The Cumberland Throw

Live Blog – Eels Junior Representatives Round 4 vs Bears & Dragons

The Parramatta Eels are back at home for Round 4 of the Junior Representatives. All three teams will be looking to consolidate on an unbeaten road trip to Wollongong with the Tarsha Gale and SG Ball taking on the North Sydney Bears while the Harold Matthews tackle the St George Dragons.

 

All the action kicks off at 10:00AM with the Tarsha Gale while we switch things up this week as the SG Ball follows at 11:30AM before the Harold Matthews round out the day with a 1:00PM start.

In addition to the Junior Representatives there was also a development game today where the Eels took on the Bears in what I believe was the Under 16s. In what is hopefully an auspicious sign the Blue & Gold proved too strong running out 28-8 winners.

Click the spoiler tag for each team to follow the updates in each game!

The team lists and live updates will then open for each game.

First Half

 

The Eels are receiving the ball to start the Gale. An early penalty for the home team takes them to half way where the tap finds Caitlin Peadon. Right now as Doueihi turns Mahe back inside before they go right again looking for a big right edge shift but Charlotte Cawthorne can’t bring in a looping pass from Doueihi and the Bears are left off the hook.

The Bears punch pack with a strong set that forces Alysha Bell to clean the kick up close to her goal line before some driving defence piles on the pressure. The referee finds a mistake in the play the ball.

Huge set for the Eels to defend now and they bring the anger themselves with a series of swarming tackles. Fantastic footy from both sides early in this contest and Debbie Doueihi adds to it with a courageous dive on a bouncing grubber.

Play is called off while Pottinger is treated before she eventually leaves the field. Maybe a cheekbone or facial injury? Kasey Quye is on to replace her.

Another terrific touch from Laila Dimech! She has burst straight into the backfield! Wonderful power and speed from the front rower and she showcases some tidy footwork as she takes on the fullback! She is brought down by the cover chase but rapid ball movement down the left edge – spearheaded by Doueihi and Leila Black – puts the home team on the goal line where Kalisi Mahe smashes her way over.

Try scored by Kalisi Mahe. Conversion successful by Alysha Bell.

Eels lead 6-0

12min gone

Classy set after points! They control the ruck perfectly before Doueihi drills a worm burner kick nearly in the backfield. A penalty in defence takes some pressure off the Bears but they cough the ball up shortly after and then concede a penalty of their own.

Peadon takes the tap restart as the Eels look to work to the right. Kanye Maru has a bullocking run to set the Eels up in an identical position to their first score but they come up with an error trying to dive over this time around.

A little bit of sloppines has crept into this game with both teams failing to complete their last sets. The Bears break the stalemate with a testing surge down their left edge that opens up our defence before Alysha Bell makes the important save at the last line. More pressure from the visitors though with a grubber kick that is ruled to be batted dead by the Eels in a deep contest on the dead ball line.

Despite a strong start to the defensive stand the Eels are unravalled when Grace-Lee Weekes splits two defenders on our right edge – I think Doueihi and Black there – to score. Looks like the tacklers almost pinballed eachother off with the angle of their collision and the Bears prosper for it.

Try scored by Grace-Lee Weekes. Conversion successful.

Bears lock the scores up at 6-all

24min gone

The momentum in this game has changed in rapid fashion as the Bears find space down our right edge for the second time today. Bell is called upon to make the try saver again but is ruled to have slipped high in the process. Marginal call but not unduly outrageous. Good effort from Bell nonetheless.

North Syndey’s powerfully built five-eigth goes perilously close to scoring but is held up at the last moment which in turn sparks a minor fracas that ends up costing the Bears possesion! What a brain snap.

A seocnd penalty carries the Eels deep down field as the spine start to link up. Doueihi and Alysha Bell shift wide right to Hayley Bell who tucks it under the wing and steams into the line. Back to the left following that as a tidy kick is rewarded with a drop out.

Mahe is called upon for the opening carry before Black rips into a retreating defence. Mahe comes back for a second but is held up over the line leading to a 10m reset. Right to Doueihi and shapes to er right and finds Maru. Great build up here and Nella Lima runs a beauty of a line to reap all the benefits of it! Great late fade/unders angle to her carry and it pulls the Bears apart as she dives over.

Try scored by Nella Lima. Conversion successful by Alysha Bell.

Eels lead 12-6

29min gone

 

Half Time

Parramatta Eels 12 lead the North Sydney Bears 6

 

Second Half

 

Parra to kick off in the second half. Fiery start to the contest as both teams look to dominate physically. Thr Bears are penalised for what looks to be pressure on the neck putting the home team on the front foot. They drive their way into the red zone and sortie down their left as the play the ball wide to Alysha Bell. She takes on the line herself and pushes through just short of the try line but her offload attempt spills out towards the Bears and they dive on it.

