Raiders Toyota Cup hold out EelsThe Raiders NYC side registered an emphatic 40-30 win over the 6th placed Parramatta Eels at Canberra Stadium last night to secure their place in the top eight for another week.
The win was built on the back of a dominant performance by the young Raiders forward pack, who went head to head with the highly talented Parramatta pack.
“It was great to get the win. We’ve got a massive forward pack which is a big bonus for us and they really performed today and set the platform for the win,” said second rower Paul Vaughan, who had a fine game himself earning man of the match honours.
Parramatta halves, Jason Wehbe and Cameron Breust, have two of the best kicking games in the competition and coach David Hamilton’s game plan paid dividends with the usual territorial advantage enjoyed by the Eels being thoroughly nullified by the Canberra back three.
“All week we focused on their kickers Breust and Wehbe and we tried to put pressure on them all game,” said skipper Matt McIlwrick.
“A couple of times we didn’t put pressure on them and they hurt us. “That pressure gave our back three a bit of leeway to get to the kicks on the full and really get our sets rolling.”
Canberra started the match in a confident manner and were first to score in the 7th minute when Uiti Baker capitalised on a Parramatta penalty when he ran a terrific line off a Jack Wighton pass to score. Chris Medcalf converted.
Parramatta then hit back in the 13th minute through Chris Ulugia after Kyle Fraser leapt up and batted back a Breust cross-field kick to Ulugia. Breust converted.
Jack Wighton, whose confidence is sky high after leading the NSW under 18s to victory, then gave the young Raiders the lead in the 36th minute when the evasive half-back took the line on down the blind side, feigned to pass and powered his way over from ten metres out. Medcalf converted.
A try to Jeremy Hawkins in the 39th minute then stretched the lead out for Canberra going into the break. Ryan Gowing initiated the movement when he chose to run on the last and sent a brilliant long ball to Michael Chee Kam.
Chee Kam then burst through the Parramatta defensive line and positioned winger Hawkins to score.
Medcalf converted from out wide to give his side an 18-6 lead at halftime.
The Raiders started the second half poorly and conceding three tries within the space of ten minutes.
“The first ten minutes of the second half I think we were still in the sheds,” said McIlwrick tongue in cheek.
The side showed enough maturity though to compose themselves and close the match out.
Sami Sauiluma started the fight back for the home side in the 64th minute when a Wighton long ball enabled the centre to scythe his way through to the try line. Medcalf missed the conversion from the sideline.
Sauiluma then had a hand in the next try when he put through a grubber for Medcalf in the 68th minute. Medcalf made no mistakes this time around, nailing the conversion from the sideline.
Vaughan stretched the lead out a minute later when a Wighton bomb was recovered by McIlwrick, who then found the big second rower. Medcalf conveted.
Wehbe ensured an exciting finish in the last five minutes when he engineered a try for Ulugia through but it was not to be when fullback Jack Ahearn put the result beyond doubt when he pounced on a Wighton grubber to score in the 78th minute. Medcalf converted.
“Full credit to the boys,” Hamilton said.
“They [Parramatta] came out to play tonight. In the end we showed a lot of composure and resilience. We’ve been doing that for the last four weeks...so it’s great to finally get a win.”
Source: Raiders.com.au
Topic: Raiders Toyota Cup hold out Eels
