The NSW Blues lead the Queensland Maroons by a score of 10-6 at half time of Game 1 of the 2015 State of Origin series.
It was a predictably tough tussle in the first half of the match, with both sides trading plenty of heavy blows.
FULL TIME – State of Origin 1 match report – Queensland win 11-10
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Aaron Woods took the first hitup of the game, after Queensland elected to kick off after winning the toss.
Queensland enjoyed the early running in the half, thanks to a break from new winger Will Chambers, and had the first opportunity thanks to a penalty followed by a knock on from Daniel Tupou.
Billy Slater claimed the first try for Queensland, from a kick from Johnathan Thurston. It was to be denied by the video referee, however, for a push in the back from Slater on Blues half Trent Hodkinson.
They wouldn’t be denied a few minutes later, however, with Cooper Cronk crossing in the 14th minute. The conversion from Johnathan Thurston was successful, and Queensland took an early 6-0 lead.
NSW hit back at the halfway point of the half, with an offload from prop James Tamou setting up a break for Dugan, who kicked ahead for Josh Morris. In a footrace with Darius Boyd, the Blues centre gathered and ran over for one of the great Origin tries.
The Blues got another opportunity when Nate Myles dropped the ball early in a set of six, and converted with a try to Beau Scott. This time, Trent Hodkinson made no mistake with the conversion, and the Blues led 10-6.
Robbie Farah had a scare, one that would have sent shivers through NSW fans, after being slammed to the ground in a tackle from Justin Hodges. He was okay though, and managed to play on.
A good passage of play for the Maroons saw Guerra held up, and a sustained period of pressure defensively.
NSW managed to hold on for minutes upon minutes of sustained effort in their own half, as Queensland looked to press their mobility advantage late in the half.
The final running of the half went with the Blues, with a kick from Mitchell Pearce finding an airborne Daniel Tupou, but the kick wasn’t quite deep enough, and the Blues only came up with a turnover.
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