A reborn Sarah Riordan was today’s two-try standout when the Queensland Reds women’s team launched 2025 with a highly-encouraging 47-15 trial win at Ballymore Stadium.
The ACT Brumbies were right in the contest with a 5m scrum feed approaching the hour mark and trailing just 19-10.
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The Reds put on the afterburners from there with four tries in the final 20 minutes of the tune-up match for the Super Rugby Women's season.
That flurry of scores showed the Reds superior fitness, finishing polish and ability to play off-the-cuff rugby when they spotted a chance.
For veteran Riordan, it was quite a day against a club she once played for. As a centre or fullback for the Wallaroos between 2016-18, she would never have imagined being reborn as an emergency tighthead prop.
The Reds had to get creative this week when soft tissue injuries grounded three props, including Wallaroos ace Eva Karpani.
Scrums were uncontested from the kick-off and Riordan, 32, answered the SOS.
“I only found out the morning of the game I’d be filling in at prop. Just trying to breathe was my first goal in that position,” Riordan said with a grin.
As shambolic as rugby league scrums are, her brief stint in NRLW with St George Illawarra in 2023 came at prop.
"That experience definitely helped in terms of knowing the workrate to get around the corner and the effort you have to find,” she said.
"Not too much changed in the way I played the game.
“It’s great for all the girls to finally get into game mode and perform.
“Fullback to prop…I don’t know if that is a compliment or an insult.”
It was definitely a compliment. She bullocked over for her first try early in the second half to extend the Reds’ half-time lead from 12-10 to 19-10.
Better still was the one-handed offload in contact to put replacement Lori Cramer away. Cramer passed to centre Mel Wilks who did the rest for the long-range try of the match and 26-10.
Late in the game, fullback Faythe Manera pierced the defence and popped a pass to Riordan who strolled in for try No.2.
There were promising signs aplenty for the Reds in the baking 28 degree temperatures in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
Winger Caitlin Urwin crossed twice as well. New lock Vineta Teutau’s ball-carrying was destructive. Manera got her bearings with some excellent touches in her first game of 15s in several years since switching from sevens.
On the wing, Ivania Wong made a successful try-scoring return from ankle surgery. Teenage inside centre Shalom Sauaso showed enormous strength to shrug off defenders when on the charge.
Wallaroos hooker Tiarna Molloy was high on workrate even to the final minutes with an explosive 30m run.
“The best thing is the girls have earned that victory. We’ve had 45 sessions together since October,” Reds coach Andrew Fraser said.
“We categorise ourselves as a team that plays with pace and fitness to be in the hunt at the back end of games. You saw that today and there were a lot of pleasing aspects.”
Brumbies coach Andy Friend said both teams got benefits from the clash. The Reds led just 12-10 when Brumbies winger Biola Dawa shed two tacklers to score in the corner on half-time.
“We play our first competition match in Perth so we needed this game in the heat. We showed we could break the line but we didn’t finish plays as we need to,” Friend said.
“Credit to the Reds. They came over the top and executed in the final 20 minutes.”
The Reds play the Western Force next Saturday in a further trial at Ballymore Stadium from 12:30pm (AEST).
Queensland Reds 47
Tries: Sarah Riordan 2, Caitin Urwin 2, Vineta Teutau, Mel Wilks, Ivania Wong
Cons: Carys Dallinger 2, Faythe Manera 2, Lori Cramer, Mel Wilks
Defeated
ACT Brumbies 15
Tries: Lydia Kavoa, Charlie Brigstocke, Biola Dawa
