Blue Boars women down the Lionesses in a sevens contest at Dangar Park

Narrabri Rugby Club’s women’s side had to adapt quickly at the last minute as it found out just before it ran onto Dangar Park that it would be playing a sevens match on Saturday.

The Blue Boars took on Quirindi in all three grades in the fifth round of the 2023 Central North Rugby Union season, and the Lionesses were only able to travel with 10 players for the first game of the day.

The visitors opted to play sevens as opposed to a tens game with no bench, which meant that the Blue Boars were automatically gifted three competition points before taking the field.

They earned two more during the 28-minute contest with a scintillating performance as they prevailed 48-19.

The Narrabri women outscored the Lionesses eight tries to three and four conversions to two on a warm day to remain on top of the table after five rounds.

April Smith crossed for a hat-trick of tries and also kicked two conversions, and Toni Gale scored a try and also slotted two conversions. Cassidy Morley bagged a double for the Blue Boars, and Shona McFarland and Abbey Anderson also scored a try each.

The home side’s co-coach Mick Coffey was pleased with the Narrabri girls’ efforts on the day.

“Under the circumstances, I thought we played really well,” he said.

“We were informed three minutes before we ran out onto the field that it wasn’t going to be a game of tens. It was going to be a game of sevens.

“We’d done no preparation for that, and it was very disappointing that they didn’t let us know any earlier.

“We have several girls who are brand new to rugby that have never played the sevens style before.

“I thought they all played well and adapted quickly to that disappointing news.

“It’s a completely different game, tens to sevens, and as I said, they all adapted well.

“Overall, we were quite impressive, and it gave us an opportunity to play a faster brand of football than we were planning to play.

“So while it was disappointing for the girls and the fans, it was a good result.

“In the long run, it will do us good.”

The home side scored after just 90 seconds of play when Morley broke the line and reached the halfway mark before offloading to McFarland, who stepped inside one defender and outside another and ran 50 metres to score a classy try.

Quirindi hit back with a converted try to make the score 7-5 and then the visitors looked set to extend their lead a minute out from the quarter-time break after a Lioness player took an intercept close to her own line and ran almost 100 metres before she was chased down and tackled over the sideline inches out from the tryline by Morley.

However, Quirindi won the ball back and crossed to make the score 12-5 at the first break.

It took Narrabri just 90 seconds to score once again as Smith went over for her first and converted to level the score up at 12-all.

With just three minutes remaining until half-time, Natalia McInnes made a powerful run close to the line and produced a beautiful offload to Gale. The captain went over and then converted to put her side back in front 19-12.

Narrabri was on the attack close to the line again with just one minute remaining until the main break and the hosts scored their fourth try of the game to earn a bonus point. Gale and McFarland both produced brilliant passes to unleash Smith down the right edge, who went in for her second and converted it to make the half-time score 26-12.

That became 26-19 just 30 seconds into the third quarter when Quirindi’s Georgia Moore ran the length of the field after making a break just outside her tryline. She then converted to reduce her side’s deficit to seven points.

However, the Blue Boars hit back almost immediately as Gale and her co-captain and coach Peta Cox both produced brilliant charging runs and offloads just inside their half that helped release Smith through a gap. She charged away to complete her hat-trick to make the score 31-19.

Abbey Anderson was next to score as she went over between the sticks off the back of another sensational Cox run and offload. Gale added the extras as the Blue Boars went into the final quarter with a 38-19 lead, and then two late runaway tries scored by Morley made the final scoreline 48-19.

The Blues Boars are the only side to have accumulated a maximum 24 points across the opening five rounds following two byes and three bonus point victories. Gunnedah is close behind in second place on 24 points, and the Tamworth Pirates are third on 20 points.

Those two sides both won in round five as the Gunnedah women beat Barraba 51-5 and the Tamworth ladies downed the Inverell Highlanders 82-0.

Narrabri will play against Barraba away from home this Saturday in the sixth round of the campaign

Meanwhile, the Narrabri Blue Boars also won the first and second grade matches on Saturday at Dangar Park against the Quirindi Lions. The hosts prevailed 26-5 in second grade before winning the main game 62-7.