The Cutters took on two tough opponents in one day and came away with double wins, proving grit, teamwork, and home-ground pride still matter in regional rugby.

BY TOM LILBURNE

Cutters secured a memorable double-header victory, overwhelming Tumut Bulls 31-0, before defeating Marcus Oldham College 24-10 in a gruelling day of rugby union action. The home side faced their SIRU competition match against Tumut Bulls at 12.30pm, with the mountain visitors representing the furthest team in the grade. Despite having the option to forfeit and focus on the evening's clash against Marcus Oldham College, Cutters voted overwhelmingly to tackle the challenging double-header with just four hours between games.

The opening half against Tumut started slowly as both sides struggled to establish rhythm. Neither team could build momentum with ball possession, hampered by scrappy play and vocal Bulls players. With Cutters missing several key players, many boys played out of position while low communication created a disjointed performance. The scoreboard threatened to remain blank for both sides until late in the half when Angus Helps, returning from suspension, made a galloping break down the sideline and crossed for a well-deserved try. Once Cutters broke the stalemate, momentum shifted decisively in their favour. A stern halftime discussion from Ed Lilburne and Matt Ireson clarified the game plan and addressed mistakes. The team that emerged for the second half displayed a completely different attitude and energy. Glen Nadin proved most valuable after arriving late and watching the first half from the sideline. He identified the missing elements and came on firing in the second half, bringing the energy Cutters desperately needed. The forwards improved their ball handling significantly, enabling the backs to spread play wide to the outside backs who crossed the line consistently. Tom O'Rafferty gained massive metres down the sideline, supported by Oli Cameron who delivered another stellar performance at fullback. Cameron's evolution from his former wing role was evident, as he helped young apprentice Jack Shand build confidence on the wing.

Together they retained possession and broke Tumut's defensive line after numerous long kicks downfield. Cameron crossed the line alongside Digby Lilburne, who despite missing his regular centre partner Harry Agar, worked effectively with Andrew Garvey. Garvey smartly drew in Tumut defenders, creating space for Lilburne to crash through the line. The final try came from Will Nadin, who earned his score with an excellent break through the middle. The Tumut defence couldn't lay hands on the elusive and determined footwork of the man of the match. Mel Graham deserves special mention for stepping into the number 10 jersey for the first half, delivering several excellent kicks downfield for field position that nearly converted to tries. The veteran also showed his love for gutsy one-on-one tackles in defence. Rupert Lilburne emerged as one of the day's best forwards, showing great leadership when communication was lacking. He stepped up to lead by example, spearheading the defensive effort that rallied his teammates. Final score: Cutters 31 defeated Tumut 0. Tries: Angus Helps, Tom O'Rafferty, Oli Cameron, Digby Lilburne, Will Nadin. Conversions: Digby Lilburne 3/5. Player points: Will Nadin three, Oli Cameron two, Reece Miller one. Player's player: Rupert Lilburne. Following the Tumut victory, the boys rested for several hours while watching the women's netball (Marcus's victory) and second XV rugby (Cutter's victory) before the much-anticipated first XV clash against Marcus Oldham College. After last year's defeat that saw the trophy travel south to Geelong for the first time in its history, Cutters were eager to see it returned to Hay. With much the same team that faced Tumut, the stiff and sore side assured each other there would be no excuses, and this would prove as good a performance as any despite the quick turnaround. The opening 15 minutes proved incredibly tough as Cutters discovered this inexperienced group of agricultural students were tough, drilled and determined. After little progress, Cutters finally found their answer through forward Nature Karatau-te Kuru, who made a blitzing run through Marcus's forwards and crashed over the line. With the score only slightly favouring Cutters at halftime, uncertainty remained about which way the pendulum would swing.

The much fresher Marcus side was ready to go while the stiff Cutters team was keen to make a statement with the double victory. In the second half, with the crowd stretching from try line to try line, the atmosphere couldn't have been higher. A great half of football saw Marcus get points on the board after a well-earned try, working the ball downfield before their winger converted. Cutters retaliated with three tries throughout the half. In the final 10 minutes, Marcus were punished by huge hits from the lethal shoulders of Andrew Garvey and Digby Lilburne. To Marcus's credit, they kept bringing the ball up hard through some gutsy forwards, with one nearly finishing Hugo Fraser who was steamrolled by their monster forward. With the game set for a Cutters victory, Marcus finished with a great play in the final moments. They worked the ball well in Cutters' 22 and scored a try in the game's final play. Final score: Cutters 24 defeated Marcus Oldham College 10. Match points: Oli Cameron 3, Rupert Lilburne 2, Nature Karatau-te Kuru. Player's player: Hugo Fraser.