This years match was hampered by player availability so was not the spectacle normally seen on Origin day. Nonetheless those players who did pull on a shirt be it Blue or Maroon gave a great account of themselves.

Played on the Havant 5G pitch in very hot conditions the game was played in 20 minute quarters. However, with both benches used up the respective coaches James Parry (Easts) and Jack Ray (Wests) spoke with Ref Guy Pallett and it was agreed to call full time at the end of the 3rd Quarter for the welfare of the players.

The game was not completely one way traffic but the Maroons who had suffered most from player availability issues found themselves on the backfoot for most of the game. The trys came at regular intervals throughout the game with Easts MVP, prop Rhys Bartlett bagging a brace with a series of powerful surges through midfield. With a so many try’s scored by his side Easts scrum half Ben Conner has plenty of shots at goal successfully putting over 7 of his 9 attempts.
Leading the Maroons was the returning James Tilley who did his best to marshal his troops aided by their MVP Ollie Bale. It was a tough afternoon all round for the Maroons who lost a couple of players to injury putting more pressure on their bench. Those players on the field fought hard to stem the tide of the Easts attacks with plenty of strong defence.

So, it was not the ‘threepeat’ Wests management team of Luke Warrington and Jack Ray had looked to achieve this year with this latest result stretching the Blues of the Easts a 15-8 lead in the Origin Series

Thanks to Origin Sponsors QinetiQ for their continued support and to Cathy Kane from the company for presenting the trophy to winning skipper Eden Quantock

Once again RNRL is grateful to Havant RFC for the use of their facilities and their great hospitality throughout the event

Pictured are Blues Skipper Eden Quantock and try scorer, full back Danny Dainty