Sydney Roosters beat North Queensland Cowboys 42-16 as Matt Ikuvalu scores five tries – ABC News

The Sydney Roosters have embarrassed North Queensland 42-16, with replacement winger Matt Ikuvalu bagging five tries in the one-sided clash in Townsville.

• Matt Ikuvalu was a late call-up to replace the injured Brett Morris
• Ikuvalu became the first Rooster to score five tries in a match since 1955
• The Cowboys have lost five of their last six matches

Reserve Ikuvalu arrived in Townsville thinking he would be watching from the stands but he got a late call-up after veteran winger Brett Morris went down with a groin complaint during the warm-up.
North Queensland no doubt wished Ikuvalu had not played as the late addition became the first Rooster to score five tries in a match since 1955.
Remarkably Ikuvalu had only four career tries in 15 matches before the Cowboys encounter.
Yet at first it did not seem to be the Roosters’ night.
After their flight from Sydney was delayed for two hours, they lost Morris before kick-off then hooker Jake Friend (concussion) came off second best from a collision with a try bound Reece Robson in the 24th minute and didn’t return to the field.
Somehow the Roosters came back from 6-0 down to hang-on for a 12-6 half-time lead despite eight errors, before the floodgates opened.
The visitors piled on four tries in the first 12 minutes of the second half as Ikuvalu completed his hat-trick by the 45th minute and playmaker Luke Keary nabbed a quick double.
Remarkably the blitz completed six tries in 21 minutes since the Roosters finally opened their scoring when Ikuvalu crossed in the 31st minute.
Ikuvalu helped himself to another two in four minutes to bag five by the 64th minute.
North Queensland scored consolation tries through Coen Hess (72nd) and Robson (77th).
The Roosters have won six of their last seven matches.(AAP: Cameron Laird)
Adding injury to insult, the Cowboys did not feature star winger Valentine Holmes in the second half after he aggravated an ankle.
Star Roosters fullback James Tedesco was again inspirational with four try assists and 211 run metres.
Bouncing back from last week’s tough golden-point loss to Melbourne, the Roosters have now won six of their last seven matches.
The Cowboys have lost five of their last six.
AAP/ABC

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