Royals knock out Queanbeyan Whites to face Tuggeranong Vikings in John I Dent Cup final

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Royals knock out Queanbeyan Whites to face Tuggeranong Vikings in John I Dent Cup final

By David Polkinghorne
Updated

Queanbeyan coach Adam Fahey says Royals have a "point of difference" and can end the Tuggeranong Vikings' John I Dent Cup reign.

The Royals sent the Whites out of the finals series in straight sets with an impressive 40-27 victory in the preliminary final at Viking Park on Saturday.

It sets Royals coach Wayne Southwell the task of trying to stop the Vikings from winning their fifth straight title.

But it's a task Fahey felt Southwell was up to.

"[It's a] two-horse race. Tuggeranong are very good, but Royals have got a point of difference," Fahey said.

"They throw the ball around, they back themselves and if it sticks anything can happen."

Royals winger Lausii Taliauli agreed with Fahey and he said he could tell from the look in his teammates' eyes before the game they were switched on for the prelim.

Taliauli, who's on the ACT Brumbies roster, scored the first of the Royals' four tries from what looked like a fumble turned into a piece of brilliance.

But the Wellington-born winger said he saw space in behind the Whites line and had planned to kick, even though it looked "pretty ugly".

He then darted through to score the opening try.

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Queanbeyan centre JR Morgan broke a couple of tackles to put the Whites in front 10-7 and then his opposite, Jason Swain, was put through by a brilliant pass.

The Whites scrum was completely on top and halfback Mitch Douch reaped the rewards of a quick tap on the back of that scrum, winning a penalty in the shadows of the posts.

Douch knocked over a penalty to put Queanbeyan up 20-17 at half-time.

The Royals were able to split the game open in the second half, although there was a hint of offside when Taliauli screamed through to score an intercept try.

Some more eyebrows were raised when Royals halfback Brent Hamlin pinched the ball off the back of a Whites scrum that was threatening to push its way over.

Hamlin bolted to halfway and put in a kick that eventually led to Swain scoring his second, with two teammates lining up outside him.

Queanbeyan prop Les Leuluaialii-Makin burrowed over to give his side hope against a 14-man Royals to make it 37-27 with 10 minutes remaining.

But Whites hooker Carl Elliot joined Royals flanker Brendan Woodward in the sin bin and the threat ended.

Taliauli played in the Brumbies' Super Rugby semi-final loss, but he was hoping to go two steps further with Royals next week.

"I just saw some space and put it through, managed to get it off my foot, it was pretty ugly but it ended up well," he said of his first try.

"I planned to kick it, it just looked like a fumble, I'm glad to be able to pull it off."

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The Royals could have a couple of injury concerns with lock Nathan Selwood (ankle) and Jay Cash (neck) both coming from the field.

ROYALS 40 (Lausii Taliauli 2, Jason Swain 2 tries; Craig McMahon 3 pens, 4 cons, drop goal) bt QUEANBEYAN WHITES 27 (Les Leuluaialii-Makin, Mitch Douch, JR Morgan tries; Mitch Douch 3 cons, 2 pens).

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