Queensland Country have booked their spot in the 2017 NRC Grand Final with a 57-21 drubbing of the Fijian Drua.
Final score
Queensland Country 57
Fijian Drua 21
With one spot locked up, the Fijian Drua travel to Toowoomba to tackle Queensland Country for the remaining spot in the NRC Grand Final for 2017. Join The Roar for a live blog from 3pm AEDT.
Queensland Country will count themselves unlucky not to be minor premiers, a last gasp loss to the Perth Spirit hurt them last week – but they’ll still feel supremely confident of a win over the Drua, especially after knocking them off in Suva not a fortnight ago.
They welcome back key players Eto Nabuli and Izaia Perese from Barbarians and Wallabies duty respectively, and have a key combination in James Tuttle and Hamish Stewart controlling proceedings at 9 and 10.
For the Drua, they are without seven starters, currently on end of season national duties. John Stewart has led the team superbly this season, and they have a big back row that can really test QLD’s defence one out.
Where the game will be won
Ultimately, it’s whether or not Fiji can control things defensively. They have no trouble scoring points, but have found their defensive tenacity wanting, especially in recent weeks. QLD Country have the firepower to expose this, if they play clean, consistent football.
Prediction
QLD Country to cap off a ripper season by booking a spot in the big dance.
Country by 16
Join The Roar for live scores of the match, starting from 3pm AEDT.
Train Without A Station
Guest
Things like the tip tackle you can say are a bit of a reckless error but the late shots, diving off their feet at rucks and punch to Slipper are deliberate cynical play. In an 8 game season they've had 3 high profile cards. If you want to be part of the professional systems, then act like it.
ethan
Guest
Yeah they played dirty, and have had a bit of that in them right from round one when Andrew Ready was bit. Might get away with that stuff on the Islands, but its their undoing in NRC.
Thor
Guest
Bad luck Drua, I hope you come back strong next year!!!! It was great to catch some of your games this season. This year has been the best year for the NRC I can’t wait to watch the grand final next week!! Wish it was on 7 two
Train Without A Station
Guest
Pretty disappointed in the Drua. Threw around plenty of cheap shots, which were rightly penalised, but then went missing every time Timu had the ball. Didn't want a bar of the bloke that was happy to take it to them.
Harry
Guest
The round robin was quite a close game from memory with QC conceding tries late in the game to narrowly lose. It should be an excellent final but what a pity neither side at full strength - QC missing Rodda, Perese and Wright, Vikings Enever and Rory Arnold. But hope Slipper fit and indeed both sides at full strength minus Wallaby callups and injuries.
Train Without A Station
Guest
Just past? The tackler player was tipped near 45 degrees.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Going to be a corker game next week. The ferocious Viking pack and speedy backs against ...... the tough Q.Country pack with even faster backs. Who wins depends on which team has lost the most number of top players to the WB and can the Vikings backrow monster their QC counterparts and control the rucks. Both teams belted the Drua in the round robins, Vikings by 57-0 but I reckon the Canberra cold Friday night was as good as two extra blokes on the field for Vikings for the warm-weathered Fijian boys. If I remember the Vikings beat the Country boys in the round robin games and I guess you have to take that into account. Thanks to Nick for another great blog. Well done for them tired fingers.
ethan
Guest
What a cracking game of rugby. I'll be excited to see Timu run around for the Reds next year, and Thor was simply unstoppable. Would have been a bit closer but for Fiji's discipline.
Dale Grounds
Guest
Viewed it as a yellow. Just past the horizontal, no driving downward motion and tackled players movement contributed. Fair Call
Rock
Guest
Geez it's good having the Fijian side in the comp, one of the best decisions by the ARU in a long time. And I wish my little fellas hadn't decided to get sick over the weekend as I was looking forward to heading to the game. Oh well, as they say, happy wife happy life!!
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
FULL TIME MATCH RESULT: Queensland Country have booked their spot in the 2017 NRC Grand Final with a 57-21 drubbing of the Fijian Drua.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
79′ TRY QLD COUNTRY! QLD 57 – 21 FIJ Fiji knock on, and Eto'o Nabuli picks up - looks ahead with no one in front of him. Jogs 60m to score - big smile on his face, and he's had a cracker afternoon. Kick is over.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
68mins: Fijian Drua do a great run down their left side, interplay and passing between 4 blokes with absolutely no room to move in gets them 45m down the field into the QC 22 zone. And unlucky knock-on stops the move. Everyone says that Fiji is so lucky, in many ways to play in the NRC. This is certainly true for they get exposure to semi-professional football and often against international players. But for mine I think WE are lucky that Fiji has a team into the NRC. Apart from the pure entertainment of their offloading game and their ferocious and skilled forwards play, every NRC team has seen their game and has had to figure how to counter it. Perhaps some coaches will start to instill some of the Fijian skills into their own teams. This can only be good for Australian and Fijian rugby. For once, the ARC can take a bow for a sensible move that has worked a treat for all sides.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
74′ TRY QLD COUNTRY! QLD 50 – 21 FIJ ICING ON THE CAKE, Duncan Paia'aua has his second. Timu gives to Pai'aua who shifts to Stewart who finds Daugunu down the right wing. He chips ahead and Pai'aua regathers and crashes over to put Fiji to bed. What a try, and what a performance from QLD Country. Tuttle's kick is away.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
72′ QLD 45 – 21 FIJ Penalty QLD - another high shot for Fiji. Stewart kicks to the line and it's another lineout for QLD.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
70′ QLD 45 – 21 FIJ Stewart clears to the line - and QLD survive again.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
69′ QLD 45 – 21 FIJ Knock on Drua, again!!! They were bang on the Country line after a bust from Stewart, and unfortunately they knock on at the breakdown. QLD Country with the scrum feed now.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
65′ QLD 45 – 21 FIJ Knock on by QLD Country - close to the Drua line, and Angus Scott-Young spills it. Nice lead up work though... Drua still under pressure with a 5m scrum.
Nick Kelland
Roar Guru
65′ QLD 45 – 21 FIJ Stewart now kicks, and it's a settler in general play. Drua have a throw in 10m their side of halfway.
Dave_S
Guest
Yes, Toowoomba is a sports town and has been for a long time, and is a major gateway to regional SE Qld. It will great to see it continue.