The three big plays Cameron Munster pulled off to lead Queensland to victory
Cameron Munster has produced three famous State of Origin plays to lead Queensland to a shock 16-10 upset over NSW in the series opener at Accor Stadium.
In a return to the famed Origin grind after years of blowouts, Munster was at his brilliant best for the Maroons as they jumped to a 16-4 lead before holding out the fast-finishing Blues late.
With four debutants in their side, Queensland were forced to overcome an ankle injury which sidelined winger Xavier Coates in the first half while newcomer Jeremiah Nanai battled through a similar issue.
It was the Maroons’ first win in Sydney since 2017, when Johnathan Thurston nailed a last-minute conversion in his last series beside Cameron Smith and Billy Slater.
And with those three greats on Queensland’s coaching staff on Wednesday night, this was a win befitting the new era of the Slater-mentored Maroons.
Rookie Pat Carrigan swung the momentum of the match off the bench and fellow debutant Reuben Cotter made 49 tackles while halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Munster both played direct in attack.
Kalyn Ponga had one of his best nights in Origin at fullback, playing a role in two Maroons tries and pulling off a last-play tackle under the posts on Isaah Yeo on the siren.
In contrast the Blues were frantic, desperately chasing points in the second half as they struggled to win the ruck and halfback Nathan Cleary admitted they tried to move the ball around too much.
While Brad Fittler’s NSW team scored first through Jack Wighton when Cleary and Jarome Luai put him over, they were forced to wait almost 60 minutes for their next points.
In between, Queensland took control in front of the biggest crowd in Sydney since the start of the pandemic with 80,512 in attendance.
Ponga’s first big involvement came when a long pass to Selwyn Cobbo went to ground, only for the rookie winger to scoop the ball up and grubber-kick on the run inside for Dane Gagai to score.
Then it was time for Munster to stamp his authority.
Leading 6-4 after the break, he broke down field to put Queensland on the attack, before Cherry-Evans went over with ease from an ensuing scrum.
Ponga put on the ball of the match to make it 16-4 with 25 minutes to play, firing a long pass for Valentine Holmes to cross untouched on the left wing.
NSW were eventually able to get back within six points when Luai put Cameron Murray over to set up a grandstand finish.
But it was Munster who stood tall in defence.
The Melbourne star pulled off a crucial one-on-one strip on Stephen Crichton late, ending a Blues’ attacking raid with six minutes to play.
He also popped up at a crucial moment in the Blues’ penultimate set, latching onto a Luai grubber kick as it bounced towards the line.
“They’re little moments but they are big moments,” Slater said.
“It wasn’t our game that won us the game tonight. It was the way Queensland have played for decades.
“That’s what won us the game tonight.”
NSW coach Brad Fittler insisted his side had the confidence to bounce back in Perth and Brisbane.
“It’s always tough. If you lose the first one you are up against it,” Fittler said.
“But winning the game there last year at Suncorp gives us a lot of confidence.”
Meanwhile debate is likely to follow the independent doctor’s decision to allow NSW’s Isaah Yeo to play on after head contact in the first tackle.
The Penrith lock appeared to stagger back after the hit on Maroons prop Josh Papalii, but he was assessed on field and allowed to stay on.
Comments on RugbyPass
Whether true or not, all the best to you Sam Cane. A warrior of a player and a loyal servant to the ABs! Go get you some yen and have some fun.
2 Go to commentsThe game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
37 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
97 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
8 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
2 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
2 Go to commentsA very good player.We are finally getting some balance in our team. Plummer..Heem ..Lam a solid..experienced combo who take the sensible options consistently. Clarke was a grt impact of the bench option until Lam moved to 13 to replace an injured Reiko. Cotter is doing a grt job building his team. .
1 Go to commentsSaturday was last straw. Terrible record in Premiership since Jan 23. Capitulation against Bath at home. There are 3 conclusions. Players aren't good enough. Coaching team aren't good enough or combination of both.
2 Go to commentsAs you say in your article Brett, the point was Hamish and his vanity - plain and simple. The crazy bit is that sua’ali’i has to be probably twice the player of mark N, no easy feat, just for RA to get their money's worth!?! And as you say, tahs aren't short of wingers, props on the other hand id like to see $1.6m spent on. I still shake my head at the absolute carry on in the media and comments section around the boon of getting sua’ali’i and the revenue it'd generate. It was all such hogwash imo and short sighted, real sugar hit stuff. And wasnt Waugh (and others) on the board at the time this money was spent? You say silver bullet, I'd say sugar hit but without the flavour.
8 Go to commentsNZR should play hard all a bit with some of these players and make them sign up to the next world cup. If they won’t, offer it to someone who will. Because what happens is the NH (especially France) swoop on a bunch of nz players coming off contract, weakening their depth, and nz scrambles less than 2 years out trying to get replacements up to speed.
1 Go to commentsNo thanks. Savea almost always leaves easy points out there and goes for the corner, no matter how many times it’s not working. He claimed he took “the learnings” from this when he kept making the same mistake against the Boks a few years ago. Then went out the very next week and did the same thing and SA snatched victory because of it. Years later he still does it, right up to and including the world cup final. Great player, not so great rugby nous.
10 Go to commentsIt certainly wasn't a rhetorical masterpiece coming from big E …. (just as a side remark: Eben is the better player, Siya by far the better talker - maybe that's why they don't seem to like each other very much) …. but could we please move on?
70 Go to commentsMan who wasn't there and hasn't held a conversation with those who were present weighs in on dead rubber debate and is presented as representative of the Irish Rugby Union’s spokesperson on subject he has no apparent knowledge of whatsoever.
70 Go to commentsanybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
6 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
70 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
10 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
10 Go to comments