A 34-10 victory over the Tamworth Pirates at Gunnedah Rugby Park last Saturday propelled the Gunnedah Red Devils into third place on the Central North Rugby Union (CNRU) women’s points table.
Having entered last Saturday in fourth place, the Red Devils needed a win to seal their finals spot while the fifth-placed Barraba Rams were a chance of relegating Gunnedah to fifth place.
Gunnedah contests the fourth-placed Moree Bulls at Quirindi Rugby Club in this Saturday’s minor semi-final, with the losing team eliminated while the winner goes on to contest the loser of the major semi-final featuring the top-placed Narrabri and second-placed Pirates.
The Red Devils opened their season with a 42-10 win over the Bulls, who then beat the Red Devils 36-22 when the teams met next time.
Last Saturday, reigning premier Narrabri continued its undefeated season with a 40-7 trouncing of Moree while the Red Devils beat one of the top two teams for the first time all year.
The 24-point margin was misleading, considering Gunnedah led only 17-10 before scoring three tries in the final eight minutes.
Astonishingly, the Pirates had slaughtered Gunnedah 75-0 when the teams met on Tamworth soil back on June 21.
Gunnedah’s sole player chosen for the Australian Rugby Shield in October, Jean Littlewood, was the standout last Saturday as she scored three tries and was prominently involved in general play.
Littlewood scored the opening try and then made a big run from the ensuing kick-off, only for the Pirates to equalise when Larnease Porima scooted away from the Red Devils.
Gunnedah led 12-5 in the second quarter after making metres and stringing together a few passes, with Littlewood breaking away for a converted try.
Right on half-time, Pirates player Shae Partridge made a half-break before Littlewood drove her over the sideline.
In the second half the Red Devils paid for not marking up, as the Pirates moved the ball left where Partridge ran away to score despite Littlewood’s desperate chase.
The Pirates could have levelled the scores but the simple conversion attempt went astray, and soon the Red Devils shifted the ball left where Littlewood broke away for her hat-trick of five-pointers.
Gunnedah could have led 19-10, but another straightforward kick for goal was waved away.
In the final term, the Red Devils finally gained a handy lead when captain Madisan Rogers turned the ball to Viliana Mikaele who barged through and dived over for a try which Rogers converted.
Rogers broke away for a determined try soon afterwards to make the score 29-10, and then Littlewood maintained the momentum as she made another big run.
After the Red Devils received a penalty on full-time, Rogers charged ahead before Jordan Mitchell picked up the ball and ran in the final try.
