StephenP
ArnoldDominant Blues send Maroons packing
May 21st 2008 12:16
The Harvey Norman State of Origin Series is alive and well, with the New South Wales Blues recording a gritty 18-10 victory over a shell-shocked Queensland Maroons at ANZ Stadium tonight.
Queensland started the match as unbackable favourites such has been their dominance throughout the past two series, but never really stood a chance against a composed and passionate Blues team who were out to prove that the Origin game is far from dead and buried.
Playing to a superb game plan created by master coach Craig Bellamy, New South Wales continuously repelled a rudderless Maroons outfit, which could just not crack an impenetrable Blues defensive wall.
The scoreline flattered the men from north of the border, with both of the Maroons tries being scored in the final minute of each half.
After dominating the early exchanges, it took New South Wales only four minutes to stamp their intentions of playing an up-tempo game, with debutant winger Anthony Quinn crossing for the opening try.
Off their first real attacking raid, wide running Blues backrower Ryan Hoffman was able to draw three Maroons defenders whilst delivering a neat one-handed offload to put Brett Stewart through a minute gap, with the flying fullback drawing his opposite to provide Quinn with an unchecked run to the line.
Veteran backrower Craig Fitzgibbon capped off a dream start for the home side by converting from wide out, handing the Blues an early 6-0 advantage.
The Blues pushed out to a shock 10-0 lead in the 18th minute when New South Wales half Peter Wallace produced a pinpoint cross-field bomb, this time Quin climbing high over Brent Tate to claim his second four-pointer.
New South Wales completed a dominant first-half by scoring just minutes before the break thanks to a sublime Anthony Laffranchi offload; the Titans forward drawing three Maroons defenders to find a charging Mark Gasnier, with the Test centre again drawing Maroons fullback Billy Slater to put Stewart over.
With Fitzgibbon taking a rest, Wallace failed with his missed conversion attempt leaving the Blues with a dominant 14-0 lead heading towards the break.
The Maroons made up for an ordinary first-half performance with a try to Brent Tate right on the siren, the Warriors winger just dotting down inside the corner post off a precision Johnathan Thurston grubber.
Thurston failed with his sideline conversion attempt, leaving the home side with a deserved 14-4 advantage at the main break.
Both sides opened the seond half full of running, with the Maroons continuously thwarted in attempting to get the ball to their skilful outside backs by the Blues dogged up-and-in defence.
And after weathering a torrent of Maroons attack, it took a beautifully constructed set play from the Blues to push them out to a match winning lead, with Titans debutant Anthony Laffranchi sealing the match with a try on debut in the 68th minute.
Starting on the 30-metre line, the Blues spread the ball wide allowing Stewart to get on the outside of Maroons centre Greg Inglis, with the Manly fullback passing onto Gasnier who flicked inside to Laffranchi to crash over.
Fitzgibbon was unable to convert from close proximity, but New South Wales were home and hosed at 18-4.
The Maroons never stopped trying though, with Justin Hodges and Brent Tate both coming within inches of closing the gap, before teenage sensation Israel Folau crossed for a consolation try in the 79th minute.
Queensland wil get a shot at redemptionin three weeks time, when they host the Blues at Suncorp Stadium.
New South Wales Blues 18
Tries: Anthony Quinn 2, Brett Stewart, Anthony Laffranchi
Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon
defeated
Queensland Maroons 10
Tries: Brent Tate, Israel Folau
Goals: Johnathan Thurston
At ANZ Stadium
Referee – Tony Archer
Crowd – 67,620
Penalties – 3-all
Half-time – NSW 14-4
Top Tacklers –
Cameron Smith 39 (QLD)
Anthony Laffranchi 38 (NSW)
Mick Crocker 34 (QLD)
Hit-Ups –
Paul Gallen 16 (NSW)
Petero Civoniceva & Nate Myles 15 (QLD)
Craig Fitzgibbon 13 (NSW)
Line breaks –
Mark Gasnier 3 (NSW)
Metres Gained –
Billy Slater 209 (QLD)
Mark Gasnier 185 (NSW)
Nate Myles 156 (QLD)
*stats courtesy of www.nrl.com
Queensland started the match as unbackable favourites such has been their dominance throughout the past two series, but never really stood a chance against a composed and passionate Blues team who were out to prove that the Origin game is far from dead and buried.
