CITY 36
Tries: Sean Ireland 3,
Matt Bickerstaff 2, Craig Smith
Goals: Scott Thorburn 6
Team: 1.
David Mulhall (Souths), 2.
Aseri Laing (Easts), 3. Steve
Bell (Norths), 4. David
Baildon (c) (Easts), 5.
Trent Leis (Redcliffe), 6.
Scott Thorburn (Easts), 7.
Brett McPherson (Easts), 8.
Tahi Reihana (Souths),
9. George Gatis (Easts), 10.
Graham Cotter (Easts), 11.
Matt Bickerstaff (Easts), 12.
Craig Smith (Wests), 13.
Brendan Lindsay (Logan City).
Int: 14. Sean Ireland (Logan
City), 15. Mark Eacott
(Wests), 16. Matt
McCosker (Souths), 17. Robert
Campbell (Redcliffe). Coach: Tony
Currie.
defeated COUNTRY 22
Tries: Scott Williamson,
Wade Rothery, Darren Anderson, Michael Luck
Goals: Jace Van Dijk 2,
Scott Williamson
Team: 1.
Reggie Cressbrook (Burleigh),
2. Wade Rothery (Central),
3. Darren Anderson (Burleigh),
4. Scott Williamson (Cairns),
5. Justin Loomans (Central),
6. Grant Adamson (c) (Burleigh),
7. Jace Van Dijk (Toowoomba),
8. Shane O'Flanagan (Burleigh),
9. Michael Ryan (Toowoomba),
10. Sime Busby (Central),
11. Ali Brown (Burleigh),
12. Kirk Reynoldson (Toowoomba),
13. Kere Parata (Central).
Int: 14. Jason Barsley (Cairns),
15. Michael Luck (North Qld 1st
Division), 16. Damon
Keating (Toowoomba), 17. Danny
Coburn (Ipswich). Coach: Grant Bell
Venue: Langlands Park
Date: Saturday May 6
Referee: Rob Alexander
Half-time: City 12-10
Scrums: City 11-9
Penalties: Country 8-4
The annual City/Country
match is always one of the highlights of
the season and this years' promises to be
no different. Both sides have had a few
changes put upon them due to NRL
commitments and a few injuries and it
would be interesting to see how the two
sides would overcome. Last years' match
at First Provincial Oval saw the Country
side take out the game with a thrilling
two point victory. Langlands Park holds
this years' match and a nice crowd turned
out to watch the game.
City got off to a great start with Matt
Bickerstaff and Craig Smith scoring tries
in the opening 8 minutes.
The first try came off a Darren Anderson
handling error after they had withstood
pressure from the City attack. The
ensuring scrum saw Bickerstaff eventually
get the ball and crash over under the
sticks for the try. Scott Thorburn
converted the try and it was 6-0 to City.
The second came off a great 40-20 kick
from Thorburn. He has shown over and over
again that he is one of the best kickers
in the Bundy Gold Cup and this superb
kick gave City a tremendous advantage in
Country's half. George Gatis, who also
had a hand in the first try, sent a nice
pass to Craig Smith and he charged over
to score the 4 pointer. Try was converted
and City had raced out to 12-0 in 8
minutes.
However, Country were never fazed at
City's early lead and slowly crept back
into the game with a good try to Scott
Williamson. Grant Adamson put up a kick,
probably not the way he wanted it to go,
and it bounced between the City players.
Williamson got a hold of the ball and he
placed the ball over the try line. Scott
converted his own try and City's lead had
been cut to 12-6.
The tide was turning and Country were now
starting to get on top of the match.
Young Cowboy, Michael Luck, ran through a
gap and passed it to Danny Coburn who was
tackled 10 metres out. From the
play-the-ball, Jace Van Dijk threw a
magnificent long pass to Wade Rothery and
he scored the try. Try was not converted
and Country had now suddenly come back
into into the match, now only trailing
10-12.The score line remained that way until half-time.
Like they did in the first half, City
came out and put on the first points for
the half. Steven Bell made a break and
passed it to Sean Ireland who sprinted
down the field to score the try. Thorburn
converted the try and the score line was
18-10 in City's favour.
Country replied with a try of their own,
shortly after. Sime Busby went over the
line for the first but was held up. The
resulting scrum feed saw Adamson
eventually slip a small pass to Anderson
and he went over the try line. Jace Van
Dijk got the kicking duties off
Williamson and he kicked the goal. City's
lead had been pegged back to two and the score line was 18-16 in their favour.
City hit back to push their lead back out
to 8 points. A great pass from Robert
Campbell to Steven Bell who raced down
the field before giving it to Matt
Bickerstaff and the 2nd-rower scored his
second try of the day. Try converted and
City had a 24-16 lead.
However, Country would not lie down that
easily and they struck back again. A
couple of penalties saw them get down
into City's half. The ball was eventually
passed to North Queensland Cowboy young
gun, Michael Luck, who pushed his way
through the opposition defence to score a
great individual try. Try was converted
and City's lead was reduced to 2 points.
So was the nature of the see-sawing
match, the game was hanging in the
balance. Who would ever score next would
probably take out the match.
A turning point in the game was when
Country hooker, Michael Ryan, was
penalised for moving off the marker.
Country had received a penalty and had a
chance to kick a goal in front, 30 metres
out, a very much kickable goal. However,
Ryan decided to press on and was tackled
and turned over possession with that
penalty. An ample opportunity to tie up
the game was wasted and that was all City
needed to turn the game around.
City virtually put the game beyond doubt
with a try in the 65th minute. Darren
Anderson lost the ball (it wasn't one of
his better games) to Steven Bell. The
ball got to Aseri Laing who finished it
off with a pass to Sean Ireland and he
scored the try. Try converted and City
had got out to that important 8 point
lead. Score line read 30-22 and Country's
hopes were fading away in the distance.
Sean Ireland's third try put the icing on
the cake for City. He darted from dummy
half at Country's line and got over the
line. Scott Thorburn capped off a great
day with the boot, converting the try and
gave him a perfect 6 out of 6 goal
kicking record.
All-in-all, an exciting game with both
teams playing entertaining football. City
deserved their win as they fought very
hard to hold out the gallant Country
outfit.
As for standout players on both sides,
George Gatis got the ABC man-of-the-match
award. Surprisingly, Gatis has been
playing second fiddle to Jamie Tomlinson
in the Easts' side over the past several
weeks and I guess George will reclaim his
spot at hooker in the club team. Matt
Bickerstaff, Robert Campbell and Sean
Ireland all deserved a great mention as
they all put in good, individual efforts.
Ironically, Campbell and Ireland were not
initially selected and came in the City
team because of players dropping out.
As for Country, Kere Parata and Jason
Barsley were my standout players. Parata
played extremely well in a losing side
and Barsley looking potent in attack every time he got the ball.
The Queensland Residents side has now
been picked, based on Saturday's match.
Which ever 17 players the QRL chooses,
you can bet that they will do the job for
the Maroons on Wednesday night and
hopefully continue Queensland's good run
in the Residents matches.
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