On the back of superb performances from a number of mid-season recruits, the Cowra Eagles stunned Orange City on Saturday afternoon, handing the Lions a 50-17 thumping.
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Although it’s going to take something incredible for the Eagles to surge into the Blowes Clothing Cup finals, the combination of Waisale Ratudina and Visile Rabotini – who scored five tries between them on Saturday – suggests anything is possible.
Ratudina grabbed a hat-trick while Rabotini registered a double after half-time.
Cowra’s relentless attack eventually took its toll on a depleted Lions outfit, as the Eagles crossed for 36 points in a one-sided second half, after being locked at 14-14 at the break.
Eagles coach Troy Hayes was pleased to see the ball “thrown around” and heaped praise on his new outside backs – Ratudina and Rabotini.
“It’s good to see the ball getting thrown around again. It’s the way we’ve tried to play the past two years I’ve been coaching,” Hayes said.
“They were outstanding. It’s easy to coach a side when there’s a bunch of people who are finishers. People say wingers aren’t a specialist position but I personally think they are and that showed today.”
Orange City posted first points inside the opening five minutes through five-eight Keegan Harding, who knocked over his first of four penalty goals for the day.
About 20 minutes in Eagles fullback John Grant crossed and Troy Jeffs added the extras for a 7-3 lead.
Harding reduced the margin to one point with another penalty, before Jimmy Montgomery notched a five-pointer and Jeffs kicked the conversion for a 14-6 lead.
City locked it up during the final 10 minutes of the opening half courtesy of a Logan Brockmann try, a conversion from Harding and then a penalty goal from 40 metres out on the touch line.
City coach Steve Hamson said he spoke to his side at the break about “staying in the grind” but conceded Cowra’s backline was too strong.
Ratudina crossed for his first about eight minutes from the restart.
Jeffs’ conversion missed and Harding kicked a penalty goal to reduce the lead again, this time to 19-17.
From there, Cowra piled on 31 unanswered points with Ratudina going across a further two times, Rabotini twice and substitute Vaughn Nolan scored a late try to seal the victory 50-17.
“They probably got the better of the key moments in early stages of the second-half,” Hamson said before talking about Cowra’s new recruits.
“They ran good lines and were hard to tackle and they hurt us in open play, so did John Grant.
“We didn’t really play to our potential, I think, throughout the majority of the second half.”
- COWRA EAGLES 50 (Waisale Ratudina 3, Visile Rabotini 2, John Grant, Jimmy Montgomery, Vaughn Nolan tries; Troy Jeffs 4, Anthony Yeo conversions) def ORANGE CITY LIONS 17 (Logan Brockmann try; Keegan Harding 4 penalty goals, conversion)