Queensland beaten

Press, 11 August 1980, Page 32

Queensland beaten

NZPA Brisbane Queensland’s undefeated record at home ended when Counties won its interdominion rugby championship match at Ballymore Oval yesterday. The crack New Zealand side won, 26-18, against a mediocre Queensland and the way the maroons performed would hardly strike fear in their arch-rivals, New South Wales, who they meet at Ballymore next Sunday. Counties scored four tries to two and turned a narrow 7-6 lead at halftime into a comfortable victory. Counties began slowly

and were restricted to one try in the first half. However, when the try did come, after 35 minutes, it was a good one as the elusive centre, Bruce Robertson, slipped through the Queensland defence to flash over untouched.

-The game see-sawed in the second half, with Queensland taking the lead through a determined try by the full-back, Roger Gould, who linked up with his three-quarters to provide the overlap. Gould added two Conversions and two penalties to provide 14 of Queensland’s points. Counties hit back with a push-over try by Allan

Dawson as they shoved the big Queensland forwards back over the line from a two-metre scrum.

Then the hard-working Counties fly-half, Warren McLean, gave the visitors more breathing space with a runaway try after Gould mistakenly went for the man instead of the ball after a high up-and-under bounced in front of him.

Queensland finally sparkled minutes from full-time when Brendan Moon went in after a classic winger’s burst down the touchlihe.

However, a cheeky try right on full-time by the Counties half-back, Tim Burcher, saw the visitors pull away again.