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Brisbane City have claimed the opening match of the 2014 National Rugby Championship with a 45-20 victory against the Sydney Stars at Ballymore.
The Sydney Stars got off to an excellent start and led the match 20-16 at half time, but Brisbane City showed their class in the second half, closing the gap and accelerating to victory.
Nick Frisby and Samuel Kerevi were the stand-outs for Brisbane city, along with the nice finishing from Harry Parker.
A great match that has hopefully set the tone for the rest of the NRC competition.
FINAL SCORE:
Brisbane City – 45
Sydney Stars – 20
The inaugural game of the National Rugby Championship sees Brisbane City host the Sydney Stars at Ballymore. Join The Roar for live commentary and scores from 7:30 pm (AEST).
The ‘Stars’ moniker is seen by some as an overstatement of the Sydney side’s quality, others would simply shrug their shoulders and suggest that no other name was suitable for a team with at least one foot clad in a famous blue and yellow University sock.
Brisbane City is a less turbulent team name, and they are channeling a tradition harking back to 1904 when Brisbane played the British Isles.
Stars head coach Chris Malone has included a number of Waratahs in the first run-on team, and will field an imposing front row featuring Paddy Ryan and Jeremy Tilse.
Pat McCutcheon, captaining the Stars from the side of the scrum, played for the Sydney Fleet in the ARC as a rising 19-year-old.
Off the back of 14 tries in the Shute Shield, watch out for Stars winger Henry Clunies-Ross.
Brisbane coach Nick Stiles has a few Reds at his disposal, and with a sprinkling of solid local talent has an excellent squad to choose from.
The Ballymore crowd won’t yet see the likes of Quade Cooper and Will Genia attempt to play themselves back into Wallabies contention, with both still in recovery mode from Super Rugby injuries.
Harry Parker, notable for his slight frame in an era of large outside backs, has an opportunity to own the other wing, with his extreme pace crucial in the recent University of Queensland premiership victory.
This match should prove to be an excellent start to the revamped third tier of Australian rugby – NSW vs Queensland at its best.
Join The Roar from 7:30pm (AEST) for live scores and commentary.
If you are following the action live, be sure to share your thoughts on the match in the comments below.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.