Capetown Ravens Adelaide Attitude
1 Lance Rhodes 1 Lote Tuqiri
2 Robbie Ross 2 Wendell Sailor
3 Martin Gleeson 3 Gary Coleman
4 Brian Lima 4 Rupeni Caucau
5 Luke Rooney 5 Doug Howlett
6 Michael Withers 6 Matt Giteau
7 Derek Gateshead 7 Elton Flatley ©
8 Jeremy Paul 8 Lars Ojanssen
9 Malcolm Alker 9 David Raimes
10 Todd Payten 10 Matt Parsons
11 Travis Elken 11 Stephen Kearney
12 Mike Forshaw 12 Brashen Trell
13 Andy Farrel © 13 Red Apokalips
++Interchange
14 Jerome Ropati 14 Martin Lang
15 Barrie McDermott 15 Matt Geyer
16 David Kidwell 16 Courtney Brideson
17 Brett Stewart 17 Harry Prince

The clash between Adelaide and Capetown kicked off in front of a very vocal South African crowd, eager to see their side make it back to back major semi final appearances. Last year the Ravens fell to Central in the grand final qualifier, and today's winner would get a chance to oust first placed Gold Coast and claim a place in the 2004 grand final.

Things started very poorly for Adelaide, who seemed to be content to pick up where they left off after last week's humiliating 42-6 loss to the Wellington Cougars in New Zealand. Early handling errors gave Capetown gift possession, and they scored first points courtesy of a well worked piece of backline play- Brian Lima going over after an exchange of passes had created an overlap out wide. Andy Farrell, bound to the Gold Coast next year, kicked a magnificent sideline conversion to give his side a 6-0 break after almost five minutes. A penalty on the kick-off put the Ravens right back in Adelaide's red zone, and coach Anthony McElroy must have been having flashbacks to last week when Martin Gleeson stormed over in a mirror image of Lima's opening try. Gleeson went over on the opposite side of the field, but the try's buildup was almost identical, making a mockery of Adelaide's world class backline. Farrell proved his versatility as a goalkicker, landing the equally difficult conversion to give his side an ominous 12-0 lead.

The second try put some sting and starch back in the Attitude defence, and they came up with some good hits and a great return of the clearing kick to mount their first offensive of the game. A big Rupeni Caucau break down Luke Rooney's wing started the movement, and it ended with Elton Flatley getting his side back in the game courtesy of a try beneath the posts. Flatley engineered the six pointer himself, kicking ahead and collecting the ball (on the rebound from the upright) tos claim a champagne four pointer. He then converted his own effort, and Adelaide were back in the game, down 12-6 in the 10th minute.

After the early flurry of point-scoring, the game settled down as both sides worked out their defensive chinks and played a more acceptable brand of finals' football. The next points didn't come until the 18th minute, when Elton Flatley made his game tally to eight points care of a penalty for fighting. Adelaide were down 12-8, and the few loyal supporters who had made the journey, were gradually starting to settle down those heart palpatations.

Just as the South Australian faithful were able to settle their nerves, however, the Ravens blew the game open again with their third try of the game. Again it was Brian Lima doing the damage, the Samoan import showing he's not just a defensive workhorse with a powerful bust to set up Andy Farrell's twentieth minute try. The seventy metre set of six highlighted Adelaide's defensive inadequacies in the backline, with Farrell's conversion putting his side ahead 18-8.

As it was earlier in the half, the Attitude hit right back, but it came through their underrated forward pack. Memorable charges from Matt Parsons and Martin Lang made good metres up the middle, whilst Richard Swain continually frustrated the markers with his incisive darts from the play the ball. A quality set of six was capped off in the ideal fashion, with Stephen Kearney wrestling his way over the line despite the efforts of Malcolm Alker. Elton Flatley continued his good form with the boot, his conversion having things at 18-14 heading into the final ten minutes of the half. Andy Farrell settled things down a little with a penalty minutes later, the lead back to six with the Ravens up 20-14.

The scoreline became level in the 38th minute, with an unlikely line break from big Matt Parsons the catalyst for a Doug Howlett try. Parsons, who has announced he will hang up the boots at season's end, used his superior size and strength to get over the top of English international, Derek Gateshead, and from the resulting field position- Howlett was able to leap above the pack to collect a Matt Giteau bomb and score a valuable try shortly before halftime. Elton Flatley duly converted the effort, and after such a rampaging start from the Ravens, it looked as if the halftime score would be level at 20 all.

It wasn't to be, however, with the Ravens stepping up to the plate from the kick-off and managing to trap Lote Tuqiri in goal on the second tackle. It all came about from a woeful dummy half pass from Rupeni Caucau, which Tuqiri had to chase back in goal where he was monstered by Lima and Rooney. The resulting line drop out only travelled twenty metres, and Derek Gateshead made up for his earlier defensive inadequacies with a scintillating individual try. The young Englishman, likely to be relegated to the bench next season with the advent of Andrew Johns, danced and weaved his way to the line to score right beside the left upright. Andy Farrell converted after halftime was signalled, and the Ravens were 26-20 leaders.

