Late Mail

First Half

The Eels are receiving to start the game.

South kick off the posts and Dylan Brown field the kick and finds Sean Keppie. Mitch Butfield takes the charge of the game. Wide right now where Dean Matterson turns Salesi Faingaa back inside. The Eels bring up the last after Keppie offloads to Oregon Kaufusi and Troy Dargan puts a nice finish on the opening possession as he finds the grass in the South Sydney backfield.

The Rabbitohs look to punch it up the middle and kick early but Brown is well positioned for the kick. He hands the ball off to Greg Leleisiuao. South Sydney are pinged for infringing inside the 10m on the second tackle and the Eels will get terrific field position.

Tap and two passes left to Butfield. Left again to Matterson who links up with Dargan who then uses Ray Stone on the short line. Dargan swings to to the right now but there is a miscommunication and the ball pings off the left shoulder of Faingaa. No knock on called, or maybe the ref is just playing advantage, as Souths scoop it up and they end up breaking through the line in a huge counter-attacking run. Cover defence eventually brings the winger down but he is tackled on the Eels’ 20m line and our defence is in disarray.

Souths work to their right from there and have a 3-on-1. They don’t butcher the chance and cross in the corner to flip the whole flow of the match on its head.

Try scored by the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Conversion successful.

Souths lead 6-0

6min gone

Ooph. Questionable pass out of dummy half by the Bunnies there. They get away with it and worse, pick up a penalty on the next tackle when our markers are found to be not square. Rabbitohs with a real chance to go back-to-back here.

They work left to right but Dargan shuts down the movement with a nice jam and tackle. They really commit to working the ball down their right edge but the Eels, with a set defensive line this around, are more than equal to the challenge and force an error 10m out.

Dargan feeds the ball into the scrum and uses Salesi Faingaa. Matterson to Dane Aukafolau now and Leleisiuao has a carry on the third. Big sweeping left edge movement from there but the pass from Dargan to Brown hits the turf and Noel Aukafolau has to go back and clean it up. The Eels then go for a clearing kick and Dargan drives it straight down the fairway.

Simple set by Souths now as they drive it through the ruck and bomb Fonua. John juggles it backwards before reeling it in and turns around for the return. Brown has a run on the second but it looks like he has been stripped 1-on-1! Ouch, Souths with a prime opportunity now.

They go to their left looking for their light -stepping fullback but the Eels mark up well. Back to the posts now where they hold the ball up at dummy half and look for a delayed pass to a prop but some phenomenal last ditch defence forces an error. I couldn’t catch the player that almost single handedly wrested the runner back into the field of play and jolted the ball loose but it was a corker.

The Eels complete the following set to get out of their half with an early kick that catches Souths out at the back. Really good touch on the kick from Dargan. They keep working the markers over in reply though but can’t draw a penalty. A deft kick forces Brown to clean the ball up in-goals and he is hammered by three chasers as he comes back out into the field of play – although he does stay IN the field of play!

Tough metres now for the Eels. They go right to Leleisiuao but he is well tackled before coming back left and Dargan is ultimately forced to kick on his 30m line. Low, driving kick now. Looks like he may have wanted to find the sideline but the angle wasn’t quite there.

Another penalty to Souths now, this one for a high shot by the looks of it. They find touch 20m off our line and look to work it from their left edge.

They are loading up their left edge after taking the ball right. They do end up going that way but the execution is way off as a pass tumbles onto the ground and the Eels push up and tackle the Souths playing tidying it up. Alas, despite that half in the momentum of the set the Eels get their pants pulled down late in the set when a short ball back towards the ruck catches our right edge out. The runner dives between defenders to get the ball down. Really soft stuff.

Try scored by the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Conversion successful.

Souths lead 12-0

17min gone

Rough start here for the Eels. They have struggled for territory after the opening try scored by the Bunnies on the back of a huge counter-attacking effort.

As I type that the Bunnies fail to complete their kickoff set with an error very late in the set. On the last in fact. The Eels will pack down for a scrum interestingly enough – was that because it was an error in the PTB?

Parra work left then right. Matterson hits Faingaa on a crash line and we then play flat at the ruck to Keppie but he was never in control of the catch and loses it into the defence. We have failed to complete any of our few red zone sets today. No patience it would seem.

Half break for Souths in reply but we hold on barely. The end up going 70m downfield but their shallow kick on the last in rather ineffective thankfully and Dane Aukafolau claims it.

