State of Origin 2015: Game 1 Score and Recap for Blues vs. Maroons
Queensland Maroons seized an early advantage in the three-match State of Origin series on Wednesday, sampling an 11-10 win over New South Wales Blues in a tense game at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney.
Cooper Cronk opened the scoring for the Maroons with an early try, but NSW pegged them back before half-time thanks to tries from Josh Morris and Beau Scott. A try from Quade Chambers got Queensland back on level terms, before a late drop goal from Cronk won it for the visitors.
The NRL Twitter account gave us a full breakdown of how these two sides had been faring ahead of this one:
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As is often the case in these fiercely contested encounters, there was very little to separate the two teams in the opening exchanges. The defending from both was dynamic and purposeful, making it difficult for each team’s flair players to work their magic.
It was Queensland who settled first. They were able to force errors out of their NSW counterparts, pressuring kickers and moving the ball sharply. In the 13th minute, their early edge told, as Cronk conjured up some space, stepped inside Michael Jennings and went over.
As noted by Bleacher Report AUS, it was a score that had been coming:
Johnathan Thurston added the extra points, and the Maroons had a six-point lead. But the Blues came roaring back with distinction.
Morris got NSW back to within two points with an exceptional try. He capitalised on superb work from Josh Dugan to go over in the 20th minute, and although Trent Hodkinson missed the subsequent conversion, the Blues were back in this one.
As we can see here, it was an excellent score:
Buoyed by that try, things got event better for NSW just six minutes later. Scott barged his way through a couple of tackles to get to the line, and after clarification from the video referee, a try was awarded, much to the delight of the Sydney crowd.
This time, Hodkinson did add the conversion, giving NSW a 10-6 lead going into the break. As noted by OptaJason, a half-time lead has proved crucial in these encounters previously:
It was a break Queensland needed. They were under major pressure in the latter stages of the first period, but after the break, they came out replenished, moving the ball quicker and showing a measure of composure in their attempts to get back into the contest.
After 15 minutes of probing, the Maroons finally got their reward. Some mechanical passing from Queensland created space for Chambers down the right, and he did enough to get over in the corner. Thurston missed the conversion attempt, and with 25 minutes remaining, the scores were tied at 10-10.
As noted by Rugby League Week, the try aside, Chambers was having an impactful influence:
"Will Chambers has made 19 runs for 205 metres. #Origin
— Rugby League Week (@LeagueWeek) May 27, 2015"
Both sides were struggling for rhythm as the match wore on, and there was a festering sense that one moment was going to swing this one. It was Cronk who made the telling contribution with six minutes left on the clock, striking a drop goal between the sticks to give Queensland an 11-10 lead.
As we can see, courtesy of Wide World of Sports, it was a beauty of a strike:
Try as they might in the latter stages, every Blues attack was thwarted by the Maroons’ stringent defensive lines. Queensland held on for the win, sparking wild celebrations among the players.
Cronk was naturally delighted in the aftermath:
In terms of State of Origin wins, it doesn’t get much better than this for Queensland. Going to the home of your rivals and winning an arduous match with a late drop goal will be sweet, and they can go into the final two games with the pressure off.
By comparison, New South Wales know only a win will do at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the second match if they’re to keep this series alive.
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