The first quarter of the game was very evenly matched with the Magpies holding their own against the competition leaders. Their defence was staunch in the early exchanges as they constantly held the Rams’ attack at bay.

The Magpies were playing well when a perfectly weighted kick to the corner saw winger Jesse Collins soar above the opposition to catch the ball and score a try. WIth a perfect kick from the sideline from captain-coach Chris Rawlinson, Yass had a 6-0 lead.

From the kick-off a bad bounce for the Magpies saw the Rams gain possession and several tackles later, they were in for their first try.

The Magpies were the next to score when a backline movement saw Jesse Collins sprint up the sideline and when confronted by the last line of defence, an inside ball to Chris Rawlinson saw Yass go to a 10-4 lead (a buffer they maintained until halftime).

Both teams had opportunities to impact the scoreboard in the opening exchanges of the second half, only to be denied by some outstanding defence.

The Magpies, however, broke the deadlock with a good try to Matty Lawrence and with the conversion, Yass was ahead by 12 and looking the better side.

The Rams pressed the Magpies’ line a number of times, trying to bridge the gap. However, the solid Magpies’ defence held them out on every occasion.

With the minutes ticking by the Rams pressured the visitors’ line and were rewarded with a converted try to reduce the margin to six.

With just two minutes to go, a lucky bounce saw the Rams regain possession and after a succession of passes, they scored wide out (with the final pass looking forward, which was missed by the officials). The conversion was successful., locking the scores at 16-all.

The Magpies were the better team for the majority of the game and the competition leaders were extremely lucky to get the draw. 

The visitors were great across the park and were led well by Chris Rawlinson, with Gavin Crisp, Matty Lawrence, Jesse Collins and Ben Griffin playing well.