State of Origin 2021 game 3: Queensland deny NSW clean sweep – as it happened | Sport

The speeches from Trbojevic and the two captains are perfunctory. Everyone looks knackered. And when James Tedesco initially lifts the shield it all feels anticlimactic, but then the rest of the Blues squad runs in, the sky blue confetti bursts from the cannons and it feels like a party after all. Well played NSW, deserved Origin victors.

The Manly flyer had an outstanding first couple of matches, destroying Queensland from that floating centre role he was entrusted to play. He’s also sporting a huge shiner and a gash above his left eyebrow.

I wonder how much the medal will slow Turbo down next time he’s sprinting along the Corso?

“Credit to Queensland, they deserved their win tonight. They looked more dangerous in attack overall and defended well,” Agreed HarryofOz. “Blues deservedly SoO series champions,” absolutely.

“Not sure who man of the series will be. As you intimated earlier, going into the game it looked like a battle between Tedesco, Mitchell and Trboevic. I don’t think any of the three stood out from the other in this game to clinch it.” Good question. I reckon I’d give it Mitchell. He did the most when the series was on the line.

Special shoutout to Kalyn Ponga who catalysed this Maroons outfit on his return to the side from injury. His ability to step off either foot and bound into the line like he’s wearing those weird kangaroo jumping pogo shoe things, denied NSW that early defensive pressure they thrived on in games I and II. There still wasn’t the slick football from halves to backs we’ve come to expect from Munster and DCE and the like, but tonight there were far fewer basic errors, meaning completed sets, repeat sets, forcing the Blues to defend long spells deep in their own half.

That was fun, wasn’t it? Two teams going toe-to-toe for 80 minutes at breakneck speed.

Some of that line defence was extraordinary, from both sides. Big hits aplenty, no shortage of incident, and a smattering of quality attacking football. A perfect Origin evening.

Queensland avoid the sweep! The game of the series, the half of the series, and the Maroons salvage some pride.

79 mins: NSW 18-20 Queensland – Make that two, with a cheap set restart. Queensland are slowly grinding their way to victory.

78 mins: NSW 18-20 Queensland – The kick looks superb off the boot – but it drops a couple of metres short, and Queensland have one final set to run out the game.

77 mins: NSW 18-20 Queensland – Solid defensive set from the Maroons despite lively runs from To’o and Tedesco, but… oh dear, Welch clotheslines Moses as the scrum-half drops the ball on his boot for the grubber.

Latrell Mitchell is going for the penalty from near enough the centre spot.

76 mins: NSW 18-20 Queensland – Safety first set from Queensland, and Munster’s kick, with Capewell’s chase, gives NSW 90m to travel.

75 mins: NSW 18-20 Queensland – Back to back sets from inches out, now a line dropout. Surely NSW score here. Finucane has a rumble, now Tedesco, and Murray, “QUEENSLANDER!” bellow the crowd. The spectacle is superb. Moses kicks high to the right, Trbojevic wins the contest over Brimson, the knock-down goes NSW’s way, but Martin spills the bobbling ball! Queensland hold on. What an effort.

73 mins: NSW 18-20 Queensland – The Blues look innocuous in midfield until Trbojevic carves his way through the Maroon line. A second effort from the Turbo gets him within sniffing distance of the whitewash. Six more, then six more again as NSW lay siege to the line. Ponga and Hunt lay magnificent tackles. The ball is sent right, then left, Moses sizes up his options, Tedesco joins the line and chips through but Brimson is on hand to concede the dropout. This is breathless and brilliant theatre.

71 mins: NSW 18-20 Queensland – What have the final ten minutes got for us? This half so far has been the best of the series. Queensland are going toe to toe with NSW. Either side could snatch the win. The hits are coming thick and fast, and all the attacking strategy is being usurped by individual desire. Marvellous.

Paulo makes metres, and earns a set restart. NSW with a full set now in point blank range. There’s no cohesion in the Blues backs though, it’s all individual bursts to the line. Wighton is lucky to earn a repeat set when his grubber is played at by a Maroon boot and comes back the five-eighth’s way. The individual bursts resume, Murray, Tedesco, Crichton, then the kick, up to the right corner, and Addo-Carr keeps it alive. Chaos again! The Blues keep the ball alive, the field is broken, blue and maroon jerseys strewn all over the place like discarded shotgun shells. Moses keeps his head, kicks a grubber to the left-hand upright, the bounce beats Munster and Gagai, favours Koroisau, and NSW score! Oh my, what a few minutes of Origin footy we’ve been treated to.

Another simple conversion for Mitchell.

66 mins: NSW 12-20 Queensland – Munster kicks out on the full from his own 30m line as the rain resumes.

