NSW I 22 – Queensland I 20
by “The Spaceman”
It was a picturesque setting at St Ignatius College Oval Number One this afternoon for the final of the Australian Schoolboy Rugby Championships. Around a thousand had gathered for the State or Origin clash that did not disappoint.
The freezing wind that ran down the ground on Thursday had disappeared and it was still, cool and dry as both teams ran-out onto the paddock at 12:45pm. For New South Wales I (NSW), Max Girdler (19) started in place of Gittoes (6) and Blaise Barnes (23) got the nod over Latu (11).
First half
Queensland I (QLD) kicked off first toward the Century scoreboard end, with NSW lock Ryan McCauley (5) leaping high and snagging one of his signature takes.
The early stages were tense, with a few errors form both sides providing half-chances on the counterattack. NSW’s Kennewell (13) looked strong with the ball in hand, and flyhalf McGregor (10) again displayed his intelligent kicking game, clearing 30 metres plus to get out of his own territory.
The QLD line-out was below average in the first half, and a great NSW steal had the Reds immediately on the back foot. Quick hands in the backs resulted in Tom Wright (15) in space on the left edge. Slicing through two defenders, he had fellow Joey’s boy Barnes (23) on his outside, but failed to link-up and squandered the best chance of the match thus far.
Luckily, the NSW forwards were quick to the breakdown and powerful in the pick-and-drive. All of a sudden, halfback Goddard (9) had sniped over from close range to hand NSW first blood about nine minutes in. Goddard missed the kick to make it 5 – 0 after ten.
QLD didn’t hang their heads, and looked eager to kickoff and get stuck into the Blues. Blindside flanker Kalala Meni (6) led the charge, aggressively ripping the ball of NSW tighthead Chapman (3) before busting through a few tackles and taking the ball inside the NSW 22. The NSW defence was under pressure and were forced to kill the ball, resulting in a penalty ten metres to the left of the posts. Flyhalf Hamish Stewart (10) stabbed it over.
The score was 5 – 3 NSW after eleven minutes.
Scrappy play ensued for a while and both teams were guilty of ill-discipline and sloppy ball handling. NSW had the edge on possession, with good game control from McGregor (10) and solid defence from McCauley (5) resulting in positive territory.
After a NSW lineout, openside flanker Charlie Smith (7), who had been relatively quiet thus far, snuck through a hole at QLD pillar defence from the base of the ruck. Carving through a disorganised QLD line, Smith drew in three before sending a pearler of a left-to-right pass to a flying Goddard (9) who strolled over under the posts for his second.
12 -3 to NSW about 18 minutes in.
NSW dominated possession for most of the rest of the half. The Blues piggies played a much smarter and team-oriented game, consistently gaining metres over the advantage line and getting QLD on the back foot. The backs seized this opportunity by recognising the space on the edges, and flushing the ball out to the quick men.
Tom Wright (15) was again in on the action, receiving the ball midfield and implementing his trademark jink off the left foot to burn the inside men. Drawing in three defenders, he shoveled a ball out to Sepesa (14) on the right wing, who scurried up touch and outpaced the cover tacklers to dive for a pie in the corner. Goddard couldn’t grab the sideline kick.
NSW 17 – 3, 24 minutes in.
With the game in the balance, QLD stepped up their mongrel in attack, and started to use their pacey men in the centres to question the NSW defence. They pinned NSW down in their own half thanks to a few penalties and dropped balls, looking determined to score before oranges.
Quality phase play off a quick tap caused space on the left edge that fullback Ngamanu (15) exploited. A slick interchange of passing between the fullback and his winger Riley (14) and Ngamanu was in clear space with only cover defence to beat. Despite having options on both the left and right, he didn’t use them and instead was eventually cut down by a flying Sepesa (14), just metres from the line.
NSW conceded a penalty, which could have been a yellow, but all 15 remained on the field. QLD’s quick tap didn’t work out, with NSW’s Smith (7) snaring an epic pilfer and penalty about 30 cm from his own goal line just on halftime.
Half-time score: NSW 17 – Queensland 3.
