Jarome McKenzie stretches over for the opening score of a try-filled evening at Pirtek Stadium – Photo: karenwatson,com.au

by Paul Cook –

A dazzling attacking display has kept the Greater Sydney Rams’ finals hopes alive with an impressive 56-29 victory over Brisbane City at Pirtek Stadium tonight.

In a game where defence was somewhat secondary, the Rams simply had too much firepower for their highly fancied opponents, despite the presence of Quade Cooper, outgunning them seven tries to four to move up to joint-second on the ladder alongside City with two full rounds of the competition remaining.

With captain Jed Holloway missing through injury, the ever reliable Hugh Perrett stepped up to the leadership role and spoke afterwards about how pleased he was with the efforts of a side with their season on the line. “I think we were more composed with the ball in attack and we showed more desperation in defence and it was a good balance,” he told Rugby News. “It’s been a tough week with injuries and we had to make a few changes as a result and I think we showed a lot of character out there. We had nothing to lose.”

Despite his obvious disappointment, City coach Nick Stiles had no complaints at the final score. “We never got into the physicality of the game, that was the disappointing thing for me,” he reflected. “We’ve been really happy with the season so far and we’ve shown some real growth at stages but tonight we just didn’t come out from the start against a team that only had two games left and that we knew would be desperate. We were thoroughly outplayed in the contact area.”

Workhorse: Pat Sio put in an impressive shift at the coalface for the Rams before succumbing to injury – Photo: karenwatson.com.au

Knowing their likely fate if they couldn’t produce the win, it was a much needed positive start from the home side. Flying winger Jarome McKenzie had already signalled his intent with a chip and chase down the sideline in the second minute and when the Rams kept ball in hand from a surge down the left flank a couple of minutes later, it was McKenzie who was the right man in the right place to snag his fourth try of the campaign.

City have been slow starters in a few games so far and this was no exception. Revered halves combination Nick Frisby and Cooper were firing the ball from side to side with aplomb but there was no real penetration to speak of. Yet.

The Rams meanwhile, were direct at every opportunity and it was another foray straight up the middle that brought a second try five minutes later. Steve Mafi’s strength and elusiveness got them close, some good clean out work from the support opened the door and the hot-stepping feet of Henry Seavula proved too much for City’s last line, the centre diving under the posts with little resistance.

Volavola’s second successful conversion brought a quickfire 16-0 lead but the visitors steadied the ship almost from the restart. Frisby and Cooper conspired to create an end product this time, forging a gap for Chris Kuridrani but the winger’s line break and gallop to the chalk was all too easy and certainly not a moment Chris Alcock in particular will want to view again in a hurry.

However, the Rams were not to be shifted from their early dominance and as the game grew increasingly into a tit-for-tat firefight, the pace and guile of McKenzie proved too hot to handle yet again. Frustratingly for the City coaching staff, the try came from turnover ball. City fullback Brandon Va’alu returned a kick with interest but when he ran into traffic on his own 10 metre line, Pat Sio pilfered and span it wide to scrumhalf Vasa Faleali’i who drew the tackle and freed McKenzie off on a jinking run that left even Cooper, the ultimate magician, bedazzled in his wake.

Back came City and, as was the case last week when they were under the pump against Queensland Country, they opted to stick it up their jumpers, keep it tight and grind their way back into the contest through their forwards. And, as was the case last week, it worked.

Penalties got them field position, a rolling maul garnered them striking distance, pick and drives softened up the Rams underbelly and when the defence was finally stretched to breaking point, the sword was plunged in by a short ball to Curtis Browning who was simply too close and too strong to hold.

But just when you expected second placed City to build off the back of the score, they switched off and conceded again and this time, it was their turn to produce a classic case of soft defence.

Rusty: Quade Cooper had to blow away a few cobwebs after his first start for six months but there were positive signs for City & the Reds from his combination with Nick Frisby – Photo: karenwatson.com.au

The Rams were probing just inside halfway when Volavola used a dummy runner to put Seavula through a gap and it was the usually reliable Samu Kerevi who erred, misjudging his tackle to allow the mercurial no.13 to stride through, put up a feisty fend or two and find Faleali’i on his onside for a run to the line and an unlikely 32-13 lead at the break.

If the message from the Rams coaches to their charges at half-time was to hold firm for the first five minutes after the restart and not give away anything silly, then they obviously didn’t pay any attention.

From City’s first foray into enemy territory in the 42nd minute, they procured try no.3 and, in keeping with the theme of the night, defence was not to the fore. Throwing to the tail off a lineout, City’s forwards again did the hard yards, mauling to within a couple of metres before Frisby and Cooper combined to put a rampaging Kerevi through to the chalk but he passed another couple of soft efforts on the way.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, and showing that they had learned precious little from their first half misdemeanours, it took City only a couple of minutes to nullify their good work with another concession. The Rams simply shifted the ball coast to coast and waited for the right moment to pounce but even they seemed surprised when Henry Taefu darted through on an angle, went low and virtually crawled on hands and knees to find his way over the line.

That score was soon complimented by another, the Rams’ sixth, on 51 minutes, when lock Dylan Sigg showed some sterling attacking nous to take a quick tap and stretch one arm out to find the line despite the interest of several yellow jerseys.

Strain In Vain: City winger Rex Tapuai on a charge but it was to no avail on a night that belonged to the Rams – Photo: karenwatson.com.au

Although there was still a touch under half an hour to play, considering their concentration levels and defensive frailties up to that point, it seemed hard to make a case for a City comeback. But injuries to Pat Sio and Henry Seavula and a yellow card for loose head Jed Gillespie, did offer them a sudden glimpse at redemption.

However, the home side rallied in defence to hold firm, Dave Lolohea stepping up in Gillespie’s absence to plug the gap at scrum time and after another eight minutes of frantic action, an increasingly frustrated City side hadn’t mustered anything like a shot in anger, much less another five pointer.

The hour mark signalled the end of Cooper’s night, an understandably rusty performance peppered with the odd tease of brilliance, while the impressive Sam Talakai suffered an enforced early bath after incurring an ankle injury.

With less than 15 minutes to go, the Rams cemented victory, Chris Alcock catching the City defence napping with another tap and go to bring up the half century. It was no more than the tireless Alcock deserved after an atypical all action performance and, in fairness, immediately ameliorated his first half misdemeanour.

From there it was purely academic, the Rams having enough in hand to wear two more yellows to replacements Hugh Roach and Marcus Carbone, despite City skipper Dave McDuling’s late score.

City don’t have long to lick their wounds before returning to Sydney next Thursday to take on the North Harbour Rays, while the Rams’ finals mettle will be truly tested in what is their last regular season game next Saturday afternoon, when the seemingly unstoppable Melbourne Rising come to Parramatta .

People+Culture Strategies Greater Sydney Rams 56 (Jarome McKenzie 2, Henry Seavula, Vasa Faleali’I, Henry Taefu, Dylan Sigg, Chris Alcock tries; Ben Volavola 7 cons) McInnes Wilson Lawyers Brisbane City 29 (Chris Kuridrani, Curtis Browning, Samu Kerevi, Dave McDuling tries; Quade Cooper 2 cons, Jake McIntyre con) Crowd: 1,632