THE Forbes Platypi booked a Blowes Clothing Cup major semi-final date with Orange Emus by downing Dubbo Kangaroos by 11 points at Grinsted Oval on Saturday, thanks to an intelligent, clinical second half showing.
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Forbes led 12-8 at half-time after a topsy-turvy opening period in which the lead changed four times, before turning it on in the second half to put Roos to bed.
Forbes continually turned Dubbo around with pinpoint attacking kicks, dominating field position and forcing the Kangaroos to play the majority of the second period in their own half.
Forbes’ defensive effort in the second half was sublime too.
As a result, the Platypi outscored Dubbo 17-10 in the second half, but it simply wasn’t that close in the final 40 minutes.
The victory earned Forbes another crack at minor premiers Orange Emus and a chance to host the 2016 grand final, should they win that major final.
For Roos, they’ll host next weekend’s sudden death minor semi-final.
“Getting another crack at Emus was a motivating factor,” Forbes skipper Jack Hammond, who scored a double in the win, said.
“We knew it was going to be tough, but [Dubbo is] a big rock and we just wanted to chip away at it. We knew we had to get into the grind to get away with it [on Saturday] and I think we did that really well.
“Every time we put points on it came from our defence.
“Emus will be fresh after having the week off, but I think you want to be playing as much rugby as possible at this stage of the year.”
Elimination Semi Final
In the Elimination Semi Final the Bathurst Bulldogs have scored 39 second half points to complete one of the best Blowes Clothing Cup comebacks in history, knocking Orange City out of the 2016 title race.
Down 27-0 at half-time and then 34-12 during the second period at Ashwood Park, the hosts clawed their way back to 34-all, Kurt Weekes’ penalty goal right on full-time sending the elimination semi-final into extra-time.
The first five minutes went scoreless, before Izaac Breen left his mark on the match with a barnstorming run, line-break and then offload to old All Saints schoolmate Adam Plummer, the flying Bulldogs winger icing the memorable win for the Bathurst club.
“It’s probably the best feeling I’ve ever had on the footy field … it’s what footy is all about,” Plummer said.
“Breeny is an old school mate … he’s one of the best ball runners in the competition, so you’ve got to be on his inside. He was good enough to get it off, all I had to do was put it down – what an amazing feeling to win.”
That feeling would have been the furthest thing from Plummer’s mind at the half-time break.
The Bulldogs will travel to Dubbo to take on the Kangaroos next weekend.