Eels Holden Cup Team and junior reps thread, Part II

[Forty20]

Lussick bombs it on the last after a strong set through the ruck from the Parra forwards but it spills out towards the opposition #1 after a contested jump.

The Roosters focus on our right edge in reply but turn over possession just past halfway.

Parra scrum 10m short of halway.

 

[Forty20]

Pauli produces another strong charge, throwing away a defender but he is quickly swamped.

There is another error as Davis loses the ball in a tackle on the right edge.

Parra do well in defence in this set as they show good line speed across the set before an error from Cornish on the last gives Parra the ball back near halfway again.

 

[Forty20]

Another superb touch by Matterson, this time as he dummies to a looming Pauli. He catches the defensive line napping and makes a half break before offloading to Pauli. Pauli knows he has support on his left and tries to find them but the offload goes astray. Auckafolau doesn't panic and waits for a friendly bounce before recovering the ball and very nearly forces his way to the try line but he is ultimately bundled into touch.

The Roosters ruck the ball the length of the field in reply and bomb Davis on the last but they are ruled to have lost the ball in the competition for the kick.

Clay is awake at dummy half to some lazy defenders and draws a penalty from the official to get Parra over halfway.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

How are we matching up in ruck speed, buddy?

 

[Forty20]

Newbigging runs the crash ball down the right but is cut down at the legs. Raeli follows him up, bringing the ball back to the posts before Lussick tries to dab it into the in goals but it is taken by Hastings. Lussick shows a cunning side though as he draws a penalty for a voluntary tackle.

Goodall goes oh-so-close from the resumption of play but is held up before Pauli looks to be in for sure but loses the ball.

The Roosters get play underway quickly and makes good metres before earning a penalty for a hand on the ball.

 

[Forty20]

How are we matching up in ruck speed, buddy?

Pretty well but the ref is blowing a lot of penalties both ways that are making it even quicker.

 

[Forty20]

A neat inside ball to Davis from Matterson nearly opens the Chooks up but the cover defence is up to the task.

The next play though, Moeroa does it all himself and bursts into the midfield. He desperately tries to find support in good position but is run down. He shows great strength to extract himself from the defence and find Davis but the Roosters have made the ground up.

The ball is kicked to the right on the next play and the Parra chasers are swarming. The Roosters get the initial touch and it scuppers in goals where Lavaka dives on it to score.

Davis misses another conversion.

Parar have locked it all up at 16-all.

58min gone.

 

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Sideline eye has been quiet since early in the first half, cobbers.

 

[Forty20]

Tepu-Smith recieves plenty of work in the tackle from the kick off and somehow the ball comes free.

The referee rules that he lost control and packs a scrum for the Roosters 25m out from our line.

 

[Forty20]

Pauli collars the Roosters runner just a smidgen high and is pinged by the ref. The Roosters take exception to the tackle and run in but the replay shows there was nothing in it.

Hastings shows some indecision near the posts and costs his team an offload before Jeff Markus gets involved in a ripper of a tackle.

The Roosters find the ingoals with the grubber and Lavaka grounds the ball to bring play back to a drop out.

 

[Forty20]

Hasting lost the ball there for sure but the ref has missed it somehow.

Newbigging traps the kick from the fullback with his left foot before diving on it to give Parra the ball.

Another penalty for a hand on the ball brings play back to halfway.

 

[Forty20]

Clay is at first receiver now with Markus at dummy half.

Parra play out a solid set that ends with Clay trying to find the in goals with his stab chip kick but the angle isn't right.

 

[Forty20]

Stupid penalty from Parra now for taking the kicker out without attempting a tackle.

Hastings signals to the referee that we wants a shot at the two points from in front.

 

[Forty20]

The two point attempt is taken easily by Hastings.

Roosters nudge their noses back in front 18-16.

65min gone.

 

[Forty20]

And now a clanger from the Roosters #9. In almost the exact place that Matterson spilled the kickoff, so had the rake for the Roosters.

 

[Forty20]

There is good intensity and speed from the boys in this set but the Roosters lift and match them before a Matterson grubber just trickles over the dead ball line.

The Roosters take a quick tap from the 20m restart and makes excellent metres without breaking the line.

The home supporters are baying for a penalty but nothing comes from it.

Both teams then take turns trading possession via mistakes which leaves the Roosters with a scrum 40m out from out line.

 

[Forty20]

Moeroa continues to make good contact when he hits a runner. You can hear the thunk from the sideline whenever he lines a player up.

The Roosters bring their set to a premature end with another soft forward pass.

 

[Forty20]

Goodall takes the hit up from the scrum and nearly loses the ball in the initial contact before actually doing so when he hits the ground. Terrible stuff there from the winger.

Parra then give away a penalty.

The Roosters take the tap but they themselves loses the ball to tackles later, near the uprights.

The Weather has obviously got a lot to do with the ball handling. Even though the rain has stopped, the greasiness has set it.

 

[Forty20]

That was a great kick from Clay there that darts for the touch line. I'm not sure if it was kicked from inside the 40 but the Roosters winger certainly though so and made a play at it. Alas, he was out of the field of play and Parra get a scrum 10m out.

 

[Forty20]

The raid comes to naught as the ball squirts out of the hands of Tepu-Smtih when he hits the ground.