New South Wales have beaten Queensland 18-14 in State of Origin II but the Maroons claimed the inaugural women’s series on aggregate.
In the first year that Women’s Origin has been played as a two-game series, rather than a one-off game, organisers decided on most points scored as a clear tie-breaker in the event both sides won a game each.
The Sky Blues lost Game I in Sydney earlier this month 18-10, meaning they had to win the second and final game by at least nine points to claim the series on aggregate points.
A last-second penalty try to New South Wales gave Kylie Hilder’s side a late shot at earning the margin they needed but Queensland managed to snuff out the final, desperate attack.
Mixed emotions for the Sky Blues, who levelled the series at 1-1, but lost the shield because they didn’t score enough points.(AAP: Scott Radford-Chisholm)
There were surely mixed emotions for NSW, winning the game and squaring the ledger, but still losing the series.
The result will surely be used in the push for a three-game series akin to the men’s Origin, with the standard in Townsville significantly higher than the opening match in Sydney.
The fans also turned out in Townsville, with the crowd of more than 18,000 the biggest to ever watch a Women’s State of Origin game.
Look back at all the action as it happened in our live blog.
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QUEENSLAND WINS THE STATE OF ORIGIN SERIES!!
(Getty)
New South Wales won the battle, but the Maroons won the war in front of more than 18,000 fans in Townsville.
What a strange feeling, with Queensland all smiles after this loss because the Blues didn’t win by enough points to overtake them on aggregate.
If ever there was an advertisement for a three-game series, this game was it.
The quality was high class after the first game was criticised, and the fans turned out in a big way.
NSW will take heart from winning the game, but will be gutted to fall just short of a miracle comeback.
Last minute: NSW have to go 100 metres in 15 seconds
They can’t do it!
But hang on. No. A penalty has been called AFTER the full-time whistle.
Romy Teitzel has been penalised for a hip drop on Yasmin Clydsdale. NSW will kick for touch from 75 metres away and get one last play.
A converted try would win them the series. Anything else isn’t enough.
PENALTY TRY NSW!
The game and the series is effectively locked up, but the Sky Blues were surging and it seemed like Yasmin Clydsdale was going to go over after some Harlem Globetrotting, but it looked like Keilee Joseph flew across and absolutely cut her in half to force the ball loose.
But it was actually Shenae Ciesiolka’s boot that dislodged it.
Southwell converts from in front and NSW leads 14-10. We have a grandstand finish!!
68′ Upton turns up one last time
Jesse Southwell drove a grubber through for Jaime Chapman to fly onto, but Queensland fullback Tamika Upton zipped across the turf to get there first.
And Queensland’s set ends in the middle of the field, but Keilee Joseph seemingly unaware it was the last.
66′ Brigginshaw is unstoppable
Ali brigginshaw looked shot to pieces after a tackle in the middle of the field, but three plays later she was chasing after a Tarryn Aiken grubber, putting the pressure on Tonegato to force the goal-line dropout.
But Keilee Joseph knocks on, so the Maroons have to give the ball back to NSW. The small mercy for Queensland is that the Blues are still 75 metres from points.
64′ Pelite comes up big again
Jess Sergis hit the ball in full flight, but Evania Pelite set herself like an oak tree and drove through the Roosters superstar, forcing the error. Great hit.
62′ The Blues survive and Pelite saves Queensland
The Maroons were surging and Ali Brigginshaw grubbered through, but it was picked up off the bootlaces and against NSW waste no time spinning it, with Kelly making great metres out on the left.
And what a take by Evania Pelite! Keeley Davis’s kick had the chasers arriving right on time, but the Maroons centre held her ground and the ball. Huge play.
Emily Bass makes a gutsy charge, putting up that left arm as a bumper.
60′ NSW lose control on the last
The Blues’ last-tackle play goes to ground and Shenae Ciesiolka shoots out to put pressure on Tonegato as she tracked down the loose ball.
Queensland get it back, and a penalty too as Yasmin Clydsdale is pinged for offside.
59′ Huge hit from Jess Sergis hurts Emily Bass
The Maroons winger charged into Sergis and was met by a brutal shot that knocked the ball loose. But, more importantly, she’s come out of it in a lot of pain, clutching at a busted left shoulder.
Not sure exactly what happened, but she’s in serious pain. Looks like she’s going to miss the rest of this game. Or not! Is she staying on the field here? It doesn’t look like she can use her left arm. Could be a target in defence.
56′ Up goes the “Queenslander!” chant
The Maroons are on the charge deep in NSW territory. And that’s where they hand the ball over. Right in the corner and on the tryline.
55′ Controversial knock-on call goes against NSW
Isabelle Kelly played the ball awkwardly, but legally it seems, despite leaving her feet as she did so. But Belinda Sharpe says she knocked on. Right in the middle of the field. Huge moment.
52′ NSW nails the captain’s challenge
Olivia Kernick is pinged for a knock-on in the play-the-ball but she’s adamant she held onto it, and the replays back her up.
But Taliah Fuimaono’s grubber off the next play is swooped on by Maroons fullback Tamika Upton, whose defence has been elite tonight.
Record crowd for this match
There are 18,275 people in the stands at Townsville Stadium tonight. That’s 6,000 more than the record set in Game I.
49′ Maroons are pinged for a dubious knock-on inside their 10m area
Tarryn Aiken tried an intercept, and it looked for all money like the knocked it backwards, but referee Belinda Sharpe says no.
But Jesse Southwell knocks on under pressure from Evania Pelite. Taliah Fuimaono has had some good moments. It might be worth going to her more, because Southwell is under the pump.
48′ Blues let Queensland off the hook
Kezie Apps returns to the fray, as the Blues knock-on through Simaima Taufa in a great tackle from Ali Brigginshaw.
Tazmin Gray makes a great charge down the left and dumps a ball out the back. The Maroons came up with it initially, but somehow the ball’s ended up in Jess Sergis’s hands. So the Blues go on the attack again, getting into the red zone.
45′ Pelite gifts the Blues field position and it costs two points
The Maroons centre tried to break down the left and was spooked by the sideline, but she was never going to go over. Still, she tried to throw it back in-field and lost possession.
The Blues get a penalty right in the middle of the field … and they’re kicking for goal? Jesse Southwell turns a 14-10 deficit into a 14-12 deficit.
They were on the charge. Quincy Dodd had just been held up over the line. That seems crazy. They need to win by nine points in this game.
44′ The Blues get away with one, and so do the Maroons
Jesse Southwell sent Emma Tonegato through the middle with a clear forward pass (not David Fifita forward, but still), then the referees miss a touch from the Maroons, so it’s the last.
And the grubber is mopped up by Tamika Upton in the in-goal.
Tiana Penitani gets a double!!
Through the hands out to the left, and quick hands from Emma Tonegato gets the ball on to Isabelle Kelly, who finds Penitani out wide for her second try of the night.
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Jesse Southwell hits the crossbar with her conversion! From the sideline. Heartbreaking for Southwell. Will it prove costly? It’s 14-10 to Queensland with 28 minutes to go.
39′ The Blues threaten and get another set
Kennedy Cherrington, Jesse Southwell and Emma Tonegato all threaten to break through the line, and Ali Brigginshaw knocks on as she tried to tackle Southwell, giving NSW six more tackles right on the Queensland line.
38′ Queensland starts strong
Ali Brigginshaw makes a great charge to get them on the front foot for the end of the set, but again Emma Tonegato just explodes onto the ball. She looks electric with ball in hand.
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Source:: ABC News
