ALBURY five-eighth Richard Manion starred for City Rams as they dominated Country Redbacks in the men's curtain-raiser at Equex on Saturday night.
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With the game featuring the best players from across the Southern Inland competition, City proved far too slick for their rivals.
Boasting big names from the four Wagga clubs - Waratahs, Ag College, CSU and Wagga City - plus Albury and Junee, the City team came away with a 40-7 win.
It was a rare representative appearance for Manion, but he led the show, heavily involved in most of the scoring opportunities for the Rams.
The timing of other representative fixtures has been an issue in the past, but Manion was more than happy to put his hand up for the early game to start the season.
"Luckily it wasn't too hot but it was good fun and a good way to start off the year," Manion said.
City won the territory battle as well as dominating possession and where it matters the most - on the scoreboard.
The Rams got off to the best of starts when Albury hooker Tom Boyle crossed after two minutes.
Boyle was on the end of a swift move by the Rams, who pounced on a Country mistake inside their 22.
Manion then burst through a gap off a penalty tap and the ball went through three teammates before Ag College's Tanian Naude scored adjacent to the posts.
Returning Albury fullback James Olds slotted both conversions to give City a 14-0 at the first break.
The Rams continued where they left off in the second third as an inside flick pass from Manion found Liam Krautz inside the 22 before he went over to score.
Country did get on the board after Griffith's Semisi Rogoyawa scooted down the sideline before sending Hay's Will Nadin over to score.
Keeping in contact with a 7-all third, the Redbacks made one final push in the final segment of the game, but it was their rivals who powered away.
Two minutes in Albury's Ash Leferve scored, before the livewire Waratahs fullback scored a double late in the game for the 33-point win.
With the Redbacks boasting eight players from Griffith's premiership side Manion was expecting a tough game.
However, the Rams' speed came to the fore as they continued to find spaces in the defensive line.
"I know a fair few guys in the Country side and when I turned up and saw their forward pack I thought it might have been a bit of a tougher day but we were able to run away with it in the end," Manion said.
"We played with a fair bit of pace, which was probably the difference."
