After a break of 2 years Origin was back with a return to Petersfield RFC for this year’s contest. It was a sunny but breezy day for the match played on a hard dusty playing service due to the recent spell of very dry weather. 39 players were named across the two squads with only about 25% having played in previous Origin fixtures with coaches Darren Bamford for the Blues and Silivenuisi ‘B’ Buinimasi for the Maroons taking charge for the first time.
Referee Dennis Nowell from UKAF Refs Society, no stranger to the intensity of this fixture got the game underway and soon had his hands full as the big hits came in from the minute 1. The game remained scoreless for 15 minutes as the sides got the measure of each other before the first points were posted. Blues hooker Tyler Leighton crossed to the left of the posts and with a neat conversion by Callum Cone it was 6:0. The action was unrelenting and after a lot of pressure the Maroons tied the game up, 2nd row Nathan Lee marked his last game in the service with a well taken try which was converted by Jack Cone. The score remained level for the shortest time as the Wests defence failed to deal with the restart, the ball bouncing awkwardly on the rock hard surface and Blues left wing Nathan Nunes touched down for the score left of the posts, no conversion this time but the Blues had their noses in front again. The game continued at a ferocious pace with both sides having their chances but it was the Maroons who posted the next score, Fergie Donaldson gathering a loose ball touching down to bring his side level again and with Jack Cone being on target again the Wets had the lead as half time approached. There was time however for another score this time for the Easts, Jack Bartlett pounced on a neat grubber kick which beat the Wests defence, Callum Cone made no mistake with his conversion and that completed the scoring for the first 40. A breathless full on physical encounter, if not technically perfect, provided great entertainment for the spectators in the stand.
The second half was underway for barely 3 minutes when replacement Joe O’Hanlon finished well out wide to the Blues left extending his sides lead to 20:12. Despite the missed conversion this early score seemed to knock the Wests back and although they competed well, they couldn’t manage to get back on terms. As the match approached on the final quarter probably the crucial score came for the Blues, a couple of back-to-back penalty’s got them close in, hooker Leighton finishing off the move to bag his second of the night, an excellent conversion from Callum Cone saw his side 14 points to the good at 26:12. The Wests continued to fight to get back on terms but it was not to be, the Blues defended well keeping the opposition from scoring. The final score of the night was arguably the best of the lot, the Blues made good ground through midfield but the Wests defence held out well until Leighton put a beautifully weighted kick to the corner, Easts right wing Roko Kurusassa won the aerial battle and scooted round almost behind the posts to make Cones final conversion of the night straight forward 32:12 with 10 to go. That was it for the scoring and Ref Nowell’s whistle brought a bruising physical but thrilling match to an end, the Blues retaining the trophy to make it 13 wins to 5 in the Origin fixtures.
Man Of The Match trophies were presented by Mr Richard Powell from Origin sponsors QinetiQ to Wests Prop Elliot Richardson who racked up a huge amount of minutes on the field and was strong in both attack and defence. Hooker Tyler Leighton took the Easts man of the match having had a great game at dummy half as well as bagging two try’s. Last presentation of the night was of course the Origin trophy, again presented by Richard Powell who handed over the Cup to Easts skipper Danny Johnson.
Huge thanks to Stu Barden and all at Petersfield RFC for hosting once again and providing a great venue for us
Easts: Ben Chambers, Tu Roko Kurusassa, Jack Bartlett, Danny Dainty, Nathan Nunes, Eli Steinberg, Callum Cone (vc) James Parry, Tyler Leighton, Connor Moore, Sam Sims, Danny Johnson (C), Charlie Mattison. Joe O’Hanlon, Eden Quantock, Marika Tuinabunawa, Jonny Griffiths, Jack Broxton, Kylem Cross, Josh Harvey
Scorers: T Leighton (2), Nunes, Bartlett, O’Hanlon, Kurusassa
G. Callum Cone (4 con)
Wests: Sean Houghton, Mike Keegan, Fergus Donaldson, Gavin Duffy (C), Harry Vorwerg, Jack Cone, Kieron Halcrow, Joe Sampson, Josh Bertman, Elliot Richardson, Stirling Hewson, Joey Sugden (vc), Ben Taylor, Bryce Pickering, Nathan Bell, Nathan Lee, Michael Coopey, Gabe Ellis, Jack Franklin

Scorers: T Lee, Donaldson
G Jack Cone (2 con)

A couple of quotes from the victorious Blues camp
Danny Johnson – “Back to back Origin champs, some bloody game that was 80 mins in the middle of a meaty one, Certainly gonna miss this fixture when I’m gone”
Danny Dainty - "Origin lived up to the expectation, what a feeling, some group we’ve got here”
James Parry – “There something not quite right about knocking lumps out of your mates or 89 minutes but boy what a game it is. To get the win in that Blues Jersey is special”