Aiden Tolman of Country looks dejected as Will Hopoate of City celebrates his last-gasp try. Source: Mark Kolbe / Getty Images
CITY Origin centre Will Hopoate capped off his return to representative football after two years out of the game with a dramatic late try to give his side an unlikely 26-all draw with Country Origin in Dubbo.
With just seconds left on the clock and City six behind, Hopoate cut inside some desperate Country defence to dive over in a handy position for halfback Adam Reynolds to land a pressure conversion.
City looked out of the contest when they trailed 26-10 late in the game but three tries in a frenetic final four minutes locked things up.
After withstanding everything City threw at them early in the second half, the boys from the bush were guilty of clocking off late to allow City to rally from 16 points down.
There were plenty of willing performers in the game with giant Country centre Jamal Idris giving NSW coach Laurie Daley a timely reminder of his ability while Jarrod Mullen won the battle of the five-eighths in his duel with Josh Reynolds.
After leading 16-10 at halftime, Idris appeared to put Country in the box seat when he scored from a perfectly placed Mullen cross kick before he put his winger James McManus over.
Country were on the front foot from the opening whistle after forcing an error out of City prop Andrew Fifita from the kick-off.
The discarded Test prop was hammered by a posse of Country forwards headed by Tariq Sims.
City survived the defensive set on their own line but it was clear the bush boys were up for the contest.
Country five-eighth Mullen, in a battle for the NSW No. 6 jumper with City rival Reynolds, made an early statement by sitting the Bulldogs playmaker on his backside with a great driving head-on tackle.
Mullen featured again soon after when he linked with his Knights teammate Beau Scott close to the City line.
Scott shrugged off a tackle before slipping an inside ball for fullback David Mead to dive over for the opening points after 11 minutes.
Fifita made up for his early error when he featured heavily in City's opening try.
Scouting wide, he pushed out of a tackle before putting fullback Matt Moylan away.
With the defence converging, Moylan chipped over Mead for Josh Reynolds to cross next to the posts to tie it up at 6-all.
Sydney Roosters winger Daniel Tupou was catching a cold on the left wing until mid-way through the half when his outstanding ability in the air produced City's second try.
From an Adam Reynolds cross kick, he soared way above the pack to touch down wide out for a 10-6 advantage after 23 minutes.
It finished off a good 10 minute period for City, but just as they appeared to be getting on top, Country struck back.
Replacement hooker Josh McCrone caught City winger Jorge Taufua napping down the blindside, sending Kevin Gordon over just inside the corner post to level things up.
Just three minutes later, on the back of a Mullen 40-20, Country were in again.
Mead, who was outstanding at the back for Country, went over for his second try off halfback Tyrone Roberts to bring up the 16-10 halftime scoreline.
Idris's brilliance then took Country to a 26-10 lead, before City's final flourish snatched an unlikely draw.
NSW COUNTRY 26 (D Mead 2 K Gordon J Idris J McManus tries T Roberts 3 goals) drew NSW CITY 26 (D Tupou 2 A Fifita W Hopoate J Reynolds tries A Reynolds 3 goals) at Caltex Park. Referee: Gavin Badger, Gerard Sutton. Crowd: 9,627.
See how we covered the game live below.
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