Baby Blues Blitz – NSW rookies too good for QLD
New South Wales has one hand on the Origin shield after a 22 – 12 win over Queensland in the series opener in Melbourne.
Despite having 11 players on debut, their most inexperienced squad since 1984, the Blues weren’t overawed by the 87,112 fans packed into the MCG.
Quite the opposite, James Tedesco got them off to a great start, running in the first try after 20 minutes.
In trademark style the Maroons hit back, opening up a 12 – 8 lead early in the second half with Dane Gagai shrugging off a finger injury to score his eighth try in eight Origins.
Blues skipper Boyd Cordner rallied his troops and turned things around with the help of three debutantes, Latrell Mitchell, Tom Trbojevic and Josh Addo-Carr, who all found the line.
Fullback James Tedesco was named a worthy Man of the Match by The Continuous Call Team, scoring a try, running 225 metres and making an enormous 17 tackle breaks.
New South Wales takes a one – nil series lead heading into Game Two in Sydney on Sunday, June 24.
Click PLAY below to hear the highlights from the CCT’s call of Game I
WINNERS AT THE ‘G.#UPTHEBLUES pic.twitter.com/FElLmC9bLq
— NSW Blues 🏉 (@NSWRL) June 6, 2018