Australia Blog

State of Origin III - Game Time

QLD nearly turned attack into tragedy with a dodgy kick by Lockyer run back by Minichello for an almost certain score. A great tackle by Matty Bowen to save a try, but how did QLD not score?! So much pressure but great NSW defense. Love this stuff!

After all the early pressure on both lines, NSW comes away with 2 points from a weak penalty. The crowd is starting to get back into it with cries of "Queenslander!!" My brother and a one of my buddies are a t this game, no doubt yelling their lungs out. 14 minutes gone.

NSW score!
Nothing fancy, but when you give NSW a second set of six after a weak penalty by Michael Crocker, QLD only have themselves to blame. The world's greatest player, Andrew Johns, is starting to direct traffic and it doesn't look good for the Maroons. 23rd minute.

Another NSW try. A simple Johns bomb to one of the shorter QLD players on the line and the bigger NSW centres jumped and came down with the ball.

And again NSW score. This is getting ugly fast. After all the early pressure, QLD have nothing and NSW have 18. Andrew Johns again influential, attacking the line and drawing defenders before offloading and allowing the NSW backs to come into play. 33rd minute.

Half-time
NSW 18-QLD 0
We suck! Can't defend, tired in attack. After such a blistering start and coming up with nothing, it appears as though the Maroons are out of ideas while the Blues go from strength to strength after weathering that early storm. Hopefully the boys can suck some wind over the break and come out firing like NSW did in the first game of the series where they came back from 19 points down to nearly win it it. The crowd has been a non-factor in the face of so much NSW scoring but they will be the 14th man in the second half if QLD can rise to the occasion.