The Queensland Reds women’s team created history in Sydney today with an emotional first win over the NSW Waratahs and a last-chance jump into the semi-finals.
The Reds stunned the six-time champions 26-19 in the wet at Sydney’s Leichhardt Oval to grab fourth spot in Swyftx Super Rugby Women’s.
A semi-final showdown against the top-placed Fijian Drua in Lautoka awaits on Saturday, July 18 now the Reds’ season has sprung to glorious life.
The Reds had to snap a 0-13 curse in games against the Waratahs since the peak women’s competition began in 2018 or their season was over. It took the Western Force to beat the ACT Brumbies 36-20 in the early game just for that chance to open up.
The Reds' bold response was the best 40 minutes of their season for a 26-14 half-time lead and a courageous second half of desperate scraping and shutting down the ‘Tahs’ chances.
There were heroes aplenty. Halfback Sarah Dougherty had a hand in the lead-up to three tries and would have scored one herself minutes from half-time but for being tackled metres short of the tryline by an off-side Waratahs player.
The Reds were awarded a penalty try and Waratahs flyhalf Pleuni Kievit was sinbinned for 10 minutes as a result.
Wallaroos prop Eva Karpani scored a try and her power was influential throughout more than an hour of action against her former team. Skipper Jemma Bemrose tackled relentlessly, cool game-controller Lori Cramer stepped up at flyhalf with her distribution and kicking, No.8 Tiarna Molloy was all go-forward in the tough conditions and flanker Zoe Hanna had her best game of the season.
Hooker Roni Setu was a standout. Her fierce tackling set the example, she guided a superior scrum past the 70-minute mark and engineered key lineout wins in a downpour.
"The heart and belief we showed was incredible. There's always such a rivalry with NSW. I'm just so proud of the girls that we could do this and against the reigning champs," skipper Bemrose said.
"We are alive in this competition and with such confidence from a win like that.
"There were some great performances but Roni was amazing. Her defence and workrate were superb and she has played for more than 70 minutes as a hooker."
How much effort was there from the kick-off showed how much resilience and belief the tightly-bonded Reds had built even in dropping games to the ACT Brumbies, Western Force and Drua.
Players needed to own key moments and they did.
Hanna ran 35m on one kick-off reception and stole a lineout when the Waratahs were pressing.
In the second half, Karpani and Setu forced a turnover with a massive tackle on Wallaroo Bridie O’Gorman and Hanna forced another with a strong tackle, Dougherty charged down a kick, Black Ferns prop Tanya Kalounivale came on and the Reds won a key scrum penalty.
The moments added up and the release of emotion in the hugging and sheer joy on full-time showed how much the breakthrough result meant.
The Reds were behind 7-0 before a pick-and-go try to lock Lucy Thorpe was made possible by a Dougherty quick-tap dart. It was a result of the most sustained ball control of the Reds’ season in the wet.
The Reds went direct and often up the middle, and backed Cramer's boot, with a smart game plan for the tricky conditions.
It was 12-7 when the Reds took another tap, this time creating a maul 5m out and a drive for a Hanna try.
It was 19-7 after 26 minutes when Karpani crashed over herself after a lead-up scoot from Dougherty from the scrumbase. The penalty try gave the Reds a 26-14 break at half-time but the Waratahs were within striking distance just after the break with their third try.
It was a day of major significance for long-time Reds like Cramer, Dougherty, Molloy and Sarah Riordan who have dreamt so long of this day coming. They have now shared it with a young group who have been given a jolt of major confidence that anything is possible.
QUEENSLAND REDS 26
Tries: Eva Karpani, Zoe Hanna, Lucy Thorpe, penalty try
Conversions: Lori Cramer 2
Def
NSW WARATAHS 19
Tries: Lusiana Vesikula, Amelia Whitaker, Britt Merlo
Conversions: Desiree Miller 2
Half-time: Reds 26-14
Venue: Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
