Eels Holden Cup Team and junior reps thread, Part II

[Forty20]

Matterson gives the ball to Tepu-Smith who drives through the defensive line for good metres. Joey Lussick is on and makes his presence immediately known with a dangerous run from dummy half. He is just pulled down before entering the backfield but from the play the ball the Eels look for the chip. The bounce comes back to Folau but he can't rell it in and the Eels then concede a penalty for another chaser playing at the ball in an offside position.

Canberra go on the attack in the Parra red zone but some solid defence keeps them out and eventually forces an error.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Nice.

 

[Forty20]

Raelli does well to beat the initial contact and find an offload that sees the Eels find some space down their left edge. Matterson tucks the ball under his arm and surges forwards, taking the tackle but gaining some big metres.

Clay takes the kick on the next tackle and sends up an accurate bomb that is allowed to bounce. It turns towards the in goals and the eels trap the defender inside for a drop out.

The Eels roll it up the middle early in the set before Clay switches down the left looking to create an overlap. He feeds a nice ball on to his edge runner but the ball is lost in the tackle.

 

[Forty20]

Lussick and Fuimaono force an error near halfway.

Folau takes another hit up frm the scrum win. Solid run too. Raelli is used to centre the ball before Matterson links up with Aloiai down the left. The Raiders pull Josh down but not before he gets an offload away. The ball is eventually killed but the defensive line was forced to reset and Matterson punishes them for it as the shifts to the right and demands the ball. He is gunning for the run from the get go and steps to his left twice to beat the front line and then the fullback and he goes over untouched under the posts!

The conversion is successful.

Half Time

Parra lead the Raiders 30-10

 

[Forty20]

Small bit of good news from the sidelines. Fred Junior Mauala is due back in ~3 weeks after sustaining an ankle injury against the Warriors.

The second half is underway with the Eels kicking off.

 

[Forty20]

Time off for a Canberra player who has stayed down after a tackle near half way.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Sweet.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Small bit of good news from the sidelines. Fred Junior Mauala is due back in ~3 weeks after sustaining an ankle injury against the Warriors.

The second half is underway with the Eels kicking off.

Mate can you find out about Erick Aukofolau?

 

[Gary Gutful]

Forty "Lightning Fingers" 20.

Pretty good effort to be able to bash all that out and watch the game.

 

[Forty20]

Excellent take from Makelim as he secures the ball from a towering bomb under immense pressure.

The Eels find plenty of space down their left as Matterson offloads to Aloiai. Josh has support but tucks it under the arm and beats plenty of defenders as the powers to the line from halfway. He is just stopped on the line to bring up the last tackle. Maybe looking to his outside was the play there but that was a ripper of a run.

The Eels take the ball to the right on the last where Folau beats his man on the outside and offloads over the top back on the inside for what looks to be a try but Makelim (or maybe Clay) can't take the ball and it comes out for a 20m restart.

The Raiders rumble downfield, benefiting some 50/50 calls - much to the outrage of the homecrowd but are driven out in the in goals for a 20m restart.

Josh Aloiai is in the thick of it again as he bursts through the middle! He pulls up to wait for support and finds Tepu-Smith who thunders towards the goal line. He defence look to have reeled in the big man but he channels SBW and throws one of the most incredible offloads you will see to Markus on his right who then carries a defender over the line to score! Incredible movement between three forwards there.

The conversion is successful.

Parra extend their lead to 36-10

47min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Matterson tucks the ball under the arm and takes the hit up from the kick off.

More points for the Eels now as John Folau embarrasses his opposite with some footwork and a fend before offloading to Lavaka to simply outpaces the Raider's flankers and streaks away for his second four pointer!

The conversion is successful.

The Eels lead the Raiders 42-10

48min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Muna is up for the kick off run this tiem around as he hurls himself into the defensive line. Raelli wants the ball after him and adds another hit up to his name. Matterson rifles the ball out to Davis but the Raiders move well to shut him down.

The Eels quickly shift the ball back to the centre and Raelli powers between two defenders and finds himself in space. Matterson quickly pushes up to his right and takes the pass and pins his ears back for the try line. He has Lussick to his left but doesn't need him as he beats two defenders to the line.

The conversion is successful.

Parra are running riot now as they lead the Raiders 48-10

52min gone.

 

[Forty20]

First bit of sloppy play from the Eels in some time now as a right edge shift falls apart, gifting the Raiders possession 25m out from the Parra goal line.

Some more injury news as Tepu-Smith has strained his Posterior Cruciate and will sit out the next few weeks. We are running thin in the front row stocks.

The Eels hold the Raiders out and come away with a 20m restart. Clay nearly opens the visitors up down the right with a right foot step and offload. The Eels then settle for some ruck work as they roll the ball up to the Canberra red zone.

The last tackle play leaves plenty to be desired as they ball hits the ground at least half a dozen times. Eventually the Raiders intercept the ball only to have Makelim reef it seemingly one-on-one but the ref signals a penalty for two men in the tackle.

Canberra go on the attack with the territorial piggyback and earn a line drop out for their efforts.

 

[Forty20]

The Raiders finally trouble score in the second half as they direct their second rower to run at Clay. ZDC made good initial contact and looked to have stopped the runner but fell off the tackle, allowing the Canberra forward to crash over the line.

The conversion is unsuccessful.

The Raiders trail the Eels 14-48

60min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Kaysa has absolutely nailed the runner from the kick off but his arm slipped up fractionally high. The ref quickly called for a penalty as both teams came together for the now customary fracas.

Players from both teams are called in for a word about escalation. Raelli is the one called out.

Penalty goes to Canberra with no further action taken.

 

[Forty20]

The Raiders come up with an error but Newbigging has taken someone late which means that a touch judge has come in to over rule the call.

 

[Forty20]

Canberra are bogged down around the posts early in the set but catch Parra short down their right with hands. Lavaka knew the over lap was there and shot up but just couldn't contain the ball.

The conversion is successful.

The Raiders trail the Eels 20-48

65min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Plenty of feeling in the game now as Parra rev up in defence. The Raiders stab the ball into the corner from halfway but Makelim quickly cleans it up before Leva Li steps through the middle once again for big metres.

He cops some extra treatment from some retreating defenders and gets up dustily to play the ball.

Matterson bombs it on the last but is just too heavy as it is taken 1mtre in goals.

The crows is baying out against the referee's call, or lack there of. Things escalate with Lavaka having a choice word with the ref which sees him earning a stint in the bin.

Canberra on the attack.

 

[Forty20]

Another penalty for the Raiders as a lost ball on the line is ruled to have been stripped. Plenty of numbers for the Raiders down our left as Li shoots out, much like Lavaka before him, in order to try and kill the play. The pass soars past him though and the Raiders cross untouched in the corner.

The conversion is successful.

The Raiders trail the Eels 26-48

72min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Some frenetic play by the Raiders on the last there. Plenty of second phase ball but Folau ultimately defuses the kick and sets off for a 30m gain.

Dockar-Clay makes an incisive run as he steps through a number of defenders down the right. He is kept down for an age but the ref seems hesitant to call a professional foul.

He calls the captains out after something is said and puts someone (maybe Kaufusi) on report for something??? I have no idea what happened there.

The Eels get the penalty and attack down their left. Matterson is taken in a questionable tackle in front of the posts but simply gets up to play the ball. Lussick is at dummy half and steps past the lazy markers to score under the black dot.

The conversion is successful.

Parra lead 54-26

77min gone.