A hat-trick of tries to versatile Wallaroo Nat Wright featured in the Queensland Reds’ upbeat 87-7 visit to Melbourne today.
The Rugby Victoria women’s team was never meant to be Super Rugby-level opposition but a way to keep fostering women’s rugby in the southern state.
They were willing, albeit outgunned, and their only try in the final minutes showed they hung tough as best they could.
For the Reds, their first trial on the road with a new squad and playing in dry heat above 30 degrees were good challenges for a hitout like this.
With the return of some cavalry in the front-row, the Reds pack enjoyed their first contested scrums of the pre-season.
Wallaroos prop Bree-Anna Cheetham made her return from 14 months out with a major knee injury with her 20-minute burst from the kick-off.
She felt the physical confrontation of scrums again and made a line break for good measure.
Teenage prop Sky-Yvette Faimalie played for the first time in a Queensland jersey with her 60 minutes off the bench at loosehead.
“There are lots of work-ons for me. It’s just exciting to be playing and learning alongside the girls,” Faimalie said.
Wright started at halfback before a baton change at No.9 with fellow Wallaroo Layne Morgan.
Wright finished the game at fullback and scored her final try in the closing minutes.
Replacement flyhalf Carys Dallinger threw a long ball to winger Piper Flynn who zipped 20m before her inside pass put Wright over for her hat-trick try.
Flanker Carola Kreis set the physical tone with her defence and supported with aplomb to get on the try-scorers’ list herself.
“Two big things we got from the game were the rehearsal of what it’s like to go on the road and just showing patience in attack which is what we talked about all week,” coach Andrew Fraser said.
“We scored tries after seven, 10 or 12 phases so that was a good exercise in persisting.
"Carola was one of our best. She was almost Fraser McReight-like with the way she loomed in support.
“For Renae Nona, at inside centre, and Sky, it was the first game time of the pre-season so they will have got plenty of benefit. For Bree-Anna, it was great to see her back on the field after the mental and physical barriers you have to push through with a long-term injury.
“We do benefit from experience and (prop) Cristo Taufua showed hers for 60 minutes in that heat.
“It’s was a good tune-up but we know we have to go up a level in physicality when we face Penina Pasifika next Saturday.
The Reds meet Penina Pasifika in a Development Game at Ballymore Stadium on March 1 as their final preparation for the SMARTECH Super Rugby Women’s season.
QUEENSLAND REDS 87
Tries: Nat Wright 3, Renae Nona 2, Mel Wilks, Cristo Taufua, Lori Cramer, Tiarna Molloy, Tiarah Minns, Faythe Manera, Ivania Wong, Carola Kreis
Conversions: Lori Cramer 8, Carys Dallinger 2, Faythe Manera
Defeated
RUGBY VICTORIA 7
