THEY scored less tries than their opponents but Bathurst Panthers' under 18s side showed on Sunday that what matters at the end of the day is who sits on top of the scoreboard.
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Panthers prevailed 18-16 over rivals St Pat's at Carrington Park despite being outscored four tries to three, but the 100 per cent conversion rate from Haydn Edwards proved valuable.
It was a huge upset success for the Panthers as they picked up their first win of the season in one of the most anticipated matchups of their regular season.
Finals might be out of the equation for the boys in black but that didn't stop them from turning up in a big way against Pat's, turning around a 28-12 defeat they suffered to the Saints earlier in the year.
The match went try for try before the Panthers scored the last try of the game with eight minutes remaining to get a confidence building win.
After several years of dominant 18s teams coming through the ranks this season's Panthers side, full of bottom-age players, are testing themselves against more experienced opponents before they make a return to the team in 2024.
Stand-in coach and Peter McDonald Premiership skipper Jake Betts said it was great to see the team fight hard against their biggest rivals.
"It was great for the boys. They've been struggling a bit this year but they're a good bunch of kids and they're been trying really hard at training and it was great to see them get a result - especially in the local derby," he said.
"We train as a whole club, 18s through to first grade, so I'm always around the boys and working with them.
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"Last year a lot of our 18s were top age and have progressed into reserve grade, and some into first grade, and there were probably only two or three in that team who stayed in 18s, so a lot of the team are bottom age.
"It's always going to be tough when the majority of your team are bottom age, so they'll all be better for it."
The result has seen Orange CYMS leap St Pat's into third on the Group 10 ladder.
It also means the Saints aren't quite safe just yet in their fight for a spot inside the top eight with three games to play.
Their upcoming game against Mudgee Dragons (who sit four points behind Pat's) this weekend shapes up as an important contest.
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Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
