Melbourne Rising are out to break into the top four when they host the New South Wales Country Eagles. Join The Roar from 7:30pm (AEDT) for live scores.
NRC ROUND 8 PREVIEW
EXPERT OPINION: The harder the Wallabies work, the luckier they get
After two losses in a row, Melbourne need a win over the fourth-placed Eagles to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Despite making the play-offs last year, the Rising have only won three of their six games this season.
A 26-point loss to the University of Canberra Vikings last week highlighted holes in the Rising’s defence, which they need to tighten up.
The Eagles are coming off a hard-earned win over Perth Spirit last week in Western Australia, with Jono Lance’s conversion all that separated the two sides as Eagles held on for 17 minutes to secure the 32-29 win.
The Eagles face the North Harbour Rays in Round 9, and with the Rays having only managed to win one game all season, this match is all but a sudden-death fixture.
When these two sides faced off in the 2014 NRC season Melbourne secured a comfortable 21-point victory.
Prediction
These are two evenly matched sides, whoever wants it more will take the points.
NSW Country Eagles by 1.
Will Melbourne Rising play into semi-final contention, or can the NSW Country Eagles keep their spot in the four?
Join The Roar from 7:30pm (AEDT) for live scores to find out.
Of course, if you are following the match live, please join in the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comments below.
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