RUGBY UNION
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HURTING from last weekend’s loss to Orange City, a revitalised Orange Emus produced a performance reminiscent of last year’s grand final side to thump Bathurst Bulldogs at Ashwood Park on Saturday.
Thanks largely to the return of skipper Nigel Staniforth and five-eighth Adam Perri, from injury and NSW Country duty respectively, the greens dominated the Blowes Clothing Cup clash from start to finish, scoring six tries to two to earn an easy 41-13 victory.
The win lifts Emus into third, keeping the greens in touch with the competition-leading Lions and equal on competition points with second-placed Cowra - only points difference separates the two teams.
It also leaves the Bathurst side winless from three attempts against Orange teams, and extends Emus’ winning streak against the Bathurst side to four games - the last time Bulldogs beat Emus was in round one 2014.
“I don’t know how we keep doing it [against Bulldogs]. It would be nice to do that against a few of the other teams,” Emus co-coach Graydon Staniforth said.
“We need to try and bottle that performance up. We need to continue working for each other.”
After one missed attempt early in the clash, Bulldogs five-eighth Steve Locke gave his side a 3-nil lead with a penalty goal, but from there is was all Emus.
Although it took the greens almost half an hour to get on the board, once the flow started there was little chance of it being dammed.
Emus spent the better part of 20 minutes camped inside Bulldogs’ 22, forcing several back-to-back penalties which finally resulted in Bulldogs’ enforcer Ollie Crowe being yellow-carded.
Emus exploited the one-man advantage, with Perri going over under the sticks and winger Tom Green finding the stripe minutes later.
A turnover on the stroke of half-time gave Emus possession back, although No.8 Alo Finau looked likely to squander it, crabbing across field in search of a gap.
He didn’t find it.
Instead, he all but handed the ball to speedster Carter Hirini, who pushed one would-be defender off, feigned a kick and cut inside to grab a five pointer Graydon Staniforth said “he had no right to score”, and give his side a 24-3 lead at half-time.
When Nigel Staniforth scored an intercept try against the run of play after the break, the game looked all but over despite Adam Plummer scoring a double for the Bathurst side.
When Hirini grabbed his second in the later stages of the second half, the result was sealed.
“The big thing for us this week is that we had our nine, 10 and 13 playing together - our decision makers - and we haven’t had them together for about five weeks,” Graydon Staniforth said.
“That was definitely our best performance this year in terms of intensity over a full match. I’m really proud of our defence and think that’s the reason why we won.
“With Bulldogs you know that it’s going to be a hard game, so if you don’t turn up then you’re not a chance.”
ORANGE EMUS 41 (Carter Hirini 2, Adam Perri, Tom Green, Nigel Staniforth, Andrew Cosgrove tries; Staniforth 4 conv, pen goal) def BATHURST BULLDOGS 13 (Adam Plummer 2 tries; Steve Locke pen goal).