive effort and astute wet-weather tactics in the Endeavour Oval bog earned Dubbo Roos a Blowes Clothing Cup second grade premiership on Saturday.
Trailing Orange Emus 14-5 midway through the first half, Roos found their groove courtesy of a regime of one-out hit-ups and pinpoint kicks to bridge the gap before tackling themselves to a standstill in the closing stages to secure the silverware.
THIRD GRADE: HE’S been terrorising Blowes Clothing Cup sides for nigh on two decades, and Dubbo Roos gun Lee Toohey had one last big play in his trick book at Endeavour Oval on Saturday.
With the game in the balance deep in injury time and Bathurst Bulldogs leading 21-19, Toohey picked the ball up off the back of a wheeling scrum, busted two would-be tackles and scored the match-winner for Roos, the final play of the 2016 third grade grand final.
An emotional Toohey spoke after the game, revealing the premiership win would be his last game of rugby while also expressing pure joy after his wife gave birth to a son on Wednesday.
“I’m pumping, mate,” Toohey said.
COLTS: A remarkable defensive effort from Bathurst Bulldogs in the dying stages of the game inspired the side to a second consecutive undefeated Blowes Clothing Cup colts title, at the expense of a willing CSU Bathurst side.
Despite trailing 9-0 at one stage Bulldogs fought back to hold a 15-9 lead late in the second half, before being forced to defend their own line for the final 15 minutes in a bid to claim the win.
They were down to 13 men for a substantial hunk of that too after Josh Carter and Adam Plummer both saw yellow cards, but the minor premiers held, turning CSU away time and again to claim a six-point win.
WOMEN: Weight of possession proved the difference as the Cowra Eagles secured their first Blowes Clothing Cup women’s title since 2013 on Saturday, holding the Mudgee Wombats out to win 22-7.
Played on a slushy Endeavour Oval surface, the Eagles controlled possession in stunning fashion – so much so the Wombats only had three real attacking opportunities in the game – to run in a four tries to one victory, and earn premiership glory.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:
THE PREDICTIONS: Nick McGrath and Matt Findlay run the rule over this weekend’s grand finals, including some outrageous forecasts
HAVE YOUR SAY: Who will win the top grade?
THE LEAD-UP:
FIRST GRADE: Orange Emus v Forbes Platypi, kick-off 3.15pm.
THE TEAMS:
ORANGE EMUS: 1 Nas Havealeta, 2 Tom Goolagong, 3 Michael Graham, 4 Sam McLean, 5 Nick Hughes-Clapp, 6 Mitch Lockley, 7 Andrew Cosgrove, 8 Scott McLean, 9 Sam Green, 10 Carter Hirini, 11 Lachie Harris, 12 Zac White, 13 Nigel Staniforth, 14 Tom Green, 15 AJ Sykes; Interchange: 16 Steve Fergus, 17 Keith Howarth, 18 Simon Badgery, 19 Andrew Selwood, 20 Rob Thorburn, 21 Alo Finau, 22 Todd Freedman, 23 James Simmons
FORBES PLATYPI: 1 Jake Cutler, 2 Jarrod Hall, 3 Kyal Sharpe, 4 Brenton Howarth, 5 Tim Prior, 6 Adrian Cole, 7 Tim Anderson, 8 Andrew Hubbard, 9 Mahe Fangupo, 10 Jeff Stewart, 11 Nathan Langilangi, 12 Brett Stace, 13 Jack Hammond, 14 Henry Willis, 15 Josh Coulthurst
- Platypi victory could spark public holiday in Forbes: president | Video, poll
- Rookie Emus fullback welcomes challenge of Forbes Platypi | Video, poll
- This is our strongest 15': Ringland names full-strength Emus side for decider | Video, poll
- Forbes earn grand final spot with gutsy win over gallant Bulldogs | Photos, video
SECOND GRADE: Dubbo Kangaroos v Orange Emus, kick-off 1.30pm.
THIRD GRADE: Dubbo Kangaroos v Bathurst Bulldogs, kick-off 12.10pm.
COLTS: Bathurst Bulldogs v CSU Bathurst, kick-off 10.30am.
WOMEN: Cowra Eagles v Mudgee Wombats, kick-off 9.10am.