NRC Rnd 5: Queensland Country v Perth Spirit

[Hugh Jarse]

vs

Where: Victoria Park, Rockhampton
When: Saturday 19 September, kickoff 6:00pm AEST
Match Referee: Rohan Hoffmann
Assistant Referees: Jordan Way, Tim Aistrope
Broadcast Information: foxsports.com.au and FOX SPORTS NOW

Queensland Country 2015 Form Guide: LLLW
Perth Spirit Form Guide 2015: LLLL

Last Time They Met: 04/10/14; Perth Spirit 68-29 Queensland Country; Rockingham RUC, Perth

Match Notes: Queensland Country's Sam Greene is the competition's top points scorer with 57 to his name. Country will be looking to avenge their loss in Perth last season - their club record defeat.

Queensland Country
1. Haydn HIRSIMAKI
2. Saia FAINGA’A
3. Sef FA’AGASE
4. Tyrell BARKER
5. Sam REISER
6. James TURNER (VC)
7. Conor MITCHELL
8. Ed QUIRK
9. James TUTTLE (C)
10. Sam GREENE
11. Pierce FITZGERALD
12. Teti TELA
13. Matt GORDON
14. Tom PINCUS
15. Elliott HAGEN

Reserves
16. Alex MAFI
17. Reuben LEILUA
18. Taniela TUPOU
19. Cameron BRACEWELL
20. Maclean JONES
21. Scott MALOLUA
22. Dion TAUMATA
23. Tom BANKS

Perth Spirit
1. Francois VAN WYK
2. Heath TESSMANN (C)
3. Jermaine AINSLEY
4. Rory WALTON
5. Adrian HALL
6. Pierre ROBERTS
7. Kane KOTEKA
8. Richard HARDWICK
9. Ian PRIOR
10. Luke BURTON
11. Maalonga KONELIO
12. Kyle GODWIN
13. Ammon MATUAUTO
14. Onehunga HAVILI
15. Albert NIKORO

16. Harry SCOBLE
17. Chris HEIBERG
18. Toro REEDY
19. Riley WINTER
20. Auega SEUMANUTAFA
21. Michael RURU
22. Nick JOOSTE
23. Byron HUTCHINSON


@RugbyReg sayshttp://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/nrc-2015-round-5-preview/)
Queensland Country are on a high having recorded their first victory of the season whilst on the road last weekend over the Greater Sydney Rams. This week they are heading out on the road again, albeit for a home game at Rugby Park in Rockhampton where they will host the winless Perth Spirit.
Whilst winless they are, hopeless this Spirit side definitely isn’t having had close losses to the top two teams in the competition (Brisbane City and Canberra Vikings) so far. Last weekend they went down to the Vikings after an after the siren conversion attempt missed and denied them a chance to snag two points for the draw. Queensland Country’s win was thanks largely to a Man of the Match performance by flyhalf Sam Greene and they’ll him to reproduce the goods again, with more support from his team mates to keep the Spirit winless for another week.
Key Match ups:
Yeah sure this is a competition for the young up and comers to show their wares on the big stage. But keep an eye out for the battle between (almost) veterans Saia Fainga’a and Heath Tessman at hooker this weekend. Tessman was in top form in the first two rounds before being ‘compulsorily rested’ and must be due back for this game, whilst Saia’s experience is vital in this inexperienced Country outfit.
Further out Kyle Godwin should also be returning for the Spirit in the centres and may well find himself up against the bullocking form of Matt Gordon. Gordon has been in and out of this Country team, but with injuries to Ant Fainga’a and Chris Feauai-Sautia, Gordon will be looking to keep a hold of the 12 jersey for the rest of the season. Godwin, however, continues to be rotated in and out when you would have thought this would be just the type of competition needed for him to regain the form that saw him tour with the Wallabies in recent years.

 

[Tangawizi]

Qld Country have brought in former NRL player Lagi Setu on to the bench in place of Dion Taumata. He was a backrower in league but guessing he'll play in the centres.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagi_Setu


Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

 

[RugbyReg]

he was a backrower in rugby too wasn't he?

 

[Bobby Sands]

he was a backrower in rugby too wasn't he?

Seriously good schoolboy player.

Played in the same all QLD, Australian Schoolboys backrow as Pocock.

His brother was in the team too, and still plays pretty well, Rota Setu.

 

[kiap]

Getting close to kickoff. Hope the lights are good!

 

[kiap]

Matuatu with a good run

 

[kiap]

Spirit score! Koteka on the end of a long rolling maul.

8-0

 

[kiap]

Perth well on top everywhere except the scrum.

Saia's lineout throw pinched. Tessmann charged the ball up 15m almost to the tryline, Prior got the scraps to score.

0-16

@19 mins

 

[kiap]

Handbags after the QC (Quade Cooper) pack push the Perth Pigs backward.

2 scrum penalties, QC (Quade Cooper) attacking 12m out

 

[kiap]

3rd penalty. Van Wyk gets Yellow carded

 

[kiap]

Pincus struggling a bit in the country backline.

5th scrum in a row now 10m out

 

[kiap]

Perth defending well

But Sam Greene finally gets it over the line.

8-16

@30 mins

 

[kiap]

The 14-man Perth are getting their points much easier without employing all the scrum grunt being expended by Country.

Great lineout move and trickery from Perth & Konelio runs it in 25m, tip-toeing down the sideline! Conversion too.

8-24

@33

 

[kiap]

QC (Quade Cooper) win a scrum against the feed.

Lineout. On attack 15m out now.

 

[kiap]

Konelio scores!! - Counter attack as Spirit run 95m putting it through the hands.

8-32 with 1min or so left to oranges.

Another try on the bell to Perth. Nikoro with another breakout down the left. Hardwick on the end of the subsequent passes back inside gets the meat, this time on the RHS.

8-40 at HT

 

[qwerty51]

QC (Quade Cooper) have the best scrum in the comp for sure, they smashed the Rams last week who smashed the Rising this week.

 

[kiap]

Perth are kicking their goals this week as well.

They are good for this lead.

For Country, the scrum and 9+10 are doing pretty well.

But overall the side is being outsmarted and simply outplayed - particularly in the lineouts and when the Spirit get the ball in the hands of their confident backline.

 

[kiap]

Spirit continue where they left off and in again! Prior converts (5/5)

8-48 @ 44 mins


Jooste long ball to Havili who smashes Country down the left YET AGAIN. He passes inside to Godwin. Over!

Prior (6/6) Plenty from the sideline too!!

8-56

@ 46 mins

 

[kiap]

QC (Quade Cooper) scrum 30m out. Jooste tackles Tela. 22 out Turnover

Godwin breaks out. Left side YET AGAIN. Kicks ahead. TRY time to Havili from 1m out!!

Prior from the sideline (7/7)

This is a flogging...

8-64 @ 51 mins

 

[qwerty51]

Comp dark horses out of nowhere!