Brisbane City have been crowned the inaugural winners of the National Rugby Championship, after a dominant 37-26 win over Perth Spirit at Ballymore Oval in Brisbane.
In front of a wonderful crowd of 7889 people – the biggest standalone NRC crowd of the competition by some margin – City got home on the back of a strong second half from their pack, where they didn’t concede a point until after the final siren.
Brisbane City Head Coach Nick Stiles was an immensely satisfied man, with the crowd flocking onto the field in numbers post-match.
“Oh, just stoked for the boys, Brett,” he told me. “It’s funny, we’ve won the comp, but at no stage did we talk about winning being the outcome. We spoke about working hard for each other, our attitude being right, and having fun. And we did that through the whole comp, and the reward for doing those things is outcomes, and the outcome is we’ve won the comp.
“The score line was tight, but it was a brutal performance from our forwards in particular,” Stiles said.
Victorious skipper Dave McDuling echoed the thoughts of his coach:
“I’m over the moon. Incredibly proud of the effort. The forwards laid the platform; the backs tackled their hearts out all day against some pretty well-established Super Rugby players.
“I’m really proud of everyone. For ten weeks, all we spoke about was working hard for each other and building that culture, and that’s what got us across the line, I think.
Brisbane City and Queensland Reds openside Liam Gill was the Man of the Match, though it could easily have been two-try hero, loosehead prop Pettowa Paraka. For Perth, Dane Haylett-Petty was a clear standout.
After a cacophony of noise on kickoff, the opening stages looked very similar to the Melbourne-Perth semi last week, and Perth again profited early when winger Matt Feaunati spilled a high ball, with Junior Rasolea crossing in the third minute. Zack Holmes slotted the conversion for the early 8-0 lead.
Brisbane were able to get straight back on attack in reply though, and a full arm penalty saw Nick Frisby kicking for the corner. If there’s been one great technical improvement over the course of the NRC, the attacking lineout into driving maul has been it, and sure enough, Gill crashed over in the eighth minute after the City pack easily made up the few metres of ground in front of them.
Jake McIntyre converted the try to draw the scores level.
Brisbane City then bombed a certain try and had one other disallowed over the next ten minutes, with Perth fullback Haylett-Petty pulling off a sensational try-saving tackle that knocked the ball free of Feaunati’s grip after he’d crossed the line.
Only a few minutes later City number 8 Jake Schatz barged over the line, but not over Perth scrumhalf Ian Prior, who had managed to wrap himself under the ball.
Brisbane’s scrum dominance began to emerge, and after the Perth pack were forced to pop when a pushover try looked likely, referee Rohan Hoffmann had no hesitation in awarding the penalty try. McIntyre’s conversion put Brisbane ahead 16-8.
Haylett-Petty then scored one of the tries of the tournament in the 24th minute, when on penalty advantage, Holmes kicked cross-field for his fullback to sail above Brando Va’aulu to score. Holmes’ cross kick was superb, but his conversion was far from, with the stabbed effort falling short to the right of the posts.
Perth crossed again ten minutes later, with the Spirit’s leading try-scorer for the NRC, hooker Robbie Abel busting through some pretty soft City defence to wrest back the lead for the visitors. Holmes converted, to bring the score line back to 21-16.
Brisbane were able to hit back just before halftime, with loosehead Pettowa Paraka peeling off another effective maul in the right-hand corner. McIntyre kept up his perfect record, and Brisbane would go into the sheds with a 24-21 halftime lead.
The first twenty minutes after the break didn’t reach any massive heights, but a couple of little things started going Brisbane’s way, which had us wondering in the press box if we had just seen a bit of a momentum shift. First, Haylett-Petty saw a grubbering kick veer into touch off his shin, and only a minute or two later, Gill was able to charge down a clearing kick. It felt like City were setting up camp inside the Perth 40 metres.
Paraka scored his second on 58 minutes, this time emerging from the middle of a maul to crash over, putting Brisbane ahead by eight. McIntyre missed the conversion from the sideline, missing the chance to push the lead beyond a converted try.
When Junior Laloifi scored an outstanding try in the left hand corner having beaten three Perth defenders, McIntyre’s conversion from the sideline pushed the lead out to 16 with less than five minutes remaining.
Brisbane won a scrum penalty in the 79th minute from as good a scrum as any of the match, and from there it was just a matter of playing down the clock.
Perth replacement Davis Tavita scored a consolation try after the siren, and Holmes missed the conversion, confirming the 37-26 final score line.
Brisbane City 37 (Paraka 2, Gill, Laloifi tries + penalty try; McIntyre 4/5 conversions) defeated Perth Spirit 26 (Rasolea, Haylett-Petty, Abel, Tavita tries; Holmes 2/4 conversions) at Ballymore Oval, Brisbane.