NSW go coast to coast in no time and from the kick Trbojevic claims the mark, but instead of twisting and turning to touch down on his own he looks for the offload but all he can do is feed an intercept. Queensland hammer back the other way at breakneck speed. Ponga bursts through the line down the right, he looks inside to Coates and it’s a dash to the line, but Tedesco is equal to it. Then it’s chaotic with the ball bouncing around off hands from both teams while the Maroons desperately try to keep the ball alive and the Blues look forlornly like piggies in the middle. With the intensity turned up to 11 the Maroons keep their heads and spread the ball form the mayhem calmly to the left where Capewell straightens up and on his shoulder Hunt accepts the invitation to ghost through for his second try. That was exhilarating football. Queensland, welcome back. Where the bloody hell have you been!?

DCE slots over the conversion.

62 mins: NSW 12-14 Queensland – The Maroons are spritely, playing with confidence and ambition. Ponga looks dangerous down the right, then the ball goes left where a series of runners threaten to dart through before the sideline forces them to hold their ground. DCE then launches a beautiful crossfield kick that Coates looks destined to haul in with a massive leap, but he can’t hold on and the Blues escape. This is a different Maroons outfit tonight.

59 mins: NSW 12-14 Queensland – Hunt again instrumental in the restart set, engineering space for the offload and sending Capewell through a gap. Queensland are almost through! Capewell looks at two outside runners but opts to accept contact instead of feeding Brimson. The ball is recycled from left to right and Mitchell knocks on attempting to intercept. Queensland have a new set on halfway.

The Maroons go wide early to the right edge, but they can’t penetrate. There’s some broken field for Flegler to exploit but the Blues hustle. Gagai then has a look before the gap is closed smartly. But the set restarts keep coming and Queensland are fast at the ruck, sniping and probing with intent – and Hunt gets the breakthrough! From dummy-half, staying low and diving under two tackles to score. the best passage of the series for the Maroons.

Cherry-Evans makes no mistake from the tee.

56 mins: NSW 12-8 Queensland – Addo-Carr reckons DCE is on for a 40-20 so the Fox leaps to intercept, but he can only get his fingertips to the ball on its way to the sideline. Queensland have their best attacking platform of the half.

54 mins: NSW 12-8 Queensland – That territorial balance is soon tilted NSW’s way again following a Papalii high shot and a monster Moses kick that sets up the Blues for six tackles inside 30m. The combinations are much crisper all of a sudden, Yeo responsible for much of them, but everything comes to a juddering halt when Hunt splits Mitchell in two and creates the knock-on. There have been some punishing hits this game.

52 mins: NSW 12-8 Queensland – Addo-Carr almost drags in the high ball to the right corner following the restart, but Queensland survive. The Maroons respond with a solid set and establish parity after a torrid ten minutes.

Finally! After a succession of attacking sets NSW finally get their try. Crichton and Hass make good metres and their early incursions unsettle the Queensland defence. The Blues halves don’t look as though they can exploit until they cut left and Yeo feeds Moses who times his pass to Wighton perfectly and he steps inside, finds a gap and wriggles his way over.

Mitchell sweeps over two more points.

47 mins: NSW 6-8 Queensland – The Blues probe the middle, then the left edge, then the right, they go through forwards and backs, but Queensland are resolute in defence. Wighton steps through the line but he’s soon wrapped up. The Maroons are forced to kick, Cook grubbers, and Coates concedes another drop-out.

46 mins: NSW 6-8 Queensland – Oooh, on his own 10m line Brimson fluffs a play-the-ball and NSW have an attacking scrum. DANGER! DANGER!

45 mins: NSW 6-8 Queensland – Crichton smashes into the Maroon line, then Hass, but it’s disjointed as soon as it reaches the backs and Murray spills in contact from Munster. It starts a little spotfire, but nothing to concern the judiciary. NSW really are a different side without their Panthers halves.

44 mins: NSW 6-8 Queensland – Gagai drills his second huge hit of the night on Tedesco, but it’s soon topped by Addo-Carr flattening Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow after Queensland allowed a testing Moses bomb to bounce in their in-goal. Can NSW capitalise from the drop-out?

42 mins: NSW 6-8 Queensland – Cook and Tedesco turn a pedestrian restart set into something much more promising, but Queensland continue after the break with the same defensive intensity that they demonstrated in the opening half. Their first carry is nothing to write home about though, other than more good bruising work from Papalii.

The sides are back out, and AJ Brimson has replaced Valentine Holmes for Queensland. The latter was dumped on his AC joint on the stroke of half-time and he’s iced up in the sheds.

“It’s only half time of course, but what a huge difference the absence of Cleary and Luai is making so far,” agreed HarryofOz. “The Blues attack is nowhere nearly as well organised, especially in the Maroons’ twenty. And it’s given the Maroons a huge confidence boost.” Yep. “Hopefully Moses and Wighton prove me wrong in the second half. Otherwise the only way the Blues are going to win is through individual moments of brilliance by the outside backs.” Fortunately for you – and them – they have plenty of individual brilliance to call upon!

A surprising half-time score then with the Maroons ahead, and enjoying plenty of territory and possession, against a Blues side sorely lacking the control and direction of Cleary and Luai.

39 mins: NSW 6-8 Queensland – The game is back to a midfield arm-wrestle for a while, but there’s still opportunity for Gagai to line up Tedesco with a huge shot on the kick chase.