Playing to a superb game plan created by master coach Craig Bellamy, New South Wales continuously repelled a rudderless Maroons outfit, which could just not crack an impenetrable Blues defensive wall.
The scoreline flattered the men from north of the border, with both of the Maroons tries being scored in the final minute of each half.
After dominating the early exchanges, it took New South Wales only four minutes to stamp their intentions of playing an up-tempo game, with debutant winger Anthony Quinn crossing for the opening try.
Off their first real attacking raid, wide running Blues backrower Ryan Hoffman was able to draw three Maroons defenders whilst delivering a neat one-handed offload to put Brett Stewart through a minute gap, with the flying fullback drawing his opposite to provide Quinn with an unchecked run to the line.
Veteran backrower Craig Fitzgibbon capped off a dream start for the home side by converting from wide out, handing the Blues an early 6-0 advantage.
The Blues pushed out to a shock 10-0 lead in the 18th minute when New South Wales half Peter Wallace produced a pinpoint cross-field bomb, this time Quin climbing high over Brent Tate to claim his second four-pointer.
New South Wales completed a dominant first-half by scoring just minutes before the break thanks to a sublime Anthony Laffranchi offload; the Titans forward drawing three Maroons defenders to find a charging Mark Gasnier, with the Test centre again drawing Maroons fullback Billy Slater to put Stewart over.
With Fitzgibbon taking a rest, Wallace failed with his missed conversion attempt leaving the Blues with a dominant 14-0 lead heading towards the break.
The Maroons made up for an ordinary first-half performance with a try to Brent Tate right on the siren, the Warriors winger just dotting down inside the corner post off a precision Johnathan Thurston grubber.
Thurston failed with his sideline conversion attempt, leaving the home side with a deserved 14-4 advantage at the main break.
Both sides opened the seond half full of running, with the Maroons continuously thwarted in attempting to get the ball to their skilful outside backs by the Blues dogged up-and-in defence.
And after weathering a torrent of Maroons attack, it took a beautifully constructed set play from the Blues to push them out to a match winning lead, with Titans debutant Anthony Laffranchi sealing the match with a try on debut in the 68th minute.
Starting on the 30-metre line, the Blues spread the ball wide allowing Stewart to get on the outside of Maroons centre Greg Inglis, with the Manly fullback passing onto Gasnier who flicked inside to Laffranchi to crash over.
Fitzgibbon was unable to convert from close proximity, but New South Wales were home and hosed at 18-4.
The Maroons never stopped trying though, with Justin Hodges and Brent Tate both coming within inches of closing the gap, before teenage sensation Israel Folau crossed for a consolation try in the 79th minute.
Queensland wil get a shot at redemptionin three weeks time, when they host the Blues at Suncorp Stadium.
New South Wales Blues 18
Tries: Anthony Quinn 2, Brett Stewart, Anthony Laffranchi
Goals: Craig Fitzgibbon
defeated
Queensland Maroons 10
Tries: Brent Tate, Israel Folau
Goals: Johnathan Thurston
At ANZ Stadium
Referee – Tony Archer
Crowd – 67,620
Penalties – 3-all
Half-time – NSW 14-4
Top Tacklers –
Cameron Smith 39 (QLD)
Anthony Laffranchi 38 (NSW)
Mick Crocker 34 (QLD)
Hit-Ups –
Paul Gallen 16 (NSW)
Petero Civoniceva & Nate Myles 15 (QLD)
Craig Fitzgibbon 13 (NSW)
Line breaks –
Mark Gasnier 3 (NSW)
Metres Gained –
Billy Slater 209 (QLD)
Mark Gasnier 185 (NSW)
Nate Myles 156 (QLD)
*stats courtesy of www.nrl.com
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