2016 BUILDCORP NRC: ROUND 2 REVIEW

Sep 5 • General News, International • 1152 Views • Comments Off on 2016 BUILDCORP NRC: ROUND 2 REVIEW

With an unprecedented twelve Wallabies released for NRC duty, the second round of the 2016 Buildcorp National Rugby Championship delivered some surprising results, with expected favourites pushed to their limits. With their victory over Wallabies-laden UC Vikings, NSW Country have now beaten both of the 2015 NRC finalists and have put themselves firmly in contention for the 2016 title.

At a rain-sodden North Sydney Oval for the only Friday night fixture of the 2016 season, the Rays showed poise in wet conditions to finish strong against Perth Spirit. The 28-8 win secured them a valuable bonus point and the top position on the ladder.

A gutsy Rams outfit hammered reigning champions Brisbane City for the full 80 minutes, scoring five tries to Brisbane’s six, which included an incredible 95m solo effort from Mitch Felsman. Brisbane City retained the Horan-Little Shield with their 44-36 win, but the hard-running Rams forward pack will undoubtedly be a sight to behold in their first home game in Round 3.

In Melbourne, Queensland Country seemed to be finding their rhythm leading 32-16 at half time, until the Rising staged a remarkable comeback in the second half, scoring 30 unanswered points. The Rising’s experienced defence saw them withstand Queensland Country’s desperate attack until the final whistle, to be granted a character-building 46-32 victory.

In what was billed as the match-up of the round, it was a hugely one-sided affair for the first hour with NSW Country Eagles storming to an incredible 60-0 lead, spearheaded by Alex Newsome and Rowan Perry who both scored doubles. The UC Vikings rallied in the final 15 minutes to cross the line for four tries, but it was too little too late.

2016 Buildcorp NRC standings after Round 1:
Macquarie University Sydney Rays 10 points
NSW Country Eagles 9 points
Melbourne Rising 5 points
UC Vikings 5 points
McInnes Wilson Lawyers Brisbane City 4 points
Perth Spirit 4 points
Western Sydney Rams 1 point
Bond University Queensland Country 0 points

Fri 2 September – Macquarie University Sydney Rays v Perth Spirit, North Sydney Oval
SYDNEY RAYS 28 def (Tries: H.Jones, S.Wileman, D.Fitzpatrick, E.Luxton; Cons: M.Lucas 2/3, A.Sinclair 0/1) def PERTH SPIRIT 8 (Tries: R.Louwrens; Cons: J.Lance 1/1)

Sat 3 September – McInnes Wilson Lawyers Brisbane City v Western Sydney Rams, Ballymore Stadium
BRISBANE CITY 44 (Tries: M. Felsman 2, A. Gibbon, L. Tui, S. Talakai, L. Houston; Cons: J. McIntyre 3/4, M. Felsman 1/2) def WESTERN SYDNEY RAMS 28 (Tries: B. Paenga-Amosa, S. Gale, L. Smart, T. Viiga, T. Kei; Cons: P. Asquith 3/5)

Sun 4 September – Melbourne Rising v Bond University Queensland Country, Harlequin Oval, Melbourne
MELBOURNE RISING 46 (Tries: T. English, P. Leafa, B. Meehan, L. Timani, A. Tuimalealiifano, S. Tuipulotu; Cons: B. Meehan 5/6) def QUEENSLAND COUNTRY 32 (Tries: R. Simmons, I. Rodder, I. Perese, C. Mitchell; Cons: M. Mason 4/4)

Sun 4 September – UC Vikings v NSW Country Eagles, Viking Park, Canberra
NSW COUNTRY EAGLES 60 (Tries: R. Perry 2, A. Newsome 2, S. Ward, N. Hanigan, K. Godwin, R. Robinson; Cons: A. Deegan 6/7, T. Adams 1/1) def UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA VIKINGS 28 (Tries: A. Robinson 2, A. Smith, R. Arnold; Cons: N. Jooste 2/4)

Round 3 Fixtures:
1.00pm, Saturday 10 September – Western Sydney Rams v Perth Spirit, Concord Oval, Sydney, foxsports.com.au or FOX SPORTS NOW
3.00pm, Saturday 10 September – Queensland Country v Sydney Rays, Bond University, Gold Coast, LIVE on FOX SPORTS 502
1.00pm, Sunday 11 September – Brisbane City v Canberra Vikings, Ballymore, Brisbane, , foxsports.com.au or FOX SPORTS NOW
3.00pm, Sunday 11 September – NSW Country Eagles v Melbourne Rising, Magpies Rugby Oval, Tamworth, LIVE on FOX SPORTS 502