A basic set for the Eels now. They work the ball down their right before coming left to Dargan to drive the ball over the sideline 25m out from the Rabbitohs’ line.

Souths are playing for a penalty early in this set but it doesn’t come. Well at least not initially. Three tackles later they pick up a fortunate call for mine as the Eels are pinged for slowing down the ruck. Really didn’t see anything in that.

With 12-points already posted the Bunnies will take a shot a a penalty goal here. 32m out and just to the left of the posts.

The Rabbitohs’ kicker slots it right down the middle, securing a 3-score lead.

Penalty goal attempt successful by South Sydney.

Souths lead 14-0

25min gone

And now a chance for the Eels if they have the patience! The Bunnies have turned the ball over on their second tackle. Not much doing early in the set for Parra. Matterson gets a bit lost on the right edge and has to settle for a carry. Mahoney is easily caught running form dummy half to bring up the last and our bash over attempt from there is repelled comfortably for a turnover. Again, where is the patience?

Nice kick return from Brown in the next possession. Got between two chasers for a neat little gain. Fonua and Noel Aukafolau run from dummy half with the latter providing an offload to Mahoney. FINALLY there is a little bit of that patience I am talking about! Dargan takes control on the last and dabs the ball in behind the right edge of the Bunnies to force a line drop out!

Oh dang that deserved a try! Greg Leleisiuao has dead set flown onto the drop out return and smashed through the front line of defence! He looks to have beaten the fullback with a right foot step but there is one more defender lurking on the goal line for whatever reason to pull him down! Still the Eels can capitalise here! They go left to Stone who is tackled by a clearly offside defender. Stone stands in the contact and offloads to Dargan who then finds Noel. The youngest Aukafolau crashes over in the corner!

Try scored by Noel Aukafolau. Conversion unsuccessful by Dylan Brown.

Eels trail 4-14

31min gone

Keppie provides a solid kick return past the 20m mark. Fonua and then wide right to Dane Aukafolau in the next two carries. Dargan is the man of the moment now! He slides through the line down the left edge and passes to Ray Stone as he comes to the fullback. Stone is ankle tapped with 10m to go but deadset launches himself with his last lunging step and the evidently greasy pitch allows him to slide over the line! The Eels are back in this, baby!

Try scored by Ray Stone. Conversion successful by Dylan Brown.

Eels trail 10-14

33min gone

Keppie back to the 20m mark again.Stone and Hokai with carries before we go right. Matterson rolls in a very nice attacking grubber on the last but the bounce for Leleisiuao just isn’t there for a clean play at the ball. He tries to bat it back to support but the has traveled forwards. Tough break there. A kinder bounce meant try time.

Solid reply from South Sydney. Well at least until their kick. They had worked the ball 10m into our half but their bomb falls in their own line. Fonua, for reasons unknown, feels the need to play at the ball gifting the visitors a fresh set and thus the chance to extend their slim lead.

They focus on driving the ball to the posts before lining up to their left but their halfback gets the yips and doesn’t pass. Still, they salvage a nice finish to the set when Fonua is forced to run their well weighted grubber kick dead.

A great drop kick return from their prop now. And terrible, terrible defence. So much arm grabbing. Souths end up crossing in the wake of that run. Maybe a hint of a knock on in the planting of the ball? We have picked it up and run it out with the Souths players defending fiercely but in the chaos the ref has pointed to the mark! What is going on?

Try scored by the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Conversion successful.

Souths lead 20-10

Half Time

South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 lead the Parramatta Eels 10

Second Half

Parra to kick off in the second half.

Brown gets us underway with a relatively shallow kickoff. Souths claim it on the bounce. Nothing too fancy from Souths top open the half. There is a late offload in the set to take them into our half but Dylan Brown expertly defuses their attacking bomb.

Leleisiuao earns a penalty on the second tackle and we resume play 5m into the Bunnies’ territory. A nicely worked set culminates in Ray Stone smashing overo n the last for his second of the night!

Try scored by Ray Stone. Conversion successful by Dylan Brown.

Eels trail 16-20

45min gone

Ouch. Error from the try scorer on the kickoff. Stone has dropped it cold. Oh wow some real footy smarts from Noel Aukafolau has flipped the flip! He pushes in mid-count and intercepts a tip on! Great hands as well.

A nice set follows and the Eels complete it by trapping the Souths’ fullback 6m out. Alas we concede a penalty on the next tackle. Was that for infringing inside the 10m.