HALFTIME: Capetown 26 lead Adelaide 20

Both sides came back onto the park with the same instruction from their coaches: improve your defence. After a first half containing seven tries, defense would be the difference in a game that was showcasing two sides not afraid to score a try or two. It was no surprise then, that a try came in the very first minute of the second half, with Adelaide again equalising on the back of a poor start from the Ravens. First it was Luke Rooney dropping the ball from the kick-off, and this was added to be some lazy defense by the markers. Big American Brashen Trell was able to take full advantage of this, scoring a dominant try to put his side behind by two points. Flatley was flawless, and it was 26 all.

The next ten minutes were frantic, and some of the best seen in a game all season. Both sides were playing cowboy football, tossing the ball around with the idea that it would be try-scoring and not defence that would decide this one. Both teams had their opportunities, but it was the Ravens who were next to score points- Luke Rooney and Martin Gleeson showcasing their combination with a brilliant backline try. Gleeson made the initial bust through a lazy Gary Coleman attempted tackle, before offloading outside to Rooney. The two exchanged passes to bamboozle Tuqiri in #1, before Rooney was able to step around an exhausted Lote Tuqiri and run it arounnd under the posts. The Newlands' faithful were going crazy, as the Ravens again took the lead, 32-26.

Ten more minutes of frantic football ensued, and another feature of the game developed- that of spite. With their major semi final dream gradually slipping away, the Attitude forwards began to play dirty football. The Ravens didn't let it slide, and the last quarter promised to be spiteful and cruel. When a penalty for a high tackle on Red Apokalips in the 60th gave the Attitude a chance at six points, however, Flatley calmly opted for a penalty goal to bring his side back within four. The game very nearly scored the Attitude the lead for the first time in the game, when Apokalips crossed on the back of some good work by Elton Flatley only two minutes later. Flatley showed why he was Dally M five eighth of the year with some brilliant passing, the last pass to Apokalips a doozy. However, after all of his good work, Flatley missed the relatively routine conversion to leave things at 32 all with just over ten minutes of play remaining. Fans were on the edges of their seats, as were the two rival coaches.

Adelaide's mistakes continued to haunt them however, and continued to give Capetown the chance they needed to secure a second major semi final berth. When Luke Rooney again exploited Gary Coleman's woeful defence to make a big bust down the flank, it put the Ravens deep on the attack with eight minutes of play remaining. Derek Gateshead, playing perhaps his finest game of the year, calmly grubbered ahead in form remeniscent of last year- with Lance Rhodes racing onto the bouncing ball to score another try! Rhodes' effort and the resulting conversion put the Ravens up 38-32, but no one was celebrating yet, with six points nothing in such a high scoring game.

As predicted, it wasn't enough, with Gary Coleman and Doug Howlett emulating Gleeson and Rooney's earlier efforts to level things once again. Flatley made no mistake with this conversion, and with five minutes on the clock it was 38 all. The last five minutes of play were frantic, nay, they gave new definition to frantic- after the entire game had been played at breakneck speed. Withers, Farrel, Gateshead, Flatley, and Apokalips all attempted and missed field goals to seal the game, and when fulltime sounded, it was still deadlocked at 38 all.

FULLTIME: Capetown 38 drawn with Adelaide 38

The opening ten minutes of extra time football quickly became a war of attrition, with both sides attempting field goals, and both sides lifting the defensive intensity to deny a possibly match winning try. The only points of this extra time period came courtesy of an Andy Farrell penalty, the Attitude stupidly offside and giving the Ravens a slender 40-38 lead.

HALFTIME: Capetown 40 lead Adelaide 38

The second period of extra time proved entertaining beyond belief, with both sides again making busts with their backlines, and again squandering opportunities. As the final minutes of the half ticked away, it looked as if the Ravens could very well hold on to their two point lead and advance to a semi final with Gold Coast- but Martin Gleeson's dominance over Gary Coleman shone through again- a big bust and a long pass putting Robbie Ross in under the posts. Farrell's conversion would seal the victory, and did just that. The big South African crowd went up, as the Ravens progressed to the semi final 46-38 winners in extra time.

FULLTIME

Capetown Ravens 46
Lance Rhodes
Martin Gleeson
Brian Lima
Luke Rooney
Derek Gateshead
Andy Farrel
Robbie Ross
Farrell 9/9

defeated

Adelaide Attitude 38
Doug Howlett x 2
Matt Giteau
Stephen Kearney
Brashen Trell
Red Apokalips

PoM Points
Brian Lima.................3
Martin Gleeson...........2
Andy Farrell...............1

Stats
Penalty Count
Capetown Ravens- 7 : 6 -Adelaide Attitude

Possession (%)
Capetown Ravens- 47 : 52 -Adelaide Attitude

Time in Opposition Half
Capetown Ravens- 40 : 40 -Adelaide Attitude

Handling Errors
Capetown Ravens- 12 : 14 -Adelaide Attitude

Completion Rate (%)
Capetown Ravens- 69 : 59 -Adelaide Attitude

Tackles
Capetown Ravens- 213 : 200 -Adelaide Attitude