Harry Wilson and his Queensland Country side will host the Western Force in next week’s National Rugby Championship semi-finals after defeating the NSW Country Eagles 45-21 at Scully Park on Saturday to secure second spot.
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After starting at number eight in their last two games, Caleb Timu’s return from Wallabies duties, saw the former Red Devils junior pushed back to the bench.
He came on with about eight minutes to go, his introduction into the game drawing cheers from the pocket of family and friends in the stands that had made the trip over from Gunnedah.
“To get a win you need to play for 80 minutes,” Eagles captain Paddy Ryan said after what was the Tamworth product’s final game in Eagles colours.
“Apart from the [Sydney] Rays game where we put in a pretty comprehensive performance with a lot of Wallabies part of it we didn’t play 80 minutes.”
He said there were “a lot of good parts” in Saturday’s performance but admitted the Reds-heavy Queenslanders, were “too good”.
The Eagles asserted pressure straight from the kick-off and had all the early ball and territory but couldn’t make anything of it and instead found themselves behind after Queensland were awarded a penalty try.
Winger Denny Godinet hit back for the Eagles after some strong carries from the forwards created an overlap.
Narrabri boy Will McDonnell then almost crossed, but after making a great break he coughed up the ball with the tryline in reach.
Second rower Emmanuel Meafou did put the Eagles ahead with just over 12 remaining in the first half but a brilliant 40m burst from Chris Feauai-Sautia locked the scores up at 14-all with five minutes to play.
The Eagles scrambled to hold Queensland up a couple of minutes of later, Ryan earning a valuable scrum penalty to diffuse the danger and see the two sides go into the break level.
Exciting young Queensland centre Jordan Petaia put on some fancy footwork to score early in the second half and put the visitors ahead again.
Sam Figg burrowed his way over off a quick tap to put the Eagles in front again, but when Petaia scorched the homes sides defence for his second it was the beginning of the end for the Eagles with the Queenslanders running in another three unanswered tries.