A DETERMINED fightback helped the Queensland Outback Barbarians come from behind to beat the highly fancied Park City Haggis.
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Trailing 14-17 at the break and battling the effects of the 2100-metre altitude, the Outback Barbarians put on its most determined display of the tour to overrun the home side 38-22.
The score could have been higher.
However, centre Pierce Saunders (Goondiwindi) copped a deliberate head high tackle near the Park City try line in the final minutes.
The ensuing melee saw an already struggling referee blow full-time two minutes early.
It is understood a Park City player has been suspended over the ugly incident.
Forward Cameron Knights (St George), hooker Brendan Bunyan (Burdekin) and No. 8 Tom Williams (Townsville) were standouts in the fight back.
Early in the match Park City had the run of the field.
However, the home side dropped the ball over the line twice as the Outback Barbarians struggled to gain momentum and kept slipping off tackles in the thin mountain air.
However, it was best-on-pitch Sam Tweedy (Goondiwindi) who was the first to score.
Fellow hard-running lock Paul Tema (Gladstone) delivered a pass from a ruck turnover about 20m out.
Tweedy used his power to punch through some tough defence to score near the posts.
No. 10 Phil Derksen (Clermont) added the extras for a 7-0 lead.
Park City hit back nine minutes later, after capitalising on a dropped ball to score out wide.
Another nine minutes later, after the tourists were penalised three times for breakdown infringements, Park City was allowed to score beside the posts to take the lead 12-7.
Some 11 minutes later, Park City ran through some ragged Outback Barbarians defence to score in the corner to extend the lead to 17-7.
Again it was Tweedy who used his power after a number of pick and drives to force his way over the line.
Derksen again converted to go in 17-14 at the break.
After the restart the Outback Barbarians dug deep.
A scrum win saw Malaki Faoagali-Latu (Mount Isa) pick up the ball from the back of the scrum to offload to a flying Mick Jamieson (Goondiwindi), who split the defence and floated a pass to winger Jeff Searle (Burdekin) who outpaced the defence to score in the corner and take the tourists to a 19-17 lead.
After further sustained pressure by the tourists forwards and the skill of the back line, Dom O'Connor (Goondiwindi) scored in the corner.
Dangerous play from a clearly frustrated Park City defence resulted in the referee awarding a penalty try.
After a lapse in the tiring Outback Barbarians' defence, the powerful running Park City fullback scored in the corner to bring the score back to 26-22.
Minutes later flanker Brendan McKeown (Bundaberg) seized a dropped ball and outpaced the opposition over 20m to score under the posts and then convert his own try.
In the closing stages, a backline movement resulted in a try in the corner by winger Lachalan Conyers (an Australian student now studying in the US) for the 38-22 final score.