Knock-on Effect NSW Cup - Eels Team

[Forty20]

Kamikamica with the first run of the set. Aloiai has a solid carry down the left to follow. Matterson uses Manu to centre the ball before Toutai gets a run down our right.

Henry passes to Ualesi to bring up the last before Henry gets the final touch by driving a long grubber down field. A great kick chase from Sam Gorman gives Wenty the positional advantage.

 

[Forty20]

Geeeee, fortune for the Cutters!

An impromptu kick from their own half BARELY avoids going out on the full. That would have been a massive moment in the game.

Regardless, Butlet-Fleming has a nice carry from the scrum win before Aloiai has a huge charge down the left. Love this kid.

Wenty go right then left with Manu bringing up the last. Henry looks for an inside pass to Sam Gorman on the last but it is telegraphed from miles away and Gorman is taken easily for a soft turnover.

 

[Forty20]

Illawarra opt to use ummy half scoots this set before kicking on the 4th where they DO kick out on the full time time! That was well out as well.

10sec left on the clock so Wenty get one last play but they just use Kamikamica to ruck it up and close out the half.

Half Time

Illawarra 20 lead Wenty 12

 

[Forty20]

Wow what a crazy half. Wenty looked gone for all money as the Cutters rode some luck and ruck dominance to a 20-0 lead. Both halves for Wenty in Henry and Matterson did their part in the mini-comeback as the Magpies narrowed the margin to just 8 points.

Still plenty of work to do for Wenty but credit to the team for not folding under the pressure exerted on them by the Cutters. Momentum was with them heading into half time so hopefully they can come out and build on it!

 

[Parra47]

The first 20 minutes by Wenty were poor but they have come back into the game. Having Henry off for a professional foul ten minutes didnt help as Illawarra scored twice.
For Wenty Butler-Fleming has been safe at fullback, Matterson has really warmed into the game, (apart from throwing an intercept that lead to a try), he has looked good when he has run the ball and is passing well. Henry is having a very good game, working hard in defence and working well in attack, controlling things well with Matterson. Alvaro was solid when on and smashed Packer when he ran the ball at him. Nelson has been solid at hooker and Aloiai is running well on our left side.
See what the second half brings.

Shannon Wakeman has been very good for the Cutters. How he has not played NRL I don't know. Been around for years in NSW Cup. We should look at him for next year.

 

[Forty20]

Second half is a go with Wenty receiving the ball.

Kamikamica rumbles into the line for another carry. Aloiai up next as the trend seems to be. Moses Manu and then Vai Toutai get carries. The latter nearly bursts through the defence and then flick passes to Lavaka, Lovely ball but at the same time Lavaka has no space to come in field and is driven into touch.

 

[Forty20]

Not much doing for the Cutters even though they get into the red zone. They bomb our left edge on the last where it is cleanly taken by Tagiilima I believe.

Tough set for Wenty though as they are held to their own half so Matterson has to heave up a deep bomb that is taken with out any issues from the home team.

Frenetic stuff at the end of the Illawarra set now as they kick to our left where it is taken by one of their chasers. He flicks it to his winger who kicks in behind where Gorman cleans it up.

 

[Forty20]

Illawarra winning the positional war in the opening exchanges.

They roll into our red zone again and on the back of playing the majority of their sets in our half they crack us open with a grubber kick down our right. It is rolled perfectly between Henry and Toutai and is taken by an Illawarra chaser who gets it down despite attention from the cover defence.

The conversion is unsuccessful.

Illawarra leading 24-12.

47min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Cutters get into our half on the last and set up for an attacking kick and Butler-Fleming drops it cold! Oh dear. Wenty heaping the pressure on themselves.

Stout defence early in the set and indeed Wenty bring up the last where Butler-Fleming redeems himself with some clinical work fielding the grubber kick.

Again, Wenty going no where working it out of their red zone. Cutters pushing up hard. Decent kick from Henry at the completion of this set though relieves a little bit of that pressure.

However Wenty pile it right back on themselves as they are pinged for a strip...

 

[Forty20]

Finally some luck! A surging run from the fill-in fullback for the Cutters as he cuts through our left edge but loses it once he is pulled down!

I will take that.

