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Match Result: The Melbourne Rising have held off a late comeback from the North Harbour Rays to win a thrilling NRC match 45-40 at Manly Oval.
With scores deadlocked at 40 all, after the 62nd minute, a late try to Colby Fainga’a kept the Rising undefeated away from home in the competition.
It was a disappointing end to the match for the Rays who fought back from 40-16 down to level the scores.
In the early stages of the match, the Rays dominated, as they had over 75% of the possession in the opening 12 minutes of the match.
They only put one try on the board though through Boyd Killingworth.
The Rising would then rise and get into the match in devastating fashion.
Three tries in ten minutes gave Melbourne 24 unanswered points and a 16 point lead.
The Rays responded, with a second try to Killingworth, before the Rising added two more tries to lead by 24 points at half time.
Jack Debreczeni was the star of the half as he played a part in most of the tries.
It would also be the highest score by a team in the opening half of the NRC.
The Ray bounced back in the 2nd half, courtesy of a yellow card to Rising player Lloyd Johansson.
Two high hits, to Rays players, gave the referee no choice but to send him to the bin.
This allowed the Rays to come back, with the wind, as they scored three tries in that ten minutes to level the scores.
A try to Tom Hill, in the 61st minute, capped off the incredible comeback.
The Rays then conceded a yellow card of their own as Rory O’Connor prevented a try from being scored.
The Rising took advantage of that and scored one last try to secure the game.
This keeps the Rising undefeated away from home and entrenches them in the top 4 in the competition.
They now have a bye in Round 4.
The Rays now face Brisbane City next week, after securing a bonus point, in what could be a battle for the Horan-Little Shield.
Match Preview: The North Harbour Rays are chasing back-to-back wins when they take on the Melbourne Rising at Manly Oval. Join The Roar for all the action from 7:30pm (AEST).
Last week the Rays won their first match of the season, with an impressive display against the 2014 finalists, Perth Spirit.
The 45-26 win was set up by six tries including a double to Boyd Killingworth.
After winning just two matches last year, with two draws, the Rays look improved in 2015.
The Melbourne Rising lost their first game of the season last week, to Brisbane City. That also lost them the Horan-Little Shield after the team defended it in the opening week.
They will be looking to bounce back with a win against a team they defeated in the opening round of the 2014 season.
The Rising have made one change from last week, with Fereti Sa’aga making his debut for the club. The Australian under-20 prop replaces Mike Tyler, who is out with a knee injury.
The Rays have made plenty of changes to the team that won last week. Tyson Davis makes his starting debut, replacing Michael Adams. Lawrance Hunting will also start in place of Wayne Borsak who has back soreness. Finally Mark Johnson swaps with Harry Rorke.
All four matches involving these two clubs this season have seen over 60 points scored, so expect plenty of tries.
Prediction
The Rising will be disappointed after their loss last week, and will come out with purpose. Based on that, and the nine Rebels’ worth of experience in the team, they should win.
Melbourne by 11.
Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEST). If you are following the action live, be sure to share your thoughts on the match in the comments below.
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