 Queensland v. New South Wales, Meninga v. Daley, Maroons v. Blues. It's the game which stands the hairs on the back of a mere mortals neck to attention, regardless of which hemisphere you call home.
The thirty-fifth State of Origin series (game 103) got underway at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney with an intriguing battle of the two old enemies. Queensland were slight favourites (-2 on the handicap) after their big win in game three at the Suncorp Stadium last season, but with last years series win under their belt, New South Wales had plenty of confidence that they would be the ones celebrating at the final hooter.
The excitement was palpable amongst the eighty thousand plus in attendance, this was going to be brutal.
The first New South Wales error, a dropped ball by Tupou, gifted the Maroons the ball twenty from the line. Four tackles in and a kick through was grounded by Slater, but after reviewing video evidence the Queensland full back was ruled to have fouled in the process of scoring. It was a wake up call for the Blues.
The Maroons maintained their dominance, almost exclusively camped out in the oppositions half, and on twelve minutes Cooper Cronk scored the first try of the series, when he backed himself to bust the line from twenty metres. Jonathan Thurston added the two for 6-0.
On nineteen the Blues opened their account with a sensational long range try. Josh Dugan broke from his own half to the forty metre line, and put in a pinpoint kick to the corner which bounced perfectly for the chasing Josh Morris to collect and score in the corner. Trent Hodkinson slid the ball to the right of the posts with the attempted conversion for 4-6.
As Queensland had dominated the first fifteen minutes, the second fifteen was all New South Wales. Fast hands and dummy runners bamboozled the Maroons defence and Beau Scott crashed over. Hodkinson had an easier angle and this time he added the conversion for 10-6.
At the break there was little to choose between the two sides on the pitch or the scoreboard. This was still anyone's.
Queensland looked the most likely to score in the opening exchanges of the second half and fifteen minutes in, the Blues defence couldn't withstand the pressure any longer. Cronk and Thaiday combined to put Chambers over on the overlap by the right corner flag. Thurston slid his conversion in front of the sticks and the game was tied up at 10-10.
As the second half wore on there was only one team in it. Cameron Smith went over but was held up without grounding the ball, and with ten left Thurston came up short with a long range penalty attempt.
Six minutes from the final hooter and Queensland had the lead, by a slender one point, after Cooper Cronk kicked a drop goal from twenty-five metres out.
New South Wales finally got some field position with couple of minutes to go, and on the last, Dugan missed a drop goal attempt from forty metres as the ball went right of the posts.
Queensland took advantage of a penalty for a two-on-one ball steal to play the remainder of the game in the New South Wales half, and take the opening match by just a single point, despite their total domination of the second half.
The Maroons take a one game advantage to Melbourne in three weeks time, and it should be another belter with New South Wales desperate to level the series.
New South Wales: Dugan, Tupou, Morris (T), Jennings, Hopoate, Pearce, Hodkinson (G), Woods, Farah, Tamou, Hoffman, Scott (T), Jackson. Interchange: Merrin, Cordner, Klemmer, Fifita.
Queensland: Slater, Boyd, Inglis, Hodges, Chambers (T), Thurston (G), Cronk (T, DG), Scott, Smith, Myles, Guerra, Thaiday, Parker. Interchange: Morgan, McGuire, Gillette, Lillyman.
Referees: Gerard Sutton & Ben Cummins
Crowd: 83,000 |
