Singin' Aye Aye Yippee Yippee Aye
Singin' Aye Aye Yippee Yippee Aye
Singin' Aye Aye Yippee Yippee Aye Aye Yippee Yippee Aye Aye Yippee Yippee Aye!
Queensland 22 (Holmes, Capewell, Ponga, Hunt tries; Holmes 3/4 goals) def. New South Wales 12
One of the gutsiest Origin wins in history. Lose Munster & Taulagi on the eve of the game, then lose Cobbo and Collins early and the boys just found a way to rise to the occassion.
The coaching obviously had a huge impact because the win reminded me of so many from that 06-17 period. The spine just played some fantastic footy on the back-foot. Ponga broke 18 tackles, the kicking game from Cherry-Evans and Hunt was effective and Dearden was all class in everything he did.
I said before the game Tom wouldn't let the Maroons down and while I believe it was a huge asked he more than responded to the task.
In fact all the Cowboys were brilliant for the Maroons. Nanai was a constant danger, Holmes had some huge touches and Gilbert was a machine. His effort through out the game was enormous but that recovery of the Holmes touch back takes the cake. He's busted his gut for 60 odd minutes, has players coming from both directions and he still has the calmness to reel the ball in and keep the pressure on NSW.
I felt in that first half the game was slipping. Then Cherry-Evans put together a great kick towards the sideline that Tupou bit on. The Maroons close to the line challenged the Blues around the ruck, Grant put in a kick that really ought to have been grounded by the Blues but Capewell somehow squeezes in between and gets there first.
Start of the second half, Queensland go close only for a brawl between Gagai and Burton to deny them. Somehow the Maroons on the back-foot hang on, the Blues start making errors and the Maroons started getting some real success with the early kicks. Suddenly the Blues found themselves in a hole and through weight of possession, Ponga beats two tackles to score a vital try to put the Maroons infront.
The Maroons keep the pressure on but the Blues defence was too resilient. Just as the Blues looked like they were going to steal the game light, Cleary's do or die kick is plucked by Ben Hunt and Ben scores the most important try of his career to seal one of the most memorable Maroons victories of all-time.
