ORANGE’S Jack Wighton made a strong start in his first appearance in a green and gold jumper yesterday, helping the Australian Schoolboys to an emphatic 56-4 win over the Wales under 18s.

The Orange CYMS and Bloomfield junior played in the No.6 jumper and combined strongly with Bathurst product Harry Siejka in the halves.

It was Siejka who stole the show for the green and golds at Capehilly, scoring two tries and booting five goals and generally setting up his team’s attack with aplomb from start to finish.

All in all the Australians ran in 11 tries to one and only some errant kicking in the second half prevented the score from blowing out even further.

Though the Aussies conceded a try within the first minute after a surprise Welsh attacking raid, it took the tourists just a minute to hit back after a Wales mistake in the next set and it was Siejka doing the damage as he crossed for his first.

He duly converted that effort and from that point until full-time his team were never headed.

Siejka converted the try of hooker Chad Redman a few minutes later and when captain Paul Carter scored soon after it was clear the game was going to be a walk in the park for the young Kangaroos.

The Welsh side drew with England just a week prior to the match and showed they have what it takes to compete with the stronger international outfits and to their credit did manage to stem the tide up until the half-time break.

Redman scored a second try but that was the only addition to the score as the Australians went to the break with a 20-4 lead, though that probably didn’t reflect their dominance as the Welsh forwards failed to make inroads and the Aussie backs continually threatened to blow the score out further.

In the second half the floodgates well and truly opened as the home side couldn’t find a way to continually hold their opponents out.

A scuffle involving Siejka punctuated the early exchanges in the second half but thereafter it was a romp.

After adding another two tries to their growing total, Siejka finished up on the end of a sparkling 100m movement that took the margin beyond 40 points, and two further tries in the shadows of the final whistle ensured the Aussies started their trip in the best possible fashion.

The team’s next match will be against the England under 18s on Saturday morning (Australian time) at Featherstone before the big clash against the Great Britain combined side next Thursday.