Led by a player-of-the-tournament performance from Orange City junior James Donato, the Millthorpe Mountain Goats claimed the Active Axons Blue Mountains and Greater West Rugby Sevens Carnival’s top prize on Saturday.
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Donato was simply unstoppable at Blue Mountains Grammar School, continuously sparking the Goats’ exhilarating attacking movements as the side ran through the tournament undefeated.
The composite side knocked off the Blaxland Old Boys and University of NSW in the pool stage before winning their quarter and semi-final encounters, to set-up a juicy Cup final against Blue Mountains Rugby.
Coincidentally also nicknamed the Mountain Goats, BMR had looked a formidable outfit all day and it took a monumental effort for Millthorpe to best them in the decider, in fact it was a converted try after regular time had expired that sealed the win.
With BMR leading and time winding down, Millthorpe fed off back-to-back penalties then produced almost a minute’s worth of off-the-cuff, keep-it-alive rugby, which eventually gave Dan Donato enough space to dummy, go himself and score under the sticks.
He converted his own try to seal a 19-17 victory and the $1200 winner’s cheque, the successful kick sparking raucous Millthorpe celebrations.
“There wasn’t really any nerves, I knew we had the players to do it, we just needed to get the ball down their end. Luckily the last pass stuck and there was space near the sticks, because I was cooked before that kick, it needed to be from in front,” Dan Donato, who skippered the Millthorpe side, laughed.
“James did play well too, it was bit funny though because we did a players’ player vote between the team and he only got three votes for the day, but he was particularly good in the final.”
The victory actually marked the second in three years for James and Dan Donato after they helped Stannies Old Boys to the inaugural Cup title in 2016, and gave them the rare chance to play with younger brother Peter too.
“There was a couple of others, Jayden Wright and Josh Hardie, who were in that Stannies side too so it’s nice to get another one with them. Playing with Peter was pretty special for James and I too,” Dan Donato said, all three brothers are Lions juniors.
“It was the first time we’ve been able to play with him. He was a couple years below us at school and was never into his footy as much as James and I, so being able to play and win with him was great.”
The Donato boys weren’t the only Central West Rugby Union connections to taste success at the carnival either.
CSU Bathurst claimed the women’s second-tier Plate, with Claire Woolmington named player-of-the-final in a convincing, 24-10 win over the Central Coast Seahawks.
The Blobfish, a side predominantly made up of Orange City Lions and Orange Emus, also won their second consecutive Bowl title, defeating Nero’s Heroes 15-10 in the decider.
Blobfish gun Jack Marchinton, one of Emus’ best during the 2018 Blowes Clothing Cup season, said the side was stoked to claim some silverware, but felt the impact of a slow start to the competition as they were resigned to the third tier.
Active Axons Blue Mountains and Greater West Rugby Sevens Carnival’s other divisions, Nutrition Station won the men’s Plate and UNSW won the men’s Jug.
Seven10s, led by Bathurst Bulldogs’ Claudia McLaren, won the women’s Cup, while the East Coast Barbarians defeated the Mudgee Wombats to claim the women’s Bowl.
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