Cockies Rope In Brumbies Heading Detail
The New South Wales Country Cockatoos have opened their 2010 representative campaign with a solid 16 – 13 win over the ACT Rugby Union.
The match was played as the main curtain raiser to the Brumbies v Reds Super 14 match at Canberra Stadium on Saturday, 1 May 2010.
Results of matches between the two Unions over the past seasons have favoured the ACT, but the Cockatoos turned up to play on Saturday and took out the match on the back of strong defensive, aggression at the breakdown and control of their own set piece.
The match opened at a fast pace by both teams with the Cockatoos mounting the early pressure, but it was the hosts who scored the first points in the tenth minute when they crossed for a converted try after working play into Country’s twenty two.
A forty two metre penalty goal by Cockatoos winger David Kennedy midway through the half saw the gap close to 7 – 3, and it wasn’t much longer before the Cockatoos took a 10 – 7 lead with a converted try.
The ACT were mounting pressure in the Cockatoos half when a dropped ball was grabbed by Cockatoos centre Heath Riggs who cleared it down field and gave chase. The ACT fullback made a meal of trying to gather the ball, and the fast chasing Riggs again grabbed the ball, wrong footed the defence and carried two defenders over the line to score.
David Kennedy’s sideline conversion increased the lead which had the Cockatoos on a roll and the momentum of the match had swung towards the players in Gold and Black.
The Cockatoos continued to mount pressure and the ACT had to work hard to keep them at bay, but an indiscretion at the breakdown saw David Kennedy kick a short range penalty goal to increase the Cockatoos lead to 13 – 7.
The remainder of the half saw both teams attack and defend strongly, but right on half time the ACT kicked a penalty goal to go to the break with the Cockatoos leading 13 – 10.
At halftime the Cockatoos cleared their bench and injected seven fresh players into the match, which had a major bearing on the end result.
The second half was a real arm wrestle with both teams attacking at every opportunity, but the defence of both teams was first rate which kept their respective try lines in tack. The Cockatoos aggression at the breakdown was taking its toll on the ACT, as they were continually being met by a wall of Gold & Black jerseys and becoming frustrated in attack.
Points were hard to come by and a forty six metre penalty goal by
David Kennedy increased the Cockatoos lead to 16 – 10 with ten minutes left on the clock.
The ACT declined a kick at goal an elected to take an attacking scrum, but the Cockatoos defence held and they again secured possession and cleared the danger zone.
When another penalty was awarded to the ACT they took the points to edge closer to the Cockatoos 16 – 13 and it was game on.
Both teams increased the tempo, but once again neither team was able to breach the defence, and the result was going right down to the line.
With seconds left on the clock the ACT was award a penalty but their kicker failed with the long range kick in an attempt to snatch a draw.
The Cockatoos Player’s Player went to lock Matt Dun whose work rate both in attack and defence made him the standout performer. He was well supported in the forwards by lock Matt Waterford who dominated the lineout, veteran prop Josh Woodford who went forward all day together with the back-rowers who continually harassed the ACT.
David Kennedy’s goals (three penalties and one conversion) maintained the pressure on the ACT, while debutant five eight Simon Murphy was solid in all
The match was played as the main curtain raiser to the Brumbies v Reds Super 14 match at Canberra Stadium on Saturday, 1 May 2010.
Results of matches between the two Unions over the past seasons have favoured the ACT, but the Cockatoos turned up to play on Saturday and took out the match on the back of strong defensive, aggression at the breakdown and control of their own set piece.
The match opened at a fast pace by both teams with the Cockatoos mounting the early pressure, but it was the hosts who scored the first points in the tenth minute when they crossed for a converted try after working play into Country’s twenty two.
A forty two metre penalty goal by Cockatoos winger David Kennedy midway through the half saw the gap close to 7 – 3, and it wasn’t much longer before the Cockatoos took a 10 – 7 lead with a converted try.
The ACT were mounting pressure in the Cockatoos half when a dropped ball was grabbed by Cockatoos centre Heath Riggs who cleared it down field and gave chase. The ACT fullback made a meal of trying to gather the ball, and the fast chasing Riggs again grabbed the ball, wrong footed the defence and carried two defenders over the line to score.
David Kennedy’s sideline conversion increased the lead which had the Cockatoos on a roll and the momentum of the match had swung towards the players in Gold and Black.
The Cockatoos continued to mount pressure and the ACT had to work hard to keep them at bay, but an indiscretion at the breakdown saw David Kennedy kick a short range penalty goal to increase the Cockatoos lead to 13 – 7.
The remainder of the half saw both teams attack and defend strongly, but right on half time the ACT kicked a penalty goal to go to the break with the Cockatoos leading 13 – 10.
At halftime the Cockatoos cleared their bench and injected seven fresh players into the match, which had a major bearing on the end result.
The second half was a real arm wrestle with both teams attacking at every opportunity, but the defence of both teams was first rate which kept their respective try lines in tack. The Cockatoos aggression at the breakdown was taking its toll on the ACT, as they were continually being met by a wall of Gold & Black jerseys and becoming frustrated in attack.
Points were hard to come by and a forty six metre penalty goal by
David Kennedy increased the Cockatoos lead to 16 – 10 with ten minutes left on the clock.The ACT declined a kick at goal an elected to take an attacking scrum, but the Cockatoos defence held and they again secured possession and cleared the danger zone.
When another penalty was awarded to the ACT they took the points to edge closer to the Cockatoos 16 – 13 and it was game on.
Both teams increased the tempo, but once again neither team was able to breach the defence, and the result was going right down to the line.
With seconds left on the clock the ACT was award a penalty but their kicker failed with the long range kick in an attempt to snatch a draw.
The Cockatoos Player’s Player went to lock Matt Dun whose work rate both in attack and defence made him the standout performer. He was well supported in the forwards by lock Matt Waterford who dominated the lineout, veteran prop Josh Woodford who went forward all day together with the back-rowers who continually harassed the ACT.
David Kennedy’s goals (three penalties and one conversion) maintained the pressure on the ACT, while debutant five eight Simon Murphy was solid in all