NRC Rnd 8: North Harbour Rays v Queensland Country

[Hugh Jarse]

vs

North Harbour Rays vs Queensland Country


When: Saturday 10 October. Kick-off 3.00pm AEDT
Where: Pittwater Rugby Park, Sydney
Match Referee: Ed Martin
Assistant Referees: Will Houston, Charles Hartson

Broadcast Information: foxsports.com.au and FOX SPORTS Now

2015 North Harbour Rays Form Guide: LWLLBLL
2015 Queensland Country Form Guide: LLLWLWB

Last Time They Met: 13 September 2014; Queensland Country 29 defeated by North Harbour Rays 32; Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast

Match Notes: The Rays slipped to the foot of the 2015 competition ladder after defeat to the Greater Sydney Rams last week, while Queensland Country are aiming for a third straight win on the road for the first time in the club's short history.


G&GR Preview (@Rugby Reg) sayshttp://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/nrc-round-8-preview-2/)
This is the match of the round that has the least significance on the finals series. Perhaps Queensland Country has a very outside chance of sneaking in but they would need a whole lot of unlikely results to fall their way for it to eventuate.
The Rays are sitting on the bottom of the ladder having not experienced a win since their Round 2 upset of the Perth Spirit. Queensland Country are fresh off a bye but have been on somewhat of a form surge of late winning two of their last three games (and being smashed by the Spirit in the other). Last season’s encounter was a classic with Rays winning by three points. Let’s hope this one can be just as entertaining.
Key Matchups:
Dion Tuamata was the conductor of Country’s latest win in the wet of Newcastle. Standing in for the injured Sam Greene he controlled the game well in the challenging conditions and was a big factor in the win and retains his place at 10 with Greene returning at fullback. Sam Lane has some solid Manly combinations around him to kick the Rays backline into gear. We’ve seen glimpses of it so far, yet not to the level required to pose a threat. This match be the chance the change that.
Boyd Killingworth and Connor Mitchell have not only been two of the most resilient players for their respective teams, they have also been two of the best. Both extremely physical at open side, neither has the outrageous skills of a Liam Gill nor speed of a Michael Hooper, yet both have proven extremely valuable for their physical and cunning approach to the game.


Teams

North Harbour Rays
1. Mitch LEWIS
2. Luke HOLMES
3. Lawrance HUNTING
4. Ruairidh WILSON
5. Ryan MELROSE
6. Harry BERGELIN
7. Boyd KILLINGWORTH
8. Harry RORKE
9. Josh HOLMES
10. Sam LANE
11. John PORCH
12. Reece HODGE
13. Michael ADAMS
14. Tom HILL
15. Hamish ANGUS

16. Vance ELLIOTT
17. Rory O'CONNOR
18. Alex HOLMES
19. Cameron TRELOAR
20. Mitch DANIEL
21. Tim DONLAN
22. Dennis PILI-GAITAU
23. Sione ALA

Queensland Country
1. Sef FA'AGASE
2. Alex MAFI
3. Taniela TUPOU
4. Tyrell BARKER
5. Phil POTGIETER
6. Maclean JONES
7. Conor MITCHELL
8. James TURNER
9. James TUTTLE
10. Dion TAUMATA
11. Pierce FITZGERALD
12. Lagi SETU
13. Campbell MAGNAY
14. Tom BANKS
15. Sam GREENE

16. Campbell WAKELY
18. Reuben LEILUA
17. Haydn HIRSIMAKI
19. Milton SIKUEA
20. Jack CORNELSEN
21. Harry NUCIFORA
23. Tyrone LEFAU
22. Mack MASON

 

[Hugh Jarse]

From ARU Media: Note the last 2 paragraphs. Gourmet BBQ and Band, and a Rugby 7's game where players must clock in at >100 kegs. Try to get there.
(http://www.buildcorpnrc.com.au/Arti...untry-make-changes-for-Pittwater-fixture.aspx)

Macquarie University North Harbour Rays selectors have moved Michael Adams to outside centre for the Rays' Buildcorp National Rugby Championship match against Queensland Country at Pittwater Rugby Park on Saturday.

Adams, who has spent much of the NRC season on the wing and performed well, steps into the No.13 jersey of Dennis Pili-Gaitau in a team with minimal changes from last week.

Pili-Gaitau will work off the bench and head coach Geoff Townsend is hoping that he will have a considerable influence when he comes on to the field.

“Mick (Adams) likes the outside channels and he plays them well so in some ways we are signaling that we are going to go out there and have a real crack at them,” Townsend said.

“There’s an element of fatigue in the squad at the moment so in some ways this is throwing the fresher troops into the fray at the front end of the game.

“The fatigue of playing four Super Rugby aligned franchises (Perth Spirit, Melbourne Rising, Brisbane City and the UC Vikings) showed in our performance against the Greater Sydney Rams last week.

“I’ve just been looking through the stats from that game and we more than doubled their tackle count over the course of the game.

“The fact that we got our nose in front against the Rams in many ways showed the resolve within this group of Rays but it has been a tough season for us with guys heading off for opportunities and a lack of depth in certain areas.

“But there are two games to go and we are determined to have a red hot go in those matches and come away with some results.”

Up front Lawrance Hunting has been brought into the front row at tighthead prop to try and stabilize the scrum. Hunting takes over from Alex Holmes who drops back to the bench.

Hamish Angus, who had to quite the game against the Rams early when hit with back spasms has been declared fit and will take his place at fullback.

The Rays missed him when he came off as his role as a second first receiver in general play takes the pressure of Sam Lane.