Error from Souths as they come over halfway. Looked like Stone was in the tackle. Nice dart from Mahoney as he holds the ball up and goes down the left. Dargan comes down the right on the last and links up with Dean Matterson but Matto’s grubber is too shallow and is easily taken in the field of play for a let off.

Another nice kick reception from Brown. Wobbling torpedo bomb there. Bit of a wasted set though. We go nowhere through the early tackles and Mahoney runs it down the left on the last and rifles a pass a good 3m forwards at least 5m into touch.

Souths struggle for metres here and Fonua eats up their kick and provides a good return. Finally a penalty comes to the Eels as well!

We find touch 10m into the Rabbitohs’ half and tap and go. Hokai is turned inside the ruck by Mahoney but Matterson spins himself around on the next tackle and has to take the tackle. An assertive carry from Leleisiuao back to the posts regains momentum in the set and the Eels pounce on the last as Dargan runs it and feeds the ball to Brown who holds it up before hitting Noel Aukafolau at the last moment for a try!

Try scored by Noel Aukafolau. Conversion successful by Dylan Brown.

Eels lead 22-20

56min gone

Hokai with the kick return. He flies into the line and is hammered! Great shot by the defence. Solid set after that and Dargan completes it with a towering bomb that is really well taken by the Souths’ custodian. Fonua flew through in chase but couldn’t complete the tackle as the ball came down.

Souths fight their way to the halfway mark and bomb Fonua but he takes it cleanly. Good work from Leleisiuao, Mahoney and then Leleisiuao again! Gets us rolling forwards. Dargan runs it on the last to the goal line and bounces off a tackle before finding Mahoney in support and the Eels’ NYC Player of the Year crashes over!

Try scored by Reed Mahoney. Conversion successful by Dylan Brown.

Eels lead 28-20

60min gone

Hokai takes the kick return and doesn’t get hit as hard this time around! We go right with Faingaa who loops across the field before finding Dane Aufafolau who brushes through the front line of defence! Hang on it is coming back for an obstruction penalty! How on Earth? Faingaa was the lead runner and had all his support runners come back inside? I have no idea how that is a penalty.

The Rabbitohs somehow manage to kick it dead from the penalty touch finder so we have a rare 20m drop out. The Eels hoof it deep and defend strongly to eventually gain possession 15m out from their line.

The Eels march downfield but end up finishing the set off somewhat sloppily after the dummy half pass to Matterson soars over his head and forces Dargan to clean up and rush a kick.

South Sydney roar back to life in the following set after making a bust up the middle. Dylan Brown makes an excellent cover tackle from fullback but we are desperately short down our left edge and the Bunnies kick early across field. Fonua was dragged infield by a short edge and tries to recover but the bounce kicks up for Souths and he is beaten back on the inside.

Try scored by the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Conversion successful.

Souths trail 26-28

67min gone

After both teams trade sets it is the Eels that make the Bunnies blink first! After picking up a 6-again call after a pass from Dane Aukafolau to Leleisiuao was knocked down it is Ray Stone who picks up his hat trick after getting turned inside by Dargan. Stone just flies onto the ball and tears through the line! What a player.

Try scored by Ray Stone. Conversion successful by Dylan Brown.

Eels lead 34-26

71min gone

Superb run by Leleisiuao as he dances and fends his way through a stack of defenders. A poor end to the set comes when Dargan’s kick is deflected in the line and scooped up by a defender but he slips over and the Eels recover to bundle him into touch! Great hustle!

Surging carry from Dane as he knocks defenders around! Dean Matterson tears into the line in the wake of the carry and is barely held up. Faingaa up next before we go left to Oregon Kaufusi who OFFLOADS TO STONE! Stone crashes over the line and rolls through the cover defenders to nab his fourth of the night!

Try scored by Ray Stone. Conversion successful by Dylan Brown.

Eels lead 40-26

75min gone

Some nice second phase play from the Eels now. Dom Murphy is on and takes a good run but Faingaa is forced to kick on the last and his kick is deflected in the line and the Souths pounce on it. A late penalty to Souths follows.

The Bunnies work their way into our red zone on the back on some strong runs and end up forcing a line drop out with a nice grubber kick. 90 seconds left on the clock.

Another penalty and a quick tap and go. Next play is an outside inside play with a massive forward pass! The refs are on point though and quickly call it up. That will do us tonight as the Eels and Rabbitohs are context to let the last 30sec run out!

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 40 DEF South Sydney Rabbitohs 26

TCT Best On Field

3. Ray Stone

2. Greg Leleisiuao

1. Troy Dargan

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