Brendon Taueki delivered the final blow as the Queanbeyan Blues came from behind to defeat the Queanbeyan Kangaroos 24-20 at Seears Workwear Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Behind ten points at halftime and with captain coach Terry Campese in the sin bin it appeared as if it would be the Kangaroos day but once Campese returned to the field, he and Ilaisa Ngata led a second half onslaught as they kept the Roos scoreless in the second half.
The Blues started the match the brighter of the two teams as Tyler Stevens stepped around the Kangaroos defence to score.
However, Nukurua Ngere set the tone for the first half with a damaging run from 20 meteres out to score for the Kangaroos.
Prolific winger, Jedidiah Simbiken, latched onto a grubber to score the Roos second try of the game making the score 10-6.
Brendon Taueki levelled the score when he caught a well-placed Terry Campese bomb but the subsequent conversion missed its target.
With influential Kangaroos five-eighth, Brent Crisp, missing the match due to work commitments, youngster Logan Spander took his opportunity as he beat three defenders to score.
As the Kangaroos caused the Blues plenty of problems through the middle with their powerful running and quick play the balls, the Blues chances were given a blow when Campese was sent to the bin for dissent.
Mitchell Connolly ensured the Kangaroos made their advantage count as he scored in the corner on the verge of halftime to give his side a 20-10 lead.
The second half was an entirely different story as Iliasa Ngata took control of the middle with some powerful running of his own.
With Campese back on the field the Blues had more structure to their attack but it was an unpredictable chip and chase from the five-eighth that gave the Blues their first points of the second half.
Deep in his own half, Campese decided to chip the ball over the Roos defence before gathering the ball and passing it to the onrushing Thomas Reudiger who scored.
Both teams come close shortly afterwards as Blues fullback Jake Wheeler had an overlap but chose not to pass the ball to his winger, instead being tackled just short of the line.
Jedidiah Simbiken came close to extending the Kangaroos lead when he beat Wheeler to grubber in the in goal but as the winger was celebrating, the referee ruled the try out.
George Stewart brought the scores level 15 minutes from time when the winger scored after the Blues moved the ball from left to right but the Blues hopes were further dented when Josh Baker had to helped off the field with an injury to his left leg.
However, Baker’s absence didn’t affect the Blues as they continued to attack in hope for a winning try and they were rewarded when Brendon Taueki dived next to the left corner post to secure the win.
The injury scares continued as Campese struggled to get up in the wake of Taueki’s try but the former Australian international managed to get to his feet before missing the sideline conversion.
The win sees the Blues move four points clear at the top of the table while the Kangaroos remain in second place.
Queanbeyan Blues: 24 (Tries: B Taueki 2, T Stevens, T Reudiger, G Stewart; Goals: T Campese 2) d
Queanbeyan Kangaroos 20 (Tries: N Ngere, J Simbiken, L Spander, M Connolly; Goals: J Essex 2)
Man of the Match: Ilaisa Ngata
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Topic: CRRL: CRC Match Report: Blues seal comeback win
