You could be forgiven for feeling a real sense of deja vu at Waratahs Sportsground last weekend as Newcastle Wanderers claimed their second consecutive Orange City Rugby Invitational 10s triumph, one again accounting for Aidan Brice All Stars in the final.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The two sides faced off in 2018's decider as well, but where Wanderers were forced to score a last-ditch try to win last year's final 20-19 the powerhouse Newcastle club did it easily on Saturday afternoon, putting on a show to win by 31 points.
Wanderers made light work of the composite, largely Orange-based memorial side - who won the tournament in 2016 - winning the final 36-5 after shooting to a 24-nil lead by half-time.
Aidan Brice All Stars' Nolan Brice said, simply, Wanderers were just too good, with former Orange Emus centre Charlie Mortimer one of their best-performed.
"They were pretty clinical, we'd gone in thinking we were a red-hot chance based on the footy we'd played leading up the final but they were too good," Brice said, the side named after his late brother Aidan.
"Winning would've been a nice way to cap the day off, a bit of revenge on Wanderers after last year, but even so it was a great day and for us it's as much about getting a good bunch of blokes together and having some fun as it is winning."
There was some speculation leading into the tournament about Wanderers' quality, considering the Newcastle club had pre-season trials scheduled the same day, but they put any doubts to bed pretty quickly in the early stages.
They went into the semi-finals as the first seed having beaten University of NSW (15-nil), Leeton Phantoms (17-10) and Forbes (25-nil) in their pool, and then knocked off the powerful Island Boys outfit three four to nil in the final four.
Leeton were actually the only side that caused Wanderers any trouble too, scoring 10 of the 15 points the Newcastle club conceded all day.
The Aidan Brice All Stars also entered the final undefeated although they'd been seeded third. They boasted the best points difference of the top four sides but slipped down the rankings thanks to their first-up, 12-all, Pool B draw with the Island Boys.
They'd also taken down the Cootamundra Tri-Colours and NSW Surburban Rugby Union club Briars in the pool stage, and then comfortably accounted for the then-undefeated, second-ranked Jack Blunt Legends in the semi-final, winning four tries to two.
Prior to the top-tier, Waratahs Sports Club Cup final Forbes took out the Ideal Conditions Bowl while Orange City and Burwood faced off in Tandy Welding Women's decider, and Wollongong Tech took on the Leeton Phantoms in the See Saw Wines Plate final.