Bond University Queensland Country go down to the Western Sydney Rams in 88-minute thriller

Sep 26 • General News, International • 1206 Views • Comments Off on Bond University Queensland Country go down to the Western Sydney Rams in 88-minute thriller

Bond University Queensland Country have gone down narrowly to the Western Sydney Rams, 50-46, in their 88-minute Buildcorp National Rugby Championship (NRC) clash at Sydney’s Conord Oval.

Both teams had crossed for six tries a piece as they continued to play past the 80-minute mark, but a penalty try to the Rams in the 88^th minute sealed the result for the home-side, who had trailed Queensland Country throughout the match.

Head coach Toutai Kefu said: “The boys are really disappointed with the end result today. We only have ourselves to blame, we controlled play for most of the match but we let the Rams get away with some easy tries.

“It’s something that has hurt is over the last few weeks. We need to be able to play for the full 80 minutes and dig in and fight our way out of the tight spots in matches.”

Queensland Country crossed for the first try of the match in the fourth minute through winger Liam McNamara. Mack Mason missed the conversion leaving the score at 6-nil.

The Rams answered back with number 8 Tyrone Viiga crashing over close to the posts. Paul Asquith’s missed conversion left the score tied at 6-all.

Tom Banks and Tom Pincus both crossed to extend Queensland Country’s lead to 22-6, before Luke Smart scored in the corner for the home-side to narrow the margin to 22-12.

Alex Casey and Angus Scott-Young scored a further two tries for Country, before Asquith converted his own try in the 37^th minute, leaving Queensland Country ahead 38-20 at half-time.

The Rams opened the second-half account in the 44^th minute through Brandon Paenga-Amosa, which Asquith converted, narrowing the score-line to 38-28.

Maclean Jones crossed for Country’s only try of the second half at the 53-minute mark, which Mason converted, to further edge Country ahead 46-28.

Outside centre Apo Latunipulu dove over for the Rams in the 63^rd minute. Asquith converted to put his team within 10 points of Country, 46-36.

Former All black great Brad Thorn entered the field of play to make his NRC and Queensland Country debut in 64^th minute, with a loud roar coming from the crowd.

Smart scored his second try of the match in the 79^th minute to put the Rams within four points of Country, 46-42, with 30 seconds left on the clock from the restart. The Rams regathered off the kick-off and worked their way into Country’s half.

A yellow-card to Maclean Jones reduced the Country side to 14-men in the 82^nd minute. The two sides packed four scrums off the back of penalties within 10 metres of the Country try line, before referee Amy Perrett awarded the Rams a penalty try in the 88^th minute. Asquith slotted the conversion leaving the final score at 50-46 in favour of the Rams.

“I don’t think anyone in our team has had a bad game over the last few weeks,” said Kefu.

“Everyone has been contributing and improving each game, but some defensive and mental lapses have hurt us.

“The players would have found it special to play with Brad Thorn today, and he was a good person to have our there at the end of the game in terms of positive chat around digging in and fighting until the end. I hope the boys learnt a lot from having him out there on the field, it’s a learning experience not many young players get.”

Queensland Country will head to home of Country Rugby in Queensland next Saturday, the Darling Downs, where they will take on traditional rivals NSW Country at Toowoomba’s Clive Berghofer Oval. Kick-off at 1:00pm.

Queensland Country 46 (L. McNamara, T. Banks, T. Pincus, A. Casey, A, Scott-Young, M. Jones tries; M. Mason 5 conv) defeated by Western Sydney Rams 50 (L. Smart 2, T. Viiga, P. Asquith, B. Paenga-Amosa, A. Latunipulu, Penalty try tries; P. Asquith 4 conv)