The University of Queensland Hounds were forced to fight to overcome a plucky Griffith Gold Coast Panthers outfit at St Lucia last night.
In Round 5 action of the Universities Rugby League Queensland, the Hounds had to come from 10-6 down at halftime to get the points.
The home side had started well, with Hounds’ fullback, Chris Hansen, sprinting over after five minutes and adding a conversion to make it 6-0.
But the Panthers hit back through Maverick Sooalo in the 16th minute, and as they built pressure through field position, Cody Feltham was able to knock over two penalty goals to nab a halftime lead.
But up stepped centre John Upton, crossing for the first of two tries just 10 minutes after halftime.
Hansen nailed the goal from out wide to put the Hounds ahead 12-10, and Upton again found the line with 14 minutes to go.
The Hounds had control of the match and their class shone through as they tabled their third win of the season.
At Banyo the Griffith Logan Redbacks continued a mid-season resurgence with a 30-26 victory over Australian Catholic University.
Both teams scored five tries but it was the pinpoint kicking off A.J. Mulitalo that was the difference as he knocked over five goals.
The Redbacks had held a slender 12-10 lead at halftime and were able to double that advantage by fulltime, in a win that will move them into the top four as the competition’s halfway point approaches.
The final match of the round – and indeed the last game before the competition goes into semester-break hiatus until July – will be played on Sunday.
The QUT Hounds will host the Griffith Dragons as an Intrust Super Cup curtain-raiser before the Norths Devils and Sunshine Coast Falcons game at Bishop Park.
URLQ Round 5 Results
UQ Hounds 16 (John Upton 2, Chris Hansen tries; Hansen 2 goals) def Griffith Gold Coast Panthers 10 (Maverick Sooalo try; Cody Feltham 3 goals) at UQ Campus, St Lucia.
Griffith Logan Redbacks 30 (Te-Ama Atuhihi, Sam Liana, Andrew Taukalo, Letoe Perrin Solomona, Ben Kelly tries; AJ Mulitalo 5 goals) def ACU 26 (Declan Morrisey. Josh Cook, Drew Ballard, Keenan yow Yeh, Lachlan Quarmby tries; Omair Khan 3 goals) at ACU Campus, Banyo.
QUT Hounds v Griffith Dragons – Sunday May 28 at 1.15pm (Bishop Park, Nundah)
