Knock-on Effect NSW Cup - Eels Team

[Forty20]

Wenty hold their line together well this set, despite some adventurous football from the home team. Mounties try to burrow over on the last but our markers are awake and make the tackle to force the turnover.

Oh dear but Moses Manu is driven into the in goals on our first carry...and he nearly loses it in goals as well.

Never a dull moment supporting this team I swear.

 

[Forty20]

Mounties working our right edge early in their set. They produce some second phase footy which takes them all the way to the goal line but we recover with some desperate defence. They bomb our left edge on the last and lose it backwards before Fabian Goodall shows some soccer skills to kick the ball ahead regather and then channels Hayne against McKinnon in 2009 as he turns a defenders inside and out before linking up with Faraimo who steams away down the field!

Arsey try but gee that was good to watch!

Conversion is no good.

Wenty on top now leading 22-10

37min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Tui Kamikamica continues to make himself busy around the ruck. Gorman has a strong run down the middle before we try our luck with a left edge shift but Goodall is barely brought down.

Matterson calmly finds touch 15m out from the Mounties' goal line. Clinical stuff.

 

[Forty20]

Some willing defence from Goodall and Faraimo nearly pushes the Mounties runner into touch before Wenty are pinged for a shoulder charge. Think that was Tui there.

Mounties look to have the final crack at scoring in this half but come up with an error so the chance then goes to Wenty but they are content to ruck it out and secure the 12 point lead at half time!

Half Time

Wenty 22 lead Mounties 10

 

[Forty20]

Well that was a very open half that featured some of the best meat pies that Wenty have strung together in a while. Our defence has largely done the job required with a few soft leaks but it is our opportunistic attack that has stolen the show. We will want to be better in controlling possession in the second half but there are plenty of positive signs there today.

One downer to come out of the half is a suspected hairline fracture to John Folau which will go close to ruling him out for the season if I am not mistaken.

 

[Forty20]

Wenty kick off in the second half. Pretty good first set for the home team as they build off some strong charges around the ruck. The kick comes on our 40m line and they look for the bomb to Faraimo but he defuses it cleanly and they finds some metres afterwards. Butler Fleming and Kamikamica have runs to follow before a neat pass from Matterson to Aloiai very nearly gets the young backrower into space. Alas he is just pulled down and Wenty then finish their set with a dab kick in behind that Jack Ahearn cleans up.

Mounties struggle for metres coming out of their red zone before Wenty give away a piggy back down the field with a penalty. A second penalty follows for a flop and tempers flare up between the two teams.

 

[Forty20]

Pakutoa is fired up from the heated exchange and looks for a big shot from the tap restart. It sort of comes off. Mounties then try to crash over around the posts but willing defence holds them out. They then look for a long cut out down our right but Butler Fleming takes the intercept! He hasn't got the pace to go the length so he passes to Toutai in support 40m down field but Vai slips over in contact.

Matterson takes the ball quickly down the left where we make even more metres but Faraimo comes up with an unforced error as he steams back in field. Gee that was a chance blown.

 

[Parra47]

Gorman and Nelson having possibly their best games of the year as is Matterson. Henry looks very composed. Faraimo playing well, I know he's not fast but I'd much rater him playing first grade than Falou. But we also have some dumb players out there that are costing us.

 

[Forty20]

Good take from Quinlan as he defuses an attacking bomb from the home team. Goodall and Aloiai do the dirty work early this yet but Wenty are restricted to a small gain on the whole so Henry has to heave the ball down field. He finds the carpet but it only gets the sole bounce as the back three for Mounties clean it up.

Big gain in contrast for Mounties in this set as they work it from our left to right edges. Nothing near a clean break but they have the better of the ruck at the moment.

Quinlan is forced to take another terrific catch under pressure and does so flawlessly. Wenty again go no where with the ball in hand and this time around Henry's clearing kick is cleaned up on the full.

Sam Gorman is then penalised as a lifting tackle goes awry. Gorman and Kamikamica both go on report as a result.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Shamr for big John. Happy for Goodall to get a chance out of it, hopefully he makes the most of it.

 

[Forty20]

Ooooh, so close! Goodall nearly gets the intercept but it ends up as a double knock on. Was a try either way depending on who caught that pass.

More pressure on Wenty now.

And there is ANOTHER penalty. 10-3 is the count to to the home team.

With all the territory and possession it was bound to happen and Mounties crack our line as Nicholls crashes into the line and barely gets the ball down.

Conversion is good.

Mounties trail 16-22

52min gone.

 

[Parra47]

Ref is killing us with the penalties. We are getting smashed by him.

 

[Forty20]

Make that 11 penalties now as the ref continues to cripple us in the second half.

Good read from Beau Henry as he jams on Cornish. Alex Twal is on and gets involved in the defensive line.

Cornish is forced to run on the last after he faces the rush and the play breaks down for Mounties as his pass is grassed.

Twal gets his first run shortly after. We then use Matterson who gets an offload away to take us back in field. Matterson gets a second touch in the set just after but he drops it cold this time around...and the pressure continues to build on Wenty.

 

[Forty20]

Beau Henry is down, hope it isn't anything severe given his awful track record with injuries.

 

[Forty20]

Henry is straight off for a concussion test.

And Mounties cross quickly from the resumption of play. Hawkins gets the ball down our left. He beats Goodall on the first attempt and Faraimo has to commit to him. Goodall comes back for a second effort to push him into touch but he somehow gets it down for a try.

Oh hang on! Replays show he was in touch. Dreadful luck for the Magpies as he was WELL OUT. Just wow. Terrible work from the officials there.

The conversion is good.

The game is locked up at 22-all

58min gone.

 

[Stagger eel]

Well done on the win Mounties the merkin in the middle has basically won it for you

 

[Parra47]

Henry off. The bloke just can't stay on the field. Then Mounties score a try when the Mounties players foot was clearly over the side line, how did the touchie miss that????

 

[Forty20]

Bit of justice for Wenty as the Mounties come up with an error on their second tackle. And ROFL, we get our first penalty of the half on the back of it.

Aloiai has the first run from the new set. Lasalo up next before Nelson has a run from dummy half. Matterson then goes to the line himself in a nothing play. We go down our right on the penultimate tackle but Quinlan is shut down and Gorman's kick on the last is a shocker, picking out Ahearn perfectly.

 

[Forty20]

Well done on the win Mounties the merkin in the middle has basically won it for you

You are not wrong.

 

[Parra47]

Now McCrone scores a try off a clearly forward pass. Well done officials.