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In front of around 2000 fans, the Cats’ 20-year old Nick Isbrandtsen scored a scintillating game-winning try in the dying stages of the game to seal a dramatic victory for the defending champions. He torched the Bulls with a 40-meter dash to the try zone inside the final three minutes of the contest.
In the end, the winning margin was four tries to three, although things were all locked up at 18-18 with just a few minutes left in regulation after the Bulls had taken advantage of repeat infringements by the Cats to get back on even par when David Niu booted a tough conversion to tie the scores.
The game started at a frenetic pace with the Wildcats scoring the opening try of the Grand Final off their first set of six. Damien O’Malveney, who was one of their star players all season long, dished to Danny Bull on the fifth tackle and he offloaded sweetly to Pittman who did the rest, and with the successful conversion, the Cats were quickly on top 6-0. Minutes later they were in again, this time hooker Doug Cahill crashed over the line to set up a 12-0 lead after the conversion.
Not long after, both O’Malveney and Bull left the field with injuries, and the Bulls sniffed an opportunity. Within the space of a few minutes they put in two tries of their own, one was converted, to close the gap to 12-10. A David Niu penalty goal then tied the scores at 12-12 just before halftime. On the last play of the first half, Cats’ skipper Tim Gee put in a deft kick ahead that rolled nicely for Bull, who was back in the game, and he touched down in the try zone for a 16-12 halftime lead to Connecticut.
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The second forty was very punishing with both teams laying on some bone-jarring hits that thrilled the crowd. The Cats kicked an early penalty goal to increase their lead to 18-12, but the never-say-die Bulls roared back with their third try to again lock things up at 18 apiece. Then, with just three minutes to go, the youngster Isbrandtsen produced his moment of magic that clinched the national title for the Wildcats.
“It could have gone either way,” Danny Bull of the Cats told ARN. “We lost our pattern through injuries to guys, and the Bulls played to their strengths. It was a true test of what our team is made of.
“The boys are thrilled. We had five guys on the field who were under 21 and for them to step up to the plate like they did was fantastic. And of course, one of those guys scored the match-winner in the last minute of the game.”
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