Gungahlin Eagles ignite John I Dent Cup finals race in win over Wests Lions

The Eagles' premiership hopes are alive after clinching a thrilling 42-36 shootout over a 14-man Wests outfit at Portsea Oval on Saturday.

They traded tries, then they traded penalty goals with Matt Giteau's boot ultimately proving the difference with three penalties in the final 14 minutes to clinch the win.

Yet for a moment it seemed Wests would have a chance to steal it at the death when captain Ryan Kiely burrowed over the line underneath the posts as his teammates erupted in celebration.

But Kiely was ruled to have been held up - and the referee's very next move was to blow full-time. Wests have now fallen to fourth, with their second close loss in as many weeks soured by Brodie Leber's red card for an alleged elbow to the head in the ruck inside the final 20 minutes.

MORE RUGBY UNION

While the class of Giteau and James Dargaville helped tip the ledger in Gungahlin's favour, names like Tom Haddad, Joey Caputo, Joel Atkins and Corey Toole were the ones on everyone's lips as they left the RMC grounds.

"They're still young [19-20], still learning the ropes. Playmakers only get better by getting miles on the clock and that's what we're going through at the moment," Eagles coach Marco Caputo said.

"I can't pay Gits or Dargs any more compliments, they've been outstanding. What they don't see but I see, is the benefit of just having those guys around.

"The Joeys, the Tommys, the Joels, they make them better. It's about what they do on Tuesday and Thursday but also on game day when games are in the balance.

"Gits has been class since he showed up. The micro chats he has on the side, particularly with the young playmakers we've got, you just can't get that any other way.

"We're just picking them off one at a time at the moment. I think we can go on a roll now. We can show a bit of ambition with the ball and be confident."

A first-half hat-trick to Kiely ultimately gave his side the advantage in a thrilling first half in which Wests scored tries to take a 33-21 lead into the break.

The Lions' stellar run to close out the opening half meant the Eagles needed to score next if they were to stay in touch with the competition's title contenders.

They would do just that with one of the tries of the year, with Dargaville and Jamie Kotz both going coast to coast to level the scores at 33-apiece.

Giteau and Wests fullback Declan Meredith traded penalty goals soon after to square the ledger at 36-36, before the ex-Wallaby nailed successive attempts to pinch a lead against a side "obviously hurt" by Leber's absence.

"I know Brodie is not a dirty player, it'll be interesting to see but we'll control what we can control," Wests coach Adam Butt said.

"Gungahlin were really good exiting, all credit to them for that. They hit the channels well and they had a bit of composure.

"At times we turned over easy pill and you can't do that to a good side. They scored some quality tries, it was probably a good game for the fans to watch, not so much as a coach.

"Next week is huge against Tuggeranong. We know they're usually the standard bearers. You've got to beat everyone to make it. It's almost like the competition is on zero again in a best of three series."

AT A GLANCE

John I Dent Cup round seven: GUNGAHLIN EAGLES 42 (Joel Atkins, Tom Haddad, Alex Small, James Dargaville, Jamie Kotz tries; Matt Giteau 4 conversions; Giteau 3 penalties) bt WESTS LIONS 36 (Ryan Kiely 3, Komiti Tuilagi, Kameli Ratuvou tries; Declan Meredith 4 conversions; Meredith penalty) at Portsea Oval; CANBERRA ROYALS 16 bt UNI-NORTHS OWLS 10 at ANU North Oval; TUGGERANONG VIKINGS 40 bt QUEANBEYAN WHITES 21 at Campese Oval.

Women's Premier XVs: UNI-NORTHS OWLS 17 bt CANBERRA ROYALS 11 at ANU North Oval; GOULBURN 17 bt WESTS LIONS 10 at Simon Poidevin Park.