The Temora Rugby Union Club’s women’s side (Tuskerettes) bounced back from last week’s defeat against the West Wyalong Redbacks by keeping the Harden She Devils scoreless during a commanding 41-0 win last Saturday. Playing on home turf at the Temora Recreation Ground, the Tuskerettes ran in seven unanswered tries in their Central West Rugby Union South West Fuels Cup game. Playing with far greater intent, the Tuskerettes produced one of their most complete performances of the season, taking control from the opening whistle and never allowing Harden into the contest. Undoubtedly, the standout performers included the Maxwell sisters, Kaesha and Mylah, who both scored two tries each. Playing with renewed confidence and purpose, with some powerful ball carrying and an enterprising attack, the Tuskerettes dominated possession and field position early before turning pressure into points. The breakthrough for the Tuskerettes came after a sweeping backline movement created space for Mylah Maxwell, who beat her defender on the outside to score the opening try. They quickly doubled their advantage when Kaesha Maxwell burst through the defensive line from halfway and proved too quick for the cover defence. The Tuskerettes’ coach Bill McCrone said the Maxwell sisters continued to torment Harden before the break, with both players crossing for their second tries in a similar fashion as his side took a 24-0 halftime lead. “We picked up where we left off after the interval,” he said. “Following several strong attacking phases, a clever blindside play put Makenna Seary one-on-one with the defence and she shrugged off the final defender before diving over for another well-worked try. “To Harden's credit, they showed plenty of determination in the second half and enjoyed several opportunities inside our red zone, but our resolute defence ensured the She-Devils were unable to trouble the scoreboard. “A crucial turnover relieved the pressure before a series of strong carries shifted play upfield. “Spotting space around the back of the ruck, Emma Lockley darted through from halfway and raced away to score.” The Tuskerettes completed the scoring with another slick backline movement that released Caitlin Treble into space. Despite desperate cover defence, Treble won the race to the corner to seal an emphatic victory. McCrone praised Maddie Miller, who produced an “outstanding and tireless performance” around the ruck and in defence. Lockley was also among the Tuskerettes’