NRC 2016 SF2: Rays v Spirit

[Lindommer]

Spirit clear back up towards halfway, Rays press to inside Spirit half and cough up penalty. Good kick, lineout on Rays 22m line. Clinical catch, win penalty at following ruck. Rays look rattled, silly slap from Dempsey, cops cheese.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Cheese for Jack Dempsey throwing Gilbert away. 14 vs 14.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Tessman meat pie from lineout rolling maul.

Rays 16 Spirit 36 after the conversion is successful. 51 minutes.

Rays playing like Manly in this years Shute Shield. Start with a hiss and a roar, and then peter out.

 

[Lindommer]

Spirit win 5m lineout, march over and score 7m in from touch. 16-36 about 15mins gone. Rays have to up both physicality and execution to get back into this.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

He's human after all. Simone knocks on.

Fitzpatrick subbed off. Hilterbrand on. 55 minutes gone.

 

[Lindommer]

Subs rolling on, Hilterbrand and O'Connor for the Rays. Let's hope they can stir something up for the local lads. Scrum to Spirit on Rays 22m line, they lose next maul 8m out from Rays line.

 

[Lindommer]

Magnificent passage of play from the Rays on the far side, nice interpassing between Lucas and Sinclair, play breaks down just inside Spirit 22m.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Tessman off, Rangi on for Spirit.
Louwrens off, Ruru on.

Meakes back from Naughty boys chair.

Allcock is done for the day with a sore knee.

De Wet Roos is on at halfback. Lucas moves to BSF.

 

[Lindommer]

Tessman and a few others given a breather by the Spirit. They clear play back up to the halfway line. Play stops for an injury, about 20mins gone. Alcock off wounded, Roos on.

 

[Lindommer]

Rays back holds ball and gets pinged right in front of us, lineout back on the Rays 22m, Spirit attack 10m out, hold ball back and forth, and then knock it on. Scrum to Rays 7m out right in front. Dempsey back on, hard to see Rays getting back into this, Spirit full of running and too physical.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Spirit Sub. Ainsley off, Shambeckler Vui on at THP. 61 minutes gone.

 

[kiap]

Lucas at flanker for the Rays?

 

[Lindommer]

Rays haven't been out of their half the last 10mins. Scrum to Rays in their half, very slow scrum, Rays eventually win it, and a penalty. Tap, run into Spirit half and cough up the ball. Nice kick to 6m out from Rays line.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Rays attack is a little one dimensional and they are unable to pile pressure on through multiple phases of possession.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Rays have jumped the shark, or is it a bridge too far?

2016 Final will not be a NSW v NSW affair.

10 minutes to go. Rays trail by 20 points.

 

[Lindommer]

Play STILL in Rays half. they knock the ball on, scrum to Spirit.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The Woolfman gets meat for the Rays.

Simone wakes up and bakes a half break, passes to Jones who dances upfield and offloads to the Woolfman to scoot away for the meat. Dropkick conversion and suddenly it is Rays 24 Perth 36 8 minutes to go.

Morahan off and Arimu on for the Spirit.

 

[Lindommer]

This Spirit side believe in themselves and play for each other. They hold the ball for, about, 10 phases with good passing. And then drop it, Rays pass it wide, score under the posts. 24-36, about 8mins to go.

 

[kiap]

She's not over yet

 

[Lindommer]

Once again Spirit hold the ball in the Rays half for 10 phases, but knock it on.