Halftime: Brisbane City 24-21
Crowd: 7889
Brett travelled to the NRC grand final as a guest of Buildcorp
Gary John Lorenz
Guest
Brett what a coincidence for Brissie as Brisbane itself to win a Grand Final but from another footy code. When you think about it Brisbane won (3) from each one footy code previously in the past (1) NRL Brisbane Broncos (2) AFL Brisbane Lions & (3) Brisbane Roar FFA-A-League Soccer. Now another new Brisbane Team the (4th) Team is from Rugby Union can be added & counted as another different footy codes as well too but under the name of NRC Brisbane City. I do believe that if their other Brissie Footy Team Counterparts had won back to back Grand Finals previously before then I do believe or even possibly that (Brissie) Brisbane City would have another shot to win back to back 2015 Grand Final next year. I hope our new Australian NRC National Rugby Competition to grow bigger with more new supporters from all different walks of life & flowerish. (Q1) Brett do you have any idea where I can puchase any new NRC Teams Merchandise from at all (?) Or there NO NRC Teams Merchandise yet for the supporters like jersys, socks, caps, shorts and all other team merchandise from all the NRC teams (Q2) Would there be any new NRC Merchandise for supporters at the grounds during the games & also in all both Sporting Whole Salers & Retailers for next year's 2015 NRC Footy Season (?) (Q3) Hey Brett please do let me know anything about new NRC Supporters Merchandise in the future for our NRC Competition (?) I don't mind the Super Rugby (16s) Competition but I just want to share with you Brett that I would prefer the or our new NRC National Rugby Championship/Competition just slightly over the Super (16) Super Rugby Competition because its a very good rugby union competition as a new rugby union sporting event by the Australian Rugby Union to promote it this year & hopefully for next year Brett. I hope that the Australian Rugby Union try to market this new NRC Competition of our in so many years to come. The Australian Rugby Union if they going to promote & market our NRC for next season and every single NRC Footy Season then they should come up with ideas of having new NRC National Rugby Championship/Competition to bring in new supporters for this new NRC Competition is to promote & Market new NRC National Rugby Competition Supporters Merchandise of all the NRC National Rugby Championship/Competition for the supporters at the games & both wholesale & retail sporting outlets all over Australia. Another idea for the NRC National Rugby Championships/Competitions is to play one or two games per year in the season in other places like Adelaide & other Australian major towns & cities to spread the Rugby Union Game in those places. But Brett have a look at the other footy codes of what they have done including our Super (16) Rugby Union Competition have done in the past for a number of years is that they do promote & their sports to their own fans by promoting all their own fan merchandise for their supporters at their games & also available at either most or all sporting wholesale & retailers every year. If they can do that Brett than I can't see why not do exactly the same thing for our new Australian Rugby Union Competition of the NRC National Rugby Championship/Competition for our NRC fans. Brett finally you have done a very superb job of your journalist reporting of our new NRC National Rugby Championship/Competition for this year & I hope you will be back again for more of our new NRC for next year of our 2015 Footy Season & like I said before I hope our new NRC National Rugby Championship/Competition expand a bit more bigger. I do love my only (4) Four Footy Codes very much in deed so. Cheers & Cheerio Brett.
bazza
Guest
The Great WALL'ARU' TAHS winning the super rugby title hasn`t done much for the national team apart from beat FRANCE C and scrape wins against BOKS ( last second try) and ARGIES at home ..Pretty pathetic !! RANKED NUMBER 5 NO W?? Woeful WALL'ARU'TAHS woeful.. WELSH by 20 this week
dru
Guest
Completely agree. MOTM should have been Paraka. If you had to choose a loosie it was Stander for sure. Gill was fabulous, Stander was better. I love that we are learning new names. Well done City!
jutsie
Guest
Think u just made my point for me mate
David
Guest
Brett, thank you for your coverage. I hope the competition keeps going. It is exciting to watch and great exposure for club players - some of whom have shone brightly. Let's hope the Spirit go better next year
bazza
Guest
and still many deserved Queensland REDS players weren`t picked for the WALLAS even after winning the super rugby Final in 2011.. NSW DUDS were picked instead ..Your point Jutsie??
jutsie
Guest
FOS dont play the victim of tr0lling. We all know every comment you make is slightly tongue in cheek.
formeropenside
Guest
sure, because you cant actually make a positive case, all you can do is throw around puerile names and you call me stupid
formeropenside
Guest
yawn...Tah troll is funny
formeropenside
Guest
who cares about winter sports other than rugby
RobC
Roar Guru
ahhh... sorry for interrupting the banter :)
jutsie
Guest
Rob dont take what I said seriously, im just emulating the stupidity of fos' original post.
jutsie
Guest
Oh sorry forgot to fix the 2nd para too. "Beating a disinterested nz/sa to claim the tri nations and losing to samoa earlier is hardly the stuff to build a myth of greatness on" The only reason it took your boys 3 years is because everythings a little slow up there.
RobC
Roar Guru
ah yes. Jake White, missed out again
SteveW
Guest
Jake White may have been the only valid option leading into a World Cup this time around had Cheika not taken the role.... should be very pleased Cheika has the role as the style he promotes is at least a bit more Dynamic than White - any other coaching option definitely wouldn't have had the authority or influence to lead the team into the world cup.
RobC
Roar Guru
Maybe they can drill a hole in it. So you can get beer, whiskey or gatorade inside it, to guzzle from.
formeropenside
Guest
Even assuming you are correct - and I note that JON re-appointed Deans in secret prior to the 2011 RWC in fact, thus showing you are not- then at least we got a Tri-Nations win and a victory over the AB's in 2011. But, assuming your proposition is correct about Qld bringing Deans down: it took three years. It barely took NSW 3 months.
RobC
Roar Guru
As an aside jutsie. If EM didnt put his hand up. We would have had Jake White as our national coach.
Crashy
Guest
Yep, the other 62000 punters at the SupeRugby Final were all crying into their beers - knowing the victory was a sad day for Australian Rugby. What I found sad in 2014 was the powder puff Reds forward pack. Truly an appalling team.
jutsie
Guest
That (QLD 2011 super win) was a disaster for Australian rugby, at least outside QLD. If that had not happened, the QLD powerbrokers and players might not have been arrogant enough to undermine Deans for Link. fixed it for your you FOS