Under 13s were first to play in their elimination semi against Orange City. 

Our starting half-back Harry Taylor was a late scratching leaving our boys a little unsettled. 

Orange came out firing right from the kick-off. They were very impressive and seemed to overwhelm our boys punching holes though our line time and time again. 

It only took 11 minutes for Orange to post the first points with a converted try and it looked as though there would be more of the same. 

The Redbacks managed to turn the tide with some desperate try-saving tackles from Noah Cox and Sam McCarroll. 

Barton Redfern then made a bullocking run and planted the ball however the conversion was unsuccessful. 

Orange scored and converted again in the 16th minute, then in the 17th minute in an instant replay, City scored again and our crowd fell silent. Noah Cox bought them back to life when he scored out wide on the cusp of half-time leaving the score Orange 19, Wellington 10. 

After half-time the Redbacks responded with a try from Sam McCarroll which Keiren Baker converted and it was game on. A long period of desperate defence followed and Orange attacked our little winger Xander Harris thinking he was a weak link but it was a link they couldn’t break. 

Tired defence saw City score wide of the posts and the game looked to be gone. 

Wellington through everything they had at the Orange line, mothers cried as the baby Redbacks put their bodies on the line the full time hooter sounded and Logan Conn crashed through to score, it was Orange 24 Wellington 22 the conversion would take us into extra time but it wasn’t meant to be and Wellington bowed out for the season.

Under 15s also took on Orange City in the major semi final meaning the winner would go straight through to the grand final, Wellington have been ravaged by injury in the last month and could barely field a side leaving them with no reserves. Big front rower Tom Broome is the saddest tale of all as he has missed the last three years of semi finals due to serious injury. For the first 16 minutes nobody had given an inch and it looked like this game would go right down to the wire, Orange then scored which was nothing to panic about but then as in the previous game the 17th minute proved to be our black spot as we watched our star five eight Jake Styles come from the field with a serious shoulder injury the shock reverberated across the field and through the Wellington crowd. Full credit to Orange who in the true spirit of rugby lent us a player and the boys soldiered on. An heroic Styles had his shoulder strapped and did return to the field later in the game knowing his team needed him thats Redback tough. The Orange coaches must have looked at the 5 nil score line at half time wondering why they hadn’t registed more points. There players would probably have the answers written in the bruises around there ribs that the likes of Jordan Evison and Tom Swanston had left on them. The second half saw the sheer weight of fresh Orange reserves start to wear our boys down but resilient as they have been all year our boys just wouldn’t lay down, a special mention must go to Shannon Mitchell and Matt Maher who were way to good to have been in a beaten side. Final score Orange 19 Wellington 0 

Under 15s will be back in action at Bathurst this weekend for their do or die elimination final

Under 17s played Mudgee Wombats in what turned out to be a true dog fight in every sense of the word. For half of these boys it would be there last game in junior rugby and at this age they are loaded with testosterone and think they are bullet proof. The defence was so tenacious that it was right on the eve of half time before a single point was scored. Every time either side made a break defenders just kept turning up and pumbelling them into the ground. Our loose forwards Kurt Stokes, Mitch Parkes and captain Zac Mcmannus just kept dishing out the punishment as if it had been ordered by the courts. Half time score was Mudgee 5 Wellington 0. Unfortunately 5 mins after the break Mudgee scored again the conversion was unsuccessful , this would be the last time Mudgee troubled the scorer but there defence remained steadfast. Wellington tried everything they ran at them kicked over them and even ran over them at times our backs started to come into the play with some hard running and clever ball skills particulary by our two brilliant centres Ethan Brien and Nash Forgione. Finally some luck came our way with a penalty around the 30 metre mark. Cool heads prevailed and the Redbacks elected to take the kick Henry Redfern stepped up with his size 14 clogs and punched the ball straight between the sticks leaving Wellington needing a converted try to level. The Redback crowd came back to life and for the next ten minutes we were kept on the edge of our seats, It was all Wellington for this period of play but the they could not bridge the gap bowing out for the season leaving the final score of Mudgee 10 Wellington 3 .

Saturday our Under 15’s will be taking the rugby bus to play Dubbo Blue in Bathurst bus will be leaving McDonald’s at 7.15am on Saturday morning so be at McDonald’s by 7.00am.

Under 11s will also be taking the rugby bus to Trangie on Sunday for their final carnival.

The Under 7’s & Under 9’s will also be travelling to Trangie on Sunday for their final carnival of the season.

Presentation night will be held at the Bowling Club on Sunday 8th Sep at 5 pm

Kennys not so excited