Town withstands late comeback
TOWN survived a strong late charge by Country to hold on for a 3124 win in the traditional Town v Country fixture, played at Weston Park on Saturday.
Town led 315 after an hour but the country side came home strongly.
Town dominated the first 40 minutes and went to halftime with a 195 lead.
Country started confidently with a relentless attack in the first 10 minutes of play but Town scored the first points when centre John Kelly intercepted a wide Country pass on halfway.
He outsprinted the defence to score. First fiveeighth Kayne Middleton landed the conversion.
Country winger Sam Fleming opened up the Town defences but his opposite number Simon Lillicama got back to kick the ball dead.
Livewire Town halfback Inoke Naufahu extended Town’s lead when he skipped through some fragile defence.
Early in the second quarter, Town lock Sale Pi’i on halfway linked with Lillicama, and Town lock Anthony Amato was on hand to score. Middleton’s conversion took Town out to a 190 lead.
Twelve minutes from halftime, Country put the pressure on the Town defences and replacement halfback Glen Robertson touched down to get his side on the board.
Amato went in for his second try from the secondhalf kickoff.
He then scored his third try after Pi’i broke the Country defence line and Lillicama sent Amato in.
Replacement fiveeighth Ross Lewis converted to give Town a 315 lead threequarters of the way through the game.
The final quarter belonged to Country, as lock Harvard Fale featured in a 40m run. From the lineout close to the Town line, Country prop Petelo Houhila surged over for Tyler Burgess to convert.
Fale got on the scoreboard when he surged through a melee for Burgess to convert. Country, on a high, charged back into Town territory and No 8 Jake Greenslade crashed over to reduce the margin to a mere converted try.
Country had a sniff but Town’s defence held out the opposition.