One hundred minutes of gruelling Canberra footy, a penalty try, countless momentum swings and extra time under the Viking Park lights — the Elimination Final between Canberra Royals and Gungahlin Eagles had just about everything.
In a contest as hard to predict as the winter weather, third-placed Royals and fourth-placed Gungahlin traded blows for 80 minutes before neither side could be separated at 29-all, forcing an additional 20 minutes to decide who would keep their season alive.
In the end, it was Royals who found the final answer, surviving a brutal battle to book their place in next week’s preliminary final.
The match opened with real zing, both teams showing attacking intent early. A slice through by Corey Toole was matched by a half-break from Chace Oates, but both defences held firm in the opening exchanges.
Royals, clearly aware that points are at a premium in finals football, opted for the early points, with Oates slotting a 40-metre penalty in the fifth minute to open the scoring.
Oates had the chance to extend the lead in the 27th minute but pushed his penalty attempt wide.
Royals then camped themselves in the Eagles’ 22, launching wave after wave of big ball carriers at the Gungahlin defence. Inside centre Jarrah McLeod eventually found a way through, bursting through weak shoulders to crash over to the left of the posts in the 25th minute. Oates added the extras to give the boys in blue a 10-point buffer.
As the clock ticked towards half-time, clever kicking from Royals continued to pin the Eagles deep in their own territory. Resolute defence from sibling second-rowers Alec and Ethan Corcoran repelled the onslaught and earned Gungahlin a crucial turnover.
A clever kick of their own then helped the Eagles go nearly 90 metres, before Denzel Veikune stretched over to dot it down in the corner. The conversion sailed wide, but Gungahlin were back in the contest at 10-5 with six minutes remaining in the half.
Another Eagles snipe down the right, followed by a clever grubber from Veikune, forced a five-metre scrum on the edge of half-time.
Off the scrum and ensuing rucks, Tevita Alatini took the ball off the back and busted through the Royals defence before finding prop partner Finn Baxter, who dived over on the right.
Sam Chapman nailed the conversion to put the north men in front by two at the break.
The Eagles came out in the second half hoping to pick up where they left off, with Alatini and his forward pack immediately imposing themselves on the contest.
Klayton Thorn was held up over the line once, before Ethan Corcoran made up for it, bursting over under the posts. Chapman slotted the conversion from in front to give the Eagles a 19-10 lead in the 50th minute.
Royals answered straight back.
A penalty for a high shot put them 10 metres out from the line, and a series of powerful pick-and-goes from the Royals’ big men eventually created the opening for prop Aiesi Siolo to burrow over on the left.
Oates calmly added the conversion to narrow the margin to two with 25 minutes remaining.
Royals reclaimed the lead in the 64th minute after dominant scrum work and three straight penalties earned them a penalty try, with Eagles prop Finn Baxter also shown a yellow card.
Oates added the simple conversion to put Royals five points ahead with 15 minutes remaining.
A penalty off the restart gave the Eagles an immediate chance to hit back, and Chapman duly obliged, drilling a 40-metre shot to cut the deficit to two points in the 66th minute.
The Eagles were the first to ring the changes, chasing an injection of pace as they looked for the match-turning moment. The men from Phillip, meanwhile, opted to back their starting XV for nearly the entire 80 minutes.
With seven minutes remaining, Oates produced nearly the try of the match.
The Royals fly-half hit a gorgeous unders line, finding a hole he could have driven the Royals bus through, before shifting up a gear and racing 35 metres to score in the corner.
The number 10 couldn’t convert his own try, but Royals had opened up a seven-point lead with just seven minutes of rugby remaining.
This game was far from over.
Off the restart, Royals opted to play rather than exit from their own end. A mistimed pass, a bouncing ball and an opportunistic Gungahlin intercept combined to hand the Eagles their chance. Veikune scooped up the loose ball, beat one defender and raced around under the posts to level the scores at 29-all with five minutes remaining.
Neither team could break the deadlock in regular time, sending the elimination final into extra time.
As the sun went down and the Viking Park lights came on, both sides returned to the field for an additional 20 minutes of footy.
Royals were the first to break the deadlock in the 89th minute, with a penalty giving Oates the opportunity to add another three points and hand his side a narrow lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Tired bodies began to show as defensive lapses crept into the game, but neither side could find the decisive breakthrough.
Until the very last second.
With the clock winding down, Royals scrum-half Dan Nelson slid between two defenders to sneak over close to the line to seal a dramatic victory and book his side’s place in the preliminary final.
Royals will return to Viking Park next Saturday to face Queanbeyan Whites, with a place in the 2026 BentSpoke John I Dent Cup Final on the line and the winner earning the right to face Tuggeranong Vikings in the decider.