 

[Forty20]

Matterson has a run up the middle and Pakutoa follows to bring up the last. Henry drives it flat down field and picks out the fullback.

Wenty need to aim up this set, scratch that an error from the Cutters gives them the break they were looking for!

Alvaro settles the Magpies with a run up the middle before we attack down the left and then go right. Scrappy stuff to complete the set though. Squandered chance really.

Henry bombs it to our left where we bat it back after it is left to bounce. Matterson gets the ball but has a defender right on him so he rolls it in blindly where it is taken easily.

 

[Forty20]

Error from the Magpies now as they try to force the matter. Toutai was the man there trying to offload to Lavaka as his ball is correctly adjudged forwards.

 

[Forty20]

A second error from Butler-Fleming at the back now. He was so tidy in the first half but has grassed two kicks in the second stanza. This one was a grubber that stayed low and caught him off guard.

Illawarra pack for a scrum 10m from our line.

Hah! Well that was easy. Matterson lines up for a solid tackle but truth be told it wasn't Ryan that forced the issue there, just a bad pass and loose catch.

More momentum for the Magpies as they pick up a penalty coming out of their half.

 

[Forty20]

Another carry from Aloiai. Good game from the young back rower.

Alvaro and Pakutoa up next for Wenty before Alvaro gets a second carry in this set.

Beau Henry! Chimes in again with a lovely cut out ball! It is down the right again but this time he finds Lavaka who beats his opposite to the corner to score. Nice work from Nelson out of dummy half there as well.

The conversion is unsuccessful.

Wenty narrow the margin to 8, 16-24

62min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Alvaro takes the kickoff carry. Ualesi follows in his wake as Wenty ruck it out. Nic Kassis is on and gets his first carry to my memory as Henry turns him on the inside.

The ball then comes to Aloiai who carries defenders well past the advantage line and sucks in defenders down the left edge. That factors into the next play as a face ball puts Walker into space. He is pulled down though.

A massive movement from left to right sees the Magpies get a line drop out! Lovely work from Lavaka there to find the in goals with a grubber and get the repeat set.

DAMN! All comes to naught as Alvaro makes an error in the play the ball.

 

[Forty20]

Cart wheeler! Aloiai got low and the runner just flips over him. Bizarre but it nets the Cutters a penalty.

Wenty under the pump as the Cutters hammer their goal line. They stay strong though and some how manage to hold out for the full set!

Lovely work from Toutai there. Henry gives him early ball and he creates an offload for Kassis who heads down field.

Some luck comes into play with a six again call from a Henry pass. Correct cal though.

Good ball from Matterson to Tagiilima but he is taken by the cover defence. Moses Manu centres the ball and then Henry looks for a cheeky kick in behind to Lavaka but the winger for the Cutters sees it coming and takes it easily.

 

[Forty20]

Lavaka and Kassis chalk up carries early in this set. Manu involved next before Matterson and Aloiai go down the left where they find Butler-Fleming on the sweep but he is tackled.

That brings up the last where Matterson sends up a towering bomb. Kassis comes down with it! He offloads to Lavaka who breezes past a defender to score! Game on!

The conversion is successful.

Wenty trail the Cutters 22-24

72min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Moses Manu first up from the kick off. Ualesi to follow before Manu comes again. Nice left edge play between Aloiai and Matterson again as Aloiai plays at first receiver once more and Matterson amkes the carry.

Wenty centre the ball with Gorman and then go to Henry on the last who bombs it. Both teams let it bounce and Kassis again cleans it up and offloads to Nelson to gets a desperate offload away to the ground where Kassis kicks it ahead and it is taken by the defence.

 

[Forty20]

Oh no! That should be the game. Wallace, the #14 for the home team, cuts through our right edge. Henry the culprit there I think. Pushed up and couldn't get to Wallce thus creating the gap.

Butler-Fleming it stepped back on the inside for the game winning score.

The conversion is successful.

Illwarra lead Wenty 30-22

76min gone.

 

[Forty20]

Short kickoff from Wenty and it is taken by the Cutters. That was probably the last roll of the dice given they needed to score twice.

Collected play by the Cutters in this set as well as they keep it simple and then find touch on our 10m line to close out their set.