Second half
I expected NSW to come out and run away with the game in the second half, however QLD had other ideas. They said to NSW, anything you can do, I can do better, and controlled possession and the pace of the game spectacularly. The Reds ended up a 5-metre lineout, and executed a superb move where the ball entered and exited the lineout unbelievably quickly. Hooker Ma’afu (2) was unexpectedly bustling down the sideline to score an easy five-pointer with an impressive dive .
NSW 17 – 8, nine minutes after the break.
QLD rolled on with their momentum, with NSW doing all that they could to slow the game down and control the breakdown. Subsequently, NSW began to be penalised out of the game, as QLD dominated possession and territory. After being held up over the line, QLD quickly converted their position into points, with big lock Zac Shepherd (5) busting over for a meaty just to the right of the posts. Stewart (10) converted.
NSW 17 – 15, 12 minutes into second half.
QLD then played exactly like NSW did after they scored in the first half, managing to hold on to the ball for vast periods of time. Another series of QLD penalties finally took its toll on NSW, as the forwards tired and failed to spread from the ruck.
The ball came to TSS’s Riley (14) who looked to be covered by Joey’s combo Barnes (23) and Wright (15) down the right flank. I’m not sure if it was the fancy footwork or a miscommunication, but Riley surprisingly beat both and fell over the chalk to put QLD in the lead for the first time in the match.
17 – 20, 20 minutes to go.
There were then numerous changes for both sides, most notably for NSW Latu (11) coming on for Barnes (23), Gittoes (6) coming on for Girdler (19), Woods (16) on for Horton (2). Both Queensland props were subbed, as well as MacMillan (20) on for Allen (7).
What everyone on the ground then witnessed was a veritable feast of up-and-coming rugby talent. It was tight and tense at stages and at others completely expansive. You sensed that both teams were not only hungry to win, but also hungry for selection
At one stage it looked all over, as NSW was awarded its first penalty in what seemed like forever, to the cheers of the home crowd. England (12) was on fire, giving a flick ball to a hard and straight running Kennewell (13) on his outside down the right flank, just 22 out. A few phases later and McGregor (10) had split the defence on the other side of the field.
NSW call a scrum off a penalty for a high shot, and devastatingly knocked-it-on at the base, relieving all pressure from QLD. To add insult to injury, they lost the line-out up-field from the QLD clearance kick.
When all seemed lost, NSW’s Johnson-Holmes (1) snagged an opportune turnover just in NSW territory to breathe life back into the Blues. A few phases later and suddenly Wright has all the space in the world and was screaming across the left edge. He popped a ball to a straight-running Kennewell (13) who was cut down agonisingly short of the line in the corner. Wright at the base of the ruck then does the unthinkable and goes to the blindside that at this stage is about 20cm wide.
I have no idea how but Wright wriggled and elbowed his way through about three QLD defenders to slam the ball down over the line with about five minutes remaining. It was an extraordinary decision that luckily…very very luckily… paid off.
NSW 22 – 20—five minutes left.
NSW snagged a penalty off the kickoff, after McCauley again plucked the ball out of the air. Off the following lineout, Wright (15) again got it on the outside on the left edge, but slowed to give a ball to Latu (11). This deceleration meant that the pass went forward and QLD was handed a scrum, just their side of halfway.
Two penalties later and QLD are taking a shot to win the match, after the siren. Stewart (10) would take the kick 42 metres out, ten metres from touch on the right hand side.
Riverview is dead silent as Stewart takes his time over the ball. You can literally almost hear him inhaling and exhaling.
A good strike but it was a touch short and away to the right. Fittingly Goddard (9) catches it and boots it into touch, handing NSW I the championship.
The Players
Won’t make too much of a comment here as the Aussie Schools team has already been announced. I will say that I am surprised that for NSW Smith and Wright didn’t make the 23 and that Piroddi (4) didn’t make the squad. For QLD, Meni (6) was another standout that didn’t make the 23.
However in saying this, the 23 that did make it thoroughly deserve to do so. Goddard (9) was best on ground for me today and I’d tip him to be skipper of the team.
Scoring
NSW I 22 (Goddard 2, Loga-Tarogi, Wright tries, Goddard con.) def QLD I 20 (Ma’afu, Shepherd, Riley tries, Stewart con, pen)
See video highlights of game in Discussion below – courtesy of “sidesteppa”
Click on page 2 below for a report on the curtain-raiser between Qld II and NSW II.
