COCKATOOS STAGE COMEBACK TO DEFEAT HEELERS

Spearheaded by replacement Flyhalf Adam Carlisle from Gosford, the 2002
premiers the NSW Country Cockatoos, came back from the dead to defeat
Queensland Country Heelers 29 23 in a high tempo and dramatic Australian
Rugby Shield match in Moree on Saturday.

The match, superbly promoted by the local Moree Bulls Rugby Club and played
on their home ground, was attended by a huge crowd of around 2500 who
enjoyed the non-stop action from kick off to final whistle.

The Cockatoos jumped to an early lead through the first of two tries to
Fullback Anthony Gowing from Bylong and a conversion from Flyhalf Anthony
Barrett from Wanderers to lead 7- nil after three minutes.

But Queensland Country hit back through a try to scrumhalf Mark Martin from
Noosa just five minutes later, converted by reliable Flyhalf Bill Solofa
from Brothers Rugby Club in Townsville to even the scores up at 7 all.

A second try to tournament top tryscorer Gowing, his fifth of the year after
just three games, again converted by Barrett, saw the Cockatoos restore
their seven point advantage. Soon after when scrumhalf Dave Wood from
Narrabri scored his second try of the season to put the home team up 19-7 it
looked like the Cockatoos were cruising.

Solofa had cut the lead to six points at half time with two penalties to
leave the Heelers trailing 19-13. The second half started as a mirror image
to the first with the Cockatoos left in the blocks and Queensland racking up
the points.

A try to Loosehead Prop Michael Jarroush from Toowoomba City Bears and
another conversion and two penalties to Solofa saw Queensland sneak in to a
surprise 23-19 lead and with the clock ticking down the Cockatoos were
staring down the barrel of their second loss of the year.

But up stepped Carlisle who sparked some frenetic attack in the final
fifteen minutes and rounded off a smooth Cockatoo backline move by touching
down himself in the corner to give NSW a slender 24-23 lead.

Then rising to the huge pressure suddenly loaded on his shoulders Carlisle
coolly slotted the conversion from the most difficult of angles before
landing a late penalty to give the Cockatoos their hard earned victory.

The Man of the Match for NSW however was not Carlisle but lock and home town
Moree boy Anthony Kaberry who rose to the occasion with a dynamic
performance in the set pieces and got through a mountain of work in the
loose.

Kaberry guaranteed a steady flow of possession for the Cockatoos with his
powerful work in the rucks including some ferocious cleaning out.

RESULT: NSW Country Cockatoos 29 (Anthony Gowing 2, Dave Wood, Adam Carlisle
tries; Anthony Barrett 2 convs, Carlisle conv, pen) defeated Queensland
Country Heelers 23 (Mark Martin, Michael Jarroush tries; Bill Solofa 2
convs, 3 pens) at Moree Bulls Rugby Club, Moree. (Half time: Cockatoos
19-13) Crowd: 2500