Brumbies Provincial Tournament – Match Three: MONARO v SOUTHERN INLANDS.
The Monaro men’s representative team lost their second (and final) Brumbies Provincial match to Southern Inlands with a final scoreline of 27-21.
Monaro scored the first and last try of the match but Southern Inlands dominated most of the bits in between.
With big line-breakers in key spots across the paddock, Southern Inlands held a slight edge in possession and territory for much of the match.
Mitchell Stevens from the Yass Rams was first on the board just 6 minutes in and the converted try gave Monaro the initial lead.
But wins against the Brumbies Provincial tournament favourites have been rare over the years and Southern Inlands weren’t going to be over-run this time either.
Just three minutes after Monaro’s try, Southern Inlands butchered a sitter but made up for it a couple of minutes later with a try on the right-wing. The conversion attempt missed, though, and Monaro still held onto a 7-5 lead.
Seven minutes later, Southern Inlands went in again, this time with the conversion on target, and three minutes later they crossed again with a soft try up the centre for a 19-7 half-time lead.
Momentum remained with Inlands in the second half and six minutes into the second section they were in again with a try built on the back of ongoing pressure on the Monaro line.
But Monaro was quick to respond a few minutes later with a try to the Monaro number 8 duly converted by ADFA’s Fraser Baird, shaving back the lead to 24-14.
Monaro was placed into a strong position with 11 minutes remaining when Goulburn fullback Adam Lachlan streaked up the right flank to set up a promising attacking platform, but the opportunity was squandered with a turnover at the breakdown a few phases later.
With seven minutes to go, a Southern Inlands player was shown the yellow card for an accidental spear tackle but a subsequent opportunity at a penalty kick put the side ahead by 27-14.
As in their earlier match in the day, Monaro would score right on the bell when Goulburn’s Ben Cheetham snapped up the intercept for a 40m run to cross the line, but even though Fraser Baird took no time at all to convert with a drop kick, time had run out with Southern Inlands winning 27-21.
Inlands, who were often keener and quicker to the breakdown and made better yards with ball in hand, were deserved winners.
Monaro made their task harder with unforced handling errors in the second-half but it was a solid performance to finish down by just four tries to three to Southern Inlands, who beat South Coast by 50-19 (eight tries to three) in the other tournament match.
Southern Inlands 27 (Sam Carwadine 2, Liam Krautz, Will Wennerbom tries, Wennerbom 2 conversions, Wennerbom 1 penalty goal) bt Monaro 21 (Mitch Stevens, Sam Pye-Edwards, Ben Cheetham tries, Fraser Baird 3 conversions).
