Pace beats star power
Indigenous side crush bigger, more fancied rivals
THE Indigenous All-Stars team proved pace can beat power as they raced in seven tries to storm to a 34-14 win over New Zealand Maori in their All-Stars match in Melbourne last night.
Much was made of the Maori team’s big men but they had no answer to the blistering speed of some of the Indigenous players in front of almost 19,000 at AAMI Park.
Even rising superstar Kalyn Ponga couldn’t stop the Indigenous onslaught and showed he has plenty of work ahead to feel comfortable in his new role as five- eighth.
Local hero Josh Addo-Carr led the way early with two tries within three minutes in the first half his Indigenous team used their pace out wide to burn the Maori.
Parramatta recruit Blake Ferguson was another to get some try-scoring action in the first half and celebrated with a somersault that would have put his new coach Brad Arthur on edge.
Arthur would have been happier to see the ex-Roosters winger, who broke his leg in last year’s grand final, in full flight after taking an intercept although he was run down after a 70m dash.
Before the first whistle the teams opened with a spine-tingling display with the Maori delivering a fearsome Haka before the Indigenous team responded.
With Latrell Mitchell leading the war cry in the absence of the injured Greg Inglis, the Roosters centre popped up in a team circle and then danced them down the field to within a metre of the approaching Maori team. But in a reflection of the spirit of the match shown the players all embraced before lining up to play.
The Indigenous team led 20-10 at the break with the pick of the first half tries scored by the Eels’ Bevan French who replaced Ben Barba.