The air buzzed with a sense of finality. The last home game of the regular season, a clash with the Young Yabbies, was more than just a match—it was a statement. With a finals campaign looming, the Cootamundra Tri-Colours were determined to prove their mettle, and under a rare, full-strength lineup, the intent was etched on every player’s face.
The whistle blew, and the Tri-Colours launched into a brutal, physical first half. Coach Phil Gay’s words echoed in their ears: “Play through them.” The big Coota pack hit the rucks and mauls with a ferocity that seemed to take the Yabbies by surprise. It was a controlled aggression, however, a calculated application of force designed to dominate possession and territory.
The crowd roared its approval as the home team established an early foothold deep in Young’s half. It was in this period of sustained pressure that the first cracks in the Yabbies’ defence began to show. The ever-incisive halfback, Geoff Viligia, orchestrated the attack with a master’s touch, his crisp passes and clever kicks keeping Young on the back foot. It was only fitting that he was the one to cap off a series of punishing phases, darting through a gap near the ruck for the Tri-Colours’ first try.
The cheers were deafening, and Hamish Pennington’s conversion sliced through the uprights, putting Coota up by seven.
The Tri-Colours didn’t ease up. They continued to use their size advantage to bully their way down the field. The game was far from clean, however, with tempers flaring and a yellow card being shown to Young’s Johannes Uaisele, followed shortly by Coota’s own Tautus Autagavaia for an infringement. Despite the back-and-forth sin-binnings, Cootamundra held firm.
A few minutes later, Autagavaia, clearly fired up, atoned for his error with a powerful, unstoppable charge for the try line, rumbling through two defenders to score. Pennington missed the conversion, but the lead was growing.
Before the half was out, the Tri-Colours scored once more. A sweeping backline movement, initiated by Viligia, created space on the wing for Jack Hogan to charge over. It was a display of both brute force and sublime execution. Two more penalty goals from the trusty boot of Hamish Pennington, and the scoreboard told a commanding tale: a 22-0 lead for Cootamundra at the halftime siren.
As the players trudged to the sheds, the mood was one of quiet satisfaction and focus. The first half had been a physical master-class, exactly as Phil Gay had planned.
The second half began just as the first had ended, with Cootamundra on the attack. The crowd held its breath as a fluid attacking move sent Faavesi Tamdii over the line for his first try of the afternoon. The conversion was good, and suddenly, the lead was 28-0. The game was sealed. Coach Gay, with a watchful eye on the coming finals, saw his chance. Key players were given a well-earned rest, allowing a fresh wave of reserves to enter the fray and get valuable minutes on the paddock. The shift in personnel provided a small window of opportunity for the Young Yabbies.
Refusing to go down without a fight, they managed to string together their best attacking phase of the game. It was a moment of pride for them as Johannes Uaisele crashed over the line to score their only try. The conversion was good, and the scoreboard read 28-7. But the momentum was short-lived. A red card was brandished for Charlie Sullivan of Young for an off-the-ball incident, and with the man advantage, Coota was able to cruise to victory.
Even with a rotated squad, the Tri-Colours were relentless. Faavesi Tamdii, having already made an impact, grabbed his second try of the game, a reward for his tireless work. Aloalii Setu followed suit, capping off the scoring with a try that put the final nail in the coffin for the Yabbies. The final score of 42-7 was a testament to a complete team performance.
As the final whistle blew, a sense of elation and relief washed over the Tri-Colours. The boys had earned a well-deserved win, and the post-game analysis from Coach Gay was glowing. “It was really good,” he said. “It was the first time in my two years of coaching we’ve put a full-strength side on the paddock, and we certainly set the win up in the first half.”
He was quick to praise his standout performers, singling out the half-back Geoff Viligia as “outstanding” and naming second-rower Dan Dowson as the Players’ Player. But even in victory, the focus was already shifting. Next week loomed large on the horizon: the Harden Devils. “It will be massive,” Gay said, a note of serious anticipation in his voice. “It will be the toughest game of the year. Harden at Harden is probably as tough as it gets.”
The coach spoke of the tactical battle ahead, the clash of Coota’s “bigger side” against Harden’s “lighter mobile pack.” He emphasised the need for discipline and focus on the “simple things” like staying on side and proper ruck entry.
The day belonged to the Cootamundra Tri-Colours. They had secured a dominant victory, marched on to the finals, and emerged unscathed with no injuries.
The win against Young was the perfect springboard, a show of force and a declaration of intent. The path to the grand final was clear, and the boys were ready for the fiery challenge that awaited them in Harden, come Saturday, 3:15 pm.
– Tully Potts
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