The Capras showed plenty of fight but couldn’t match the polish of the Sunshine Coast Falcons, going down 24 – 10 at Sunshine Coast Stadium in Round 13 of the Hostplus Cup.
The Falcons were first to strike in the 15th minute when Zion Johnson crossed after sustained pressure, with Sualauvi Faalogo converting to give the home side an early 6 – 0 lead. They followed up just six minutes later as Harrison McIndoe broke through the line and added a second try.
The Capras responded in the 27th minute through a brilliant individual effort from Mataio Tapau-Bon, who sliced through for a try to narrow the gap to 10 – 4 after a missed conversion.
Just as the Capras looked to build momentum, back-to-back penalties swung possession back to the Falcons, and they took advantage. A penalty goal from Faalogo in the 35th minute made it 12 – 4, before Flynn Camilleri crossed three minutes later, pushing the halftime score to 18 – 4 after another Faalogo conversion.
Early in the second half, the Falcons widened the lead again, with Mason Peut scoring in the 44th minute. Faalogo nailed the sideline conversion to take the score to 24 – 4.
The Capras refused to go quietly. A clever break from Kurtis Farr in the 57th minute resulted in their second try of the afternoon, and Blake Moore added the extras to bring it to 24 – 10. However, despite several attacking opportunities, errors and penalties continued to halt their progress.
The Falcons controlled territory late in the game and managed the clock smartly, denying the Capras any further chances to close the gap.
Although the scoreboard didn’t fall their way, the Capras showed grit and determination—particularly through players like Farr and Tapau-Bon—and will look to build on those efforts when they return to home soil next week.
