If you were cynical about the legitimacy of the new National Rugby Competition and quietly waiting in the bleachers with your red pens and scathing retorts, permit me to ask one favour before you you cast your vote at its legitimacy.
Go and watch a replay of the Queensland Country versus North Harbour Rays game played as a curtain raiser to the Wallabies versus Argentina game on the Gold Coast on Saturday night.
If you find you still have doubts about the benefits of the NRC’s value to Australian Rugby, then alas you should forever relegate yourself to the wowsers and wingers sections – for this code, sir/ma’am, is not for you.
As my contemporary at the game Scott Allen commented, “Talk about a game of two halves“. North Harbour Rays came out in the first half all guns blazing. Matt Lucas was rifling passes to his backline, showing an intent to run the ball despite the conditions beginning to deteriorate. Within two minutes this spurred a charge by the Rays’ forwards and Number 8 Sam Ward opened the scoreline with an try that was duly converted.
Country immediately showed they would not be bullied and following a some great defines on their own line and holding up a the ball over the line, they countered and after some excellent kicking and set pierce work they levelled the score as Todd Winkley finished of attacking move by JJ Taulagi.
For the rest of the half it was all North Harbour, as Warringah teammates Matt Lucas and Hamish Angus worked beautifully to keep feeding their outside backs. Two converted tries later after some dazzling running rugby and sweeping counterattacks and it seems all over bar the shouting at half time with the Rays leading 24-8.
The opening of the second half showed the Rays on the front foot again. With a mass breakout run from flanker Kotoni Ale of the Rays who could’t link up with a supporting Matt Lucas, it looked to continue to go all the Rays’ way.
Whether the amount of running had taken its toll on the big men in the Rays, or one of the world’s best half time face-ripping in the sheds was delivered, we may never know, but the sleeping giant that is the Queensland Country forward pack came to life. With some outstanding tactical kicking from the backs allowed the bully boys of the front row, led by Greg Holmes, to assert dominance over the given field position.
After some spiteful and theatrical play off the ball the Queensland Country forwards bulldozed the Rays’ pack and earned a penalty try. Their heads came up and their nostrils flared – they were back.
The Queensland Country backs settled. Their tactics to kick smart and play tight had their forwards continually holding attacking scrums 10m out from their own goal-line in the middle of the field.
The Rays seemed to have no response. The sheer strength of the Queensland set piece had ether scrambling and unable to hold onto possession. Efforts to kick out of trouble kept going down the throats of JJ Tualagi and Tom Pincus whose combination in counter attacks constantly set up the forwards for another assault on the Rays line.
25 minutes into the second half, after scoring three tries, it was now all Queensland Country amazingly at 29-24.
With 10 minutes left toplay the Rays made use of their possession and got out of their 22. Showing similar panache that they displayed in the first stanza they combined well to go over again and convert and take the lead again 32 – 29.
The Rays immediately found themselves under pressure as the Country back three kicked for field position. In the dying moments the Rays once again were camped on their try line not far from where the earlier penalty try was scored. Country packed a scrum, and after two huge shoves had another penalty. They confidently called for another scrum as the Rays forwards defiantly faced them for as the result hung on the last play of the game.
The ball spilled at the back as Country shoved over the line and the referee called knock on and the end of a fantastic rugby game, with the Rays edging out the home side in a thriller.
Well done NRC. With no tongue in cheek – the game was one of the most intriguing and skilled contests I have seen. It was great effort by all, and although it would be hard to single out a man of the match as each team underperformed in the corresponding half, I would give the edge to young Matt Lucas – a real player to watch out for in the future.
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