An enthralling StoreLocal Founders Cup Grand Final went right down to the wire on Saturday afternoon, Bond University holding off a gallant Easts Tigers outfit for the second season running as nearly 3,000 fans descended on Ballymore for Day One of the Queensland Premier Rugby Finals.
Taking a 32-29 victory, the Bullsharks’ legacy continues to grow, a fourth Premiership in a row for the women from the canal.
Replacement pivot Zara Colless helped shift the momentum after a strong start from Easts, taking home the Cheyenne Campbell Medal after scoring a try and nailing two conversions and a penalty goal.
Easts shot out of the blocks, their scrum powering them in the early stages as they crossed the line first in the 5th minute through Renae Nona and their impressive defence holding firm for a number of minutes, before Jemma Bemrose eventually wore them down to equal the scores after 15 minutes.
But the Tigers weren’t phased by the enormity of the occasion, April Ngatupuna scoring Easts’ second in the 24th minute and winger Leilani Hills crossing just before the break to secure a 19-5 half-time lead.
Whatever Bond Uni Head Coach Lawrence Faifua and his staff said to their charges had an impact, the three-time defending champions exploding out of the blocks after the break and Colless dotting down under the posts untouched just three minutes into the second half.
A desperate Easts tackle prevented Bond replacement Tiki Calliste from scoring in the corner in the 43rd minute but they were unfazed, riding the wave of momentum as the competition’s leading try scorer Dianne Waight inevitably crossed a minute later.
When centre TJ Murray scored just two minutes later, courtesy of a draw and pass from winger Eva Doblo in the channel, she gave Bond the lead for the first time all afternoon.
Scrumhalf Evie Sampson came up trumps with a big steal minutes later, and when standout second rower Lucy Thorpe forced her way over through traffic, a successful conversion meant that Bond led 29-17 after 51 minutes. A penalty goal slotted by Colless just four minutes later completed a stunning burst of 27 points in just 20 second half minutes.
The Tigers refused to lie down, hitting back through Machiko Silila and when loosehead Adi Lisikoveni Dreu found the line it was a three-point game with a few minutes left on the clock, but Bond held firm to ensure that the StoreLocal Founders Cup trophy would be heading back down the M1 – and providing some extra inspiration for their counterparts who will attempt to wrestle the StoreLocal Hospital Cup trophy out of Brothers’ hands on Sunday afternoon.
Colless, Thorpe, Elisha Godsiff and Jemma Bemrose were amongst Bond’s best, while experienced backs Renae Nona and Piper Flynn were standouts for Easts.
In the weekend’s other games to date, Wests took out 3rd Grade after a 33-33 draw with Brothers, but the men from Crosby Park claimed three Premierships across Colts 2 (19-17 over Easts), Colts 3 (24-8 over GPS) and 4th Grade (29-26 against Sunnybank).
Sunnybank did get the win against Brothers in 5th Grade, 14-12, while on Friday night Wests defeated Brother 10-7 in 6th Grade.
6th Grade: Wests 10 def. Brothers 7
5th Grade: Sunnybank 14 def. Brothers 12
4th Grade: Brothers 29 def. Sunnybank 26 3rd Grade: Wests 33 vs. Brothers 33 (Wests win as Minor Premiers)
Colts 3: Brothers 24 def. GPS 8
Colts 2: Brothers 19 def. Easts 17
