The NSW Country Eagles blew the Melbourne Rising away in the second half at Melbourne’s Harlequin Park on Sunday to soar into the National Rugby Championship top four.
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After falling behind 19-14 early in the second half Paddy Ryan and Alex Newsome’s side ran in 33 unanswered points to outgun the Rising 47-19 and move into fourth spot with a round to play.
The Eagles led 14-12 at half-time but in an all-too familiar story in 2017 were unable to convert their territorial advantage into points.
With the benefit of a strong wind behind them they spent over 80 per cent of the first half in the Rising half but only had two tries to show for it.
That looked like it might come back to bite them when, after sustained pressure, Kitone Ratu scooted over untouched to put the Rising ahead.
The Eagles though hit back through Seb Wileman, some brilliant offloading keeping the ball alive after Wileman had scooped up a Rising turnover.
Wing partner Alex Gibbons extended the Eagles lead with his second, Tayler Adams nailing a tough conversion from the sideline to push them beyond a converted try with around 15 minutes to play.
From there it was pretty well all the Eagles.
Despite battling against the wind they produced some stunning attack, the rolling maul again also proving a real weapon for them.
Gibbons finished with a hat-trick, his third try coming minutes from full-time after a smart chip from Kyle Godwin and ensuring the Eagles leapfrogged Perth Spirit and Brisbane City, who they play in Orange next Saturday.