Oh my lord Alysha Bell! Talk about quick redemption. North Sydney make a long break down their left edge in the reply set and look at impossibly good odds to score. Bell is left with three players to cover but slides across the first two perfectly, forcing pass on each occasion, before absolutely bulldozing the winger into touch in a dominant tackle!

Parramatta are forced to defend their line again shortly afterwards but remain grimly resolute. Doueihi makes a terrific tackle from dummy half on the last to force the turnover on tackles.

Kanye Maru has another wuality carry and it followed up by Kalisi Mahe. A big switch of play catches the Bears short down the left. Doueihi loops a pass back to Alysha Bell who then chips ahead. The bounce breaks backwards but to her right missing her but finding a support runner. The Eels play the numbers advantage at the last line as the ball ends up with Hayley Bell but she is hit as she tries to ground the ball and is ruled to have lost it by the ref who has a great vantage point on the play.

The Eels pickup another penalty, care of a high shot, in their next set and work from right to left on the resumption of play. The shift sees Bell link up with tui down the left before coming back to the posts with Lokeni. Quye tries to burrow over on the last but is stuffed by a pair of desperate defenders.

Dimech makes a great defensive read as she intercepts an offload in the ruck to put Parra back on the attack. Wonderful heads up play.

To the right edge where Hayley Bell beats her opposite and passes back inside to Tui for a nice gain. Dimech carts it up to bring up the last before Doueihi tries to grubber crossfield to her left edge. It is skewed off the boot and becomes a cotnest in the front line where there is more than a question of a knock on from the Bears but the ref sees it differently allowing them to escape.

A penalty for an illegal marker play gifts the Eels another big opportunity as Dimech and Lokeni take the early runs. Left now where the fullback Bell has another run at the line before the home team is pulled up for a forward pass as they try to make a power play at the goal line.

The same touchy comes into action swiftly afterwards as well as they call the Bears for an illegal pass of their own. Parramatta with a huge chance to secure a game winning lead here.

Right to Hayley Bell who takes a crash ball from Tui on the first. Back left with Tui and then Lokeni. Left on the fourth where Cawthorne links up early with Bell who quickly feeds the winger Vave who crashes over to score despite the attention of several defenders! They had to have it and they got it done.

Try scored by Siulolovao Vave. Conversion unsuccessful by Alysha Bell.

Eels lead 16-6

53min gone

Ooph. The one thing the Eels didn’t want was an error from the kickoff. Alas that is how it has unfolded with a shortish kickoff putting pressure on the home team to take a tough catch. The Bears pack the scrum from 25m out and play to their right where they have the Eels scrambling wildly as their winger comes back infield off her right foot. She is eventually collared high for a simple penalty call and with four and half minutes on the clock the Eels will have to defend their line with every fibre of their being.

Some withering defence early on. Hayley Bell has a brutal shot and backs it up two tackles later by bundling her opposite into touch! What a defensive sequence from the winger there.

A simple but effective set is completed somewhat chaotically with multiple kicks almost pulling apart the Bears. The referee has found a Parra knock on in the clean up for the second kick though and the Bears will have less than 2 minutes to bridge a 10-point gap.

Despite their best efforts the Bears can’t impact the scoreboard and the game ends with another dominat tackle from Hayley Bell to put the stamp on what was a wonderful contest from both sides.

 

Full Time

Parramatta Eels 16 defeat the North Sydney Bears 6

 

 

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16 thoughts on “Live Blog – Eels Junior Representatives Round 4 vs Bears & Dragons

  1. John Eel

    Great day for the Eels in the juniors.

    SG Ball go to the top of the table even if it is only momentarily.

    Well done Eels. Three from three.

    P.S. Did Forty have a malfunction?

  2. Anonymous

    another 3/3 very nice!! Sounds like all 3 teams haven’t quite got it all together yet but there’s a high ceiling if they can reach it. Forty or Sixties can you give us some insight into the play style of Apa Twidle? Seems like he as gotten better with each game.

    1. Grigor

      Marsden high Brisbane lad , originally from New Zealand, highly rated by Cameron smith who tips him to play first grade one day but as a centre which is his preferred position

        1. Anonymous

          Thank you Grigor & Sixties. Very encouraging to hear and hope the youngster continues to enjoy a good year!

    2. John Eel

      From Forty’s call Twidle had a very good game today. This seems to be building into a very good team.

      With Penrith and Raiders playing each other today the worst we can end the weekend is in third place

    3. sixties

      Twidle impressed from the start of the season and he is getting better with every game. Terrific positional play, talks well to his team from the back, fast and decisive with his runs, sets up his supports well.

  3. Milo

    Wow great day for the juniors here. Well done to all and thank you for the coverage.
    Can’t wait till next Thursday…

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