Country of origin 2020: NSW Blues vs. Qld Maroons – Match 2 live! | Sports

2 minutes: Queensland gets the kick-off, but NSW gets them stuck deep in their own territory with a fierce opening streak of tackles. Cherry-Evans had to step out of his own 20 last! The Blues have a lot more forward movement and after four tackles they cut left and Wighton almost has an arrow for the line. The kick is high in the direction of the post, but Munster takes it under extreme stress. NSW starts very powerfully.

The television made it sound very strange. As if customers hadn’t been properly told what was actually going on and that everyone had to zip it up. Of course, in such situations, the sound of people yelling at others becomes louder than the original disturbance.

Queensland is wearing its familiar maroon uniform again this evening. It’s comforting that NSW is back in their sky blue number after settling on an ugly, black-speckled affair in Adelaide.

Time for a special commemoration in the run-up to the national anthem. General Sir Peter Cosgrove directs the service.

Gerard Sutton is your referee again, staying in spite of Origin I’s controversial ending.

Origins I may have been a gripping spectacle, but it didn’t get the nation’s attention the way TV executives hoped it would. The series opener had its worst TV audience ratings since the numbers were released in 2003, drawing a nationwide average audience of 2.38 million, a decrease of nearly 25 percent from the corresponding game last year.

NSW veteran Boyd Cordner is out tonight after suffering a blow to the head in the first game. This is the latest in a series of issues for the Roosters striker that have put head injury management back to the fore in the game.

There are also changes for the Maroons, led by the return of Valentine Holmes in jersey No. 1 for the first time since 2018. He replaces AJ Brimson, who was injured in his first game during his Livewire performance.

In the pack, Dunamis Lui makes his Origin debut instead of the hardworking Christian Welch, who is excluded after a heavy blow towards the end of the first game, while Jaydn Su’A after a bench hit with Coen Hess meets Adelaide with Moeaki Fotuaika filling the vacant Place on the exchange bank.

The good news for Queenslanders is that despite a groin injury, Kurt Capewell got fit in last week’s game and later got worse.

1. Valentine Holmes 2. Xavier Coates 3. Kurt Capewell 4. Dane Gagai 5. Phillip Sami 6. Cameron Munster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Dunamis Lui 9. Jake Freund 10. Josh Papali’i 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 14. Ben Hunt 15. Lindsay Collins 16. Jai Arrow 17. Moeaki Fotuaika

Brad Fittler made some key decisions to improve a subpar performance at the start of the series. The main call is for Cody Walker to replace Luke Keary in fifth and eighth to build cohesion in the blues backline. The other headline-maker is the nomination of full-back James Tedesco as his state’s 20th skipper to represent injured clubmate Boyd Cordner.

Angus Crichton replaces Cordner in the starting XI with Dale Finucane, who fills the space that has become free at the traffic junction.

Finucane is part of a completely overhauled bank with Junior Paulo, the major props trading post with Payne Haas, while Nathan Brown and Isaah Yeo both stand in line to make their Origin debut with Cameron Murray, who is out due to injury.

1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Clinton Gutherson 4. Jack Wighton 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Cody Walker 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Damien Cook 10. Payne Haas 11. Angus Crichton 12. Tyson Frizell 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Dale Finucane 15. Junior Paulo 16. Nathan Brown 17. Isaah Yeo

Speaking of Bennett, he just spoke to Karl Stefanovic in an interview that I almost thought was an SNL sketch, in which both character actors try to outdo the other for the lowest volume and pitch. Fire on gentlemen!

After Queensland’s remarkable turnaround in the second half in Adelaide, inspirational coach Wayne Bennett received much praise. According to Nick German: “The Maroons victory in Adelaide was above all a coaching victory. It was Bennett who trained Brad Fittler the same way Queensland outperforms New South Wales. “Can the clever old fox repeat the trick again tonight?

While NSW didn’t live up to their high expectations in the first game, there is no need to panic at Blues Camp as this year’s Origin series shares many similarities with last year’s successful campaign. Emma Kemp has more.