A CONVERTED try to prop Tim McKinnon four minutes from fulltime enabled Wauchope to claw back the lead in a high quality Group Three Rugby League under 18 grand final against Old Bar at Port Macquarie.
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The Blues then sealed the deal when clever five-eighth Curtly Scott slotted a field goal to give the Blues a 27-24 victory.
However, the young Pirates side, with six players backing up from the under 16 grand final played the previous day, lost no admirers with their display.
It was a great grand final featuring two sides laden with attacking weapons.
Old Bar trailed 20-8 at halftime but dominated much of the second half to eventually whittle away at the lead. A try to impressive centre Nathan Napier - one of the under 16 contingent - saw the Pirates grab the lead at 24-20 after Isaac Worboys landed the conversion.
Old Bar had fought their way into the grand final from the elimination semi, where they won with just 11 players. But a couple of errors in the time remaining spelt the end to their fairytale run.
Five-eighth Worboys had a mighty game for the Pirates as did workaholic lock Sam Rowsell, who must have gone close to winning the player of the match award. Fullback Jayden Baker was again dangerous in attack while Napier proved to be a handful for the defence when introduced into the game from the bench.
Old Bar had a great start when Rowsell help up a pass for second rower Eddie Eggins to crash over. The conversion was astray and Wauchope quickly hit back with converted tries to centre Lachlan Binskin and winger Jonathon Ostler to open a 12-4 lead.
Worboys did the lead up work for an unconverted try to second rower Shannon Mullay but the Blues had the final say with tries to second rower Kobi Hugen and William Baker. At 20-8 the Blues were looking too big and too fast for the Pirates.
That's not how it panned out. Tries to Jake Hazard, Logan Simms and Napier and two goals to Worboys shot Old Bar to a 24-20 lead with time ticking away. But there was no panic in the Wauchope camp and they managed to hit back and secure the premiership.
Wauchope second rower Hugen was named player of the match.
Wauchope 27 (William Baker, Lachlan Binskin, Kobi Hugen, Tim McKinnon, Johnathon Ostler tries, Curtley Scott 3 goals, field goal) defeated Old Bar 24 (Eddie Eggins, Jake Hazard, Shannon Mulllay, Nathan Napier, Logan Simms tries, Issac Worboys 3 goals).
