IT took just one kick, three minutes into Saturday’s National Rugby Championship (NRC) clash at Wade Park, to signal the afternoon’s action between the NSW Country Eagles and the Melbourne Rising.

After receiving a penalty Eagles five-eighth Sam Windsor failed to find touch, instead kicking the ball dead and gifting Melbourne possession just inside its own half.

From there, with all the momentum, the top-of-the-table clash become a purple wash as the visitors dominated throughout to score a 37-16 - the Rising’s fifth consecutive bonus victory.

“At half time we really had a chance. Only two tries down with the wind and a good crowd here that was going to help get us home, but we blew it,” Eagles coach Darren Coleman said.

“It was definitely our most disappointing performance of the season. Very disappointing.”

“It’s a perfect start, we’ve always got little things to improve on though,” Rising coach Sean Hedger said.

After some remarkable defence to hold the Rising out the latter finally crossed after a string of penalised and reset scrums inside the Eagles’ red-zone.

Eventually NSW Country prop Duncan Chubbs was sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes, and the Melbourne struck immediately through a converted Nic Stirzaker try in the 14th minute.

It was little over a minute later when Rising centre Tom English, and goal kicker Jack Debreczeni, extended that lead to 16-nil.

Despite the Eagles holding on through the middle period thanks to a 17th minute Windsor try, when flanker Sean McMahon scored in the shadows of half time the result was all but guaranteed as the Rising took a 24-8 lead into the second period.

NSW Waratahs star Brendan McKibbin and speedster Andrew Kellaway lifted the hosts when they came on just after the break, but the Rising proved virtually unstoppable, lifting another gear and scoring another two five pointers in quick succession through Telusa Veainu and Lopeti Timani.

The score was unchanged until the final minute of the game thanks directly to errors and penalties in abundance, from both sides.

Despite the Rising’s lead being unassailable, the Eagles had the last say through Kellaway who scored just prior to full time reducing the deficit to 21, and eventual full- time score to 37-16.

“Our lineout fell apart in the second half but I was happy with our scrum,” Coleman said after suggestion of his side’s scrimmaging potentially costing it a victory, or at least a bonus point.

“I think the referee potentially had some preconceptions about the differences from both the scrums. I think most of their scrum dominance came from penalties.

“They are (deserved premiership favourites), I imagine their coach wouldn’t be too happy with their performance today though, they’ve played much better than that in the past.”

Hedger praised his team, wholeheartedly.

“It was tight, half time came at the right time for us,” he said.

“We changed a few things up and we obviously put the game to bed at the start of the second half.

“Traditionally we’ve been kicking away in the last 20, but its encouraging to see it happen a bit early. Our set piece has been a strong part of our game all the way through and will be a continuing strength.”

n MELBOURNE RISING 37 (Nic Stirzaker, Tom English, Sean McMahon, Telusa Veainu, Lopeti Timani tries; Debreczeni 4 conv) def NSW COUNTRY EAGLES 16 (Sam Windsor, Andrew Kellaway tries; Windsor 2 conv).