Raiders fail to capitalise on possession glut
Rugby Union
Wanderers 14 (14) Port Douglas (3) 10
The Port Douglas Reef Raiders have retained fourth spot on the league table, but must still be ruing the opportunities to put their glut of second half possession to good effect and grab maximum points at Jones Park.
The fact that they were able to restrict Wanderers from notching any points in the latter half, also speaks volumes from a tireless display, but Wanderers held on to win 14-10.
Raiders’ two-week break was evident and they began slowly and struggled to get into the game. And they soon found themselves 14-0 down from two converted Wanderers tries.
Raiders’ first half points came from a penalty by flyhalf Luke Edwards and the teams went to the sheds with the hosts leading 14-3.
The ‘magical’ half-time refreshments had an immediate impact on the Raiders energy levels from the start of the second half. They soaked up possession and enjoyed territorial advantage. Yet, they were unable to turn this into points.
With time running out, Raiders’ livewire eighthman Jack Murday scored with 10 minutes remaining. Edwards added the conversion and closed the gap to just four points. The final blow did not come and the only consolation was the single bonus point – for losing within seven points.
Top performers from the weekend were hooker Damien Friedrichs, flyhalf Luke Edwards and centre Andrew Pen.
This weekend Raiders take on top of the table JCU at the Crabpot, Yorkeys Knob and with the competition heating up for the top 4, it’s crucial for the Raiders to get back into the winners’ circle.
Remaining fixtures:
- 10 July v JCU, The Crabpot, Yorkeys Knob at 8pm (11)
- 17 July – bye
- 24 July v Southside, PD Sporting Complex at 5:30pm (12)
- 31 July v Barron, The Paddock, Machans Beach at 4pm (13)
- 7 August v Brothers, Stan Williams Park at 4pm (14)
- 14 August v Southside, Peterson Park, Edmonton at 5:30pm (15)
Other scores from weekend:
Southside 38 Barron 22
JCU 80 Brothers 5
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