Rugby Sevens converts Charlotte Caslick and Faythe Manera were amongst the standouts as the Queensland Reds returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 26-22 win over the ACT Brumbies in SMARTECH Super Rugby Women’s action.
It means the Reds have one foot in the play-offs as they join the NSW Waratahs and Fijian Drua on two wins each in what appears to be the most even competition to date.
The Reds have one remaining regular season fixture on Sunday week (March 30) at Ballymore against the Western Force before the finals series commences.
It was a rocks and diamonds performance from the Reds, with some set piece stumbles and poor discipline at times making the task tougher than some of the sparkling interplay and physical carries deserved.
The experience of Eva Karpani, Lori Cramer and Layne Morgan was telling, while Caslick and Manera were not the only Sevens converts to have a big impact on an historic day celebrating the 100th match played by the Reds women.
Young winger Piper Flynn scored on debut after Nat Wright sparked some real energy off the bench in a 1-2 punch combo at scrumhalf with Morgan.
Caslick admitted that while she was still learning about the best way to have an impact in 15-a-side rugby, she was feeling more comfortable after a composed showing.
“I really enjoyed it again today,” Caslick said. “I am still doing plenty of learning and trying to find the best way to insert myself into the combinations. Getting the full 80 minutes will only help with that.
“Lori Cramer is having such a positive impact on my transition. She has been extremely patient with me and communicates so well with me out there. The errors hurt us today, but we hung in there and fought to the end. We’re ready to play in front of a big crowd next week and excited to do it for friends and family again in Queensland.”
The continued integration of the Queensland Reds’ 15-a-side and Rugby sevens programs is giving Head Coach Andrew Fraser plenty of selection headaches at Super Rugby Women’s level. Fraser was pleased to secure the victory today but rued some of the self-inflicted pain along the way.
“We didn’t make it easy for ourselves,” Fraser said. “We showed the potential that we do have and, again, there were plenty of encouraging signs that if we can put it together for 80 minutes, we know we are extremely capable.
“That being said, we made 25 errors and gave away 15 penalties, and we’ve got to significantly reduce that to achieve the results we want to in this competition.”
Brumbies flyhalf Faitala Moleka opened the scoring with a 7th minute penalty goal, as a scrappy opening quarter saw both sides struggle to get their set piece clicking and a few spilt balls in the heat of a sunny Canberra afternoon. As the hosts and visitors alike grew into the contest, Reds outside centre Manera was the first to cross in the 24th minute, Cramer converting.
It was Manera’s first Super Rugby Women’s try, taking advantage of a beautiful inside ball from Cramer after an emphatic Reds scrum saw them head to the line and then build up patiently over more than a dozen phases.
Moleka hit back with the Brumbies first try just next to the posts, missing the conversion.
Tighthead prop Karpani was over again after Shalom Sauaso broke through a tackle to put the Reds in range. A quick tap from Morgan saw Karpani charging through like a freight train, a combination previously seen at the NSW Waratahs and in Wallaroos gold bearing fruit for the Reds.
Moleka added two more penalty goals in the final minutes of the half, allowing the hosts to lead 14-12 at the break.
The second half started with a bang for the Reds, two tries in two minutes to replacement winger Flynn and hooker Tiarna Molloy giving them the biggest lead of the game.
Flynn scored with her first touch in Super Rugby Women’s, the Easts Tiger flyer the beneficiary of a sublime double cut-out pass from Caslick.
Shortly after, Wright and Urwin combined to go the length of the field and Molloy got on the end of an unselfish spread of passes moments later.
Moleka again pointed at the sticks to slot her fourth penalty goal of the afternoon, and a yellow card to Urwin was followed by a try to Brumbies winger Biola Dawa to set up a grandstand finish.
The Reds had to hang on for dear life with 14 players, the match making it all the way until the 84th minute before a Brumbies error drew the match to a close.
Cramer’s accurate goalkicking – her miss today was her first for the season – was critical in the end, denying the Brumbies the chance to kick a penalty goal to win as they racked up penalties against the tiring Reds defence.
With the Force and Drua to play on Sunday afternoon in Perth, the Reds will look to take advantage of the extra day’s recovery to finish the regular season strongly in front of a vocal home crowd.
Queensland Reds 26
Tries: Faythe Manera, Eva Karpani, Piper Flynn, Tiarna Molloy
Cons: Lori Cramer (3/4)
Defeated
ACT Brumbies 22
Tries: Faitala Moleka, Biola Dawa
Cons: Faitala Moleka (0/2)
Pens: Faitala Moleka (4/4)
Half-Time: Brumbies 14-Reds 12
Queensland Reds:
1. Bree-Anna Browne, 2. Tiarna Molloy, 3. Eva Karpani, 4. Tiarah Minns, 5. Deni Ross, 6. Jemma Bemrose (Co-Captain), 7. Carola Kreis, 8. Zoe Hanna, 9. Layne Morgan, 10. Lori Cramer, 11. Ivania Wong (Co-Captain), 12. Shalom Sauaso, 13. Faythe Manera, 14. Caitlin Urwin, 15. Charlotte Caslick
Reserves: 16. Zophronia Setu, 17. Cristo Taufua, 18. Charli Jacoby, 19. Veneta Teutau, 20. Maraea Tupai, 21. Nat Wright, 22. Carys Dallinger, 23. Piper Flynn
ACT Brumbies:
1. Lydia Kavoa, 2. Katalina Amosa, 3. Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele, 4. Ashley Fernandez, 5. Lily Bone, 6. Siokapesi Palu (c), 7. Chioma Enyi, 8. Tabua Tuinakauvadra, 9. Ella Ryan, 10. Faitala Moleka, 11. Biola Dawa, 12. Merania Paraone, 13. Manua Moleka, 14. Gabrielle Petersen, 15. Ashlea Bishop
Reserves: 16. Tania Naden, 17. Martha Fua, 18. Iroha Kishimoto, 19. Easter Savelio, 20. Edwina Munns-Cook, 21. Piper Rankmore, 22. Jay Huriwai, 23. Kyah Little