Tom Hill, who rushed home from the Rams game to complete a 3000 word essay for his legal degree, has been selected on the wing after working off the bench for the past couple of games.

Hill will play a roving role throughout the afternoon and will be tasked with taking the ball up when not required out wide.

Bond University Queensland Country will return to action in Round 8 of the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship (NRC) following a bye in Round 7.

Head coach Jason Gilmore will this week welcome back a number of key players, while also rewarding those who performed for Queensland Country in their 24-16 win over the NSW Country Eagles in trialling conditions in Round 6.

The same forward park from the NSW Country clash will once again start this Saturday, and they will look to build upon their dominant set-piece performance.

In the backline, St.George Queensland Reds centre Campbell Magnay will return to the side for the first time since Country’s Round 4 clash against the Greater Sydney Rams, forming a new centre-pairing with former National Rugby League (NRL) player Lagi Setu.

In the back-three, Sam Greene, who was ruled out of Country’s Round 6 match, returns to the side at fullback rather than his traditional position of flyhalf, with Elliott Hagen ruled out through injury.

In the reserves, the side welcomes back experienced campaigners Haydn Hirsimaki and Reuben Leilua, who will again add further strength to Country’s frontrow stocks.

Bond University lock Milton Sikuea also returns to the line-up for the first time since Round 4, having missed Country’s last two games through injury. Sikuea will be joined on the bench by Bond teammate and Australian Under-20s halfback Harry Nucifora, who is in line for his potential NRC and Queensland Country debut.

Mitchell local and 2015 Melbourne Storm Under-20s playmaker Mack Mason is also in line for his potential debut. Wests centre Tyrone Lefau rounds out the 23, with the return of Magnay seeing him move to the reserves.

“We’re lucky to welcome back a number of key players this week who will help strengthen the depth of the match-day 23, but we’ve also looked to keep some consistency from the side that secured a gutsy win over NSW Country a fortnight ago,” Gilmore said.

“Our scrum gave us a great platform to work off in Round 6 so we’ve rewarded those eight players, and we’ve got big bodies in Hirsimaki, Leilua and Sikuea to come off the bench which is a great asset.

“In the backs, Campbell (Magnay) showed great aggression in both attack and defence in his previous two games for us and he should gel well with Setu in the centres.

“While Hagen is a loss, we now have two playmakers in Greene and Taumata on the field which creates a number of options for us and we’ve seen Greene show some great attacking flare from fullback in previous matches.

“It’s also great to welcome Nucifora into the team after working hard through the season so far to get himself fit.”

Another big afternoon is planned for the game at Rat Park with the Emerging Rays taking on an Illawarra Development XV and a Sevens Challenge between Manly and Warringah where every player has to weight over 100kg.

There will be a live band after the game and also a gourmet barbecue.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

16 all at Rat Park after 30 minutes.

All happening at Rat Park. The Warringah lads (Holmes and Holmes) are leading the way.

A meat pie each to take the teams to the sheds. The locals missing the conversion. Ray 21 - QC (Quade Cooper)'s 24.

Summary at Oranges:
Queensland Country 24 (Sef Fa'agase (12), P. Potgieter (19), J. Tuttle (36) tries; S. Greene (12), (20), (37) cons) leading North Harbour Rays 21 (J. Holmes (15) L. Holmes (21), (40) tries; H. Angus (16), (22) Cons)

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Big Red opens the account after oranges. Meat and chopsticks.

Michael Adams responds off the kick off with his own meat. Conversion to the right.

Queensland Country 32 (Sef Fa'agase (12), P. Potgieter (19), J. Tuttle (36), C. Magnay (49) tries; S. Greene (12), (20), (37), (50) cons) leading North Harbour Rays 26 (J. Holmes (15) L. Holmes (21), (40), M. Adams (tries; H. Angus (16), (22) Cons)

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Luke Holmes shows he can do what his bro does and gets his second meat pie of the day off the back of a rolling maul. Converted by Angus to make it a 2 point ball game to the Rays with 20 min to go.

Summary at 62 minutes
North Harbour Rays 34 (J. Holmes (15), (57) L. Holmes (21), (40), M. Adams (tries; H. Angus (16), (22), (57) Cons) leading Queensland Country 32 (Sef Fa'agase (12), P. Potgieter (19), J. Tuttle (36), C. Magnay (49) tries; S. Greene (12), (20), (37), (50) cons)

That is 66 points from 62 minutes.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Great try (involving both Holmes boys) by Michael Adams from the Rays. Angus ices the cake to take the margin to 10 points with 10 minutes to go. That could be the ball game for the Rays.

Sam Lane gets a meat pie for the Rays to post a 1/2 century. Converted by Angus. That must be the ball game, with 3 min to go.

Rays 50 QC (Quade Cooper)'s 32.

That's all folks as Sir toots for full time.

Scoring summary:
North Harbour Rays 50 (J. Holmes (15), (57) L. Holmes (21), (40), M. Adams (51), (73), S. Lane (76) tries; H. Angus (16), (22), (57) , (74), (77) Cons) defeated Queensland Country 32 (Sef Fa'agase (12), P. Potgieter (19), J. Tuttle (36), C. Magnay (49) tries; S. Greene (12), (20), (37), (50) cons)

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Great game to watch...Rays been my favourite teams to watch out of Sydney NRC teams for quality of their rugby and how competitive they have been against top sides. With so few super rugby players in their 23 from game to game (only Jack Dempsey) to mind - Rays fans should be proud of their teams performance this year, despite where sitting on the table.

Must be a few rays players up for heartlands selection

 

[Dave Beat]

Have to say thoroughly enjoyed that game.