NRC 2017 Round 3 : Brisbane City vs Canberra Vikings, Sunday 17 September 1pm

[Brumby Jack]

Vikings

1. Harry Lloyd
2. Robbie Abel
3. Les Leuluailii-Makin
4. Darcy Swain
5. Sam Carter
6. Ben Hyne
7. Tom Cusack (c)
8. Rob Valetini
9. Joe Powell
10. Wharenui Hawera
11. Ben Johnston
12. James Dargaville
13. Andrew Robinson
14. Andrew Muirhead
15. Tom Banks

16. Folau Fainga'a
17. Faalelei Sione
18. Joel Penders
19. Angus Allen
20. Lolo Faka’osilea
21. Ryan Lonergan
22. Liam Moseley
23. Len Ikitau

 

[Brumby Jack]

Brisbane City

1. Tonga Ma’afu – Norths (Brisbane City run-on debut)
2. Andrew Ready (C) – Reds/Easts
3. Sam Talakai – Reds/Brothers
4. Lukhan Tui – Reds/Souths
5. Kane Douglas – Reds/Norths
6. Pat Morrey – University of Queensland (Brisbane City run-on debut)
7. Michael Gunn – Reds/Easts
8. Michael Richards – GPS (Brisbane City run-on debut)
9. Moses Sorovi – Reds/University of Queensland
10. Quade Cooper – Reds/Souths
11. Ed Fidow – Wests
12. AJ Alatimu – GPS
13. Chris Kuridrani – Reds/GPS
14. Dylan Riley – Bond University (NRC debut)
15. Jayden Ngamanu – Reds/Souths

16. Maile Ngauamo – Souths
17. Markus Vanzati – Reds/Souths
18. Feao Fotuaika – Sunnybank
19. Jeremiah Lynch – Wests
20. Reece Hewat - Reds/Norths
21. Issak Fines-Leleiwasa – Sunnybank
22. Alex Horan – University of Queensland
23. Junior Laloifi – Sunnybank

 

[Brumby Runner]

A couple of strong sides named again. Vikings with 7 regular Super Rugby players and City with 6. The balance of the game could be determined by the relative strengths of the local rugby competitions. Home advantage will also count.

 

[Slim 293]

I look forward to seeing how Lloyd goes up against Talakai.........

He got the better of Faulkner last week.......... potential Brumbies contract to follow this year? Or are we already too stacked with props?

 

[Ash]

28 - 21 to City at half time. City's had most of the ball but the Vikings have run beautifully through some porous looking City defence, including a classic 80m try from a kick return.

City had a try on half time thanks to a dominant scrum, was close to a penalty try but no. 8 Richards dived over after the fourth or so scrum broke up on the line.

Close game so far. Worrying part for City is some porous looking defence and inaccuracy in the breakdown. Cooper's been brilliant on attack but caught out in his positioning on defence a few times. Tui and Gunn have been prominant in the pack, Alatimu and Kurindrani have made some nice breaks at the back, mostly wasted as the Vikings have been getting over the ball really really well.

Vikings will need to shore up their set piece, lineout throwing has been well off and their scrum was getting shunted on half time.

 

[Ash]

Abel's not throwing into the lineout in the second half. Instead he was first receiver to Banks who breaks a tackle and scores a cracking try.

City hit back very quickly, Korczyk, who's been really busy since he came on, forces a turnover and Cooper goes wide eventually to Fidow who burns on, breaks another then pops to Alatimu to score.

It's then the Vikings turn to get one back, wide to Muirhead who scoots down the touch line, then popped back in to Powell. Hawera misses the first kick of the day, 35 - 33 to City with 55 gone.

 

[Ash]

Tui lifts a ball carrier off the ground and just holds him till the ref calls maul. Second time he's tried it, but he holds on this time.

 

[Ash]

City, through Ready, go over from a 7m rolling maul. Cooper converts from out wide. 42 - 33 65 gone.

 

[Ash]

Tui tries it again, but this times drops him (safely) but it's a penalty for not putting the tackled player down.

 

[Ash]

Douglas disrupts a maul close to the line, City go wide through Fidow again but this time Banks drags him down about 20 out and Cooper's cross field chip gets charged down.

 

[Ash]

Fidow and Korczyk have been very handy for City in the second half.

 

[Ash]

5 minutes to go and Vikings have been hot on attack for the last 5 minutes but the improved City defence is (barely) holding on.

 

[Ash]

Douglas send to the bin for repeated maul indiscretions 5m out.

Clock says about 4 to go, but hasn't been working for a while.

With Douglas off, Vikings call a scrum.

 

[Ash]

Messy off the back of the scrum, Vikings can't hold on, Hewat can break away but can't hold on and Vikings get it back 20m out. It goes inside, outside wide to Dargaville and he crashes over in the corner.

Lonegan kicks it from touch. 42 - 40 to City with about 1 minute to go.

 

[Ash]

Fantastic restart from Cooper, Vikings can't handle, City reclaim through Kuridrani. He pops inside but a Vikings hand knocks the ball down and out. Penalty to City. Cooper takes the tap and kicks it out.

Great, close game. City win 42 - 40, kick a single conversion in it with 6 tries apiece.

Vikings had the ball for maybe 90%+ of the last 15 minutes but could just manage one try too late to come back.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Thought Tui, Douglas and Gunn had great games in the forwards for City. Quade threw some spectacular wide passes. Passes that make the man run to the hole. Amazing skill that very few in league or union have. I was also impressed with the Vikings back three. Ben Johnston has a huge boot. Great game of rugby and a great day out with the Aon uni 7s.

 

[HJ Nelson]

Photos from Brisbane City v Canberra Vikings

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[Dan54]

Thought Tui, Douglas and Gunn had great games in the forwards for City. Quade threw some spectacular wide passes. Passes that make the man run to the hole. Amazing skill that very few in league or union have. I was also impressed with the Vikings back three. Ben Johnston has a huge boot. Great game of rugby and a great day out with the Aon uni 7s.

Couldn't agree more about a good game of rugby Jimmy, only concern from game to me was Brisbane's defence in middle of field, had thought the same after watching them play the Drua first up. As you say a great day out at rugby is a great bonus at this time of year!!

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Couldn't agree more about a good game of rugby Jimmy, only concern from game to me was Brisbane's defence in middle of field, had thought the same after watching them play the Drua first up. As you say a great day out at rugby is a great bonus at this time of year!!

NRC is kind of like GPS rugby. All attack no little defense.It also doesnt help having a bloke who has played fly half all season defending at 12 with a winger (and renowned rubbish defender) playing 13. Against Fiji Quade got smoked for pace a couple of times but his defense has been Quade standard (gets run over or bumped off but slows them down enough for someone to tackle them thrown in with a strip and the rare decent shot).

 

[Dan54]

NRC is kind of like GPS rugby. All attack no little defense.It also doesnt help having a bloke who has played fly half all season defending at 12 with a winger (and renowned rubbish defender) playing 13. Against Fiji Quade got smoked for pace a couple of times but his defense has been Quade standard (gets run over or bumped off but slows them down enough for someone to tackle them thrown in with a strip and the rare decent shot).

Agree Jimmy, but hell I am enjoying going to games so much more this year, maybe I identifying with Brisbane players, but also scoring is what I understand (no bloody 6 point tries etc), and as you say Quade is doing standard Quade defending which is what we expect. Looking forward to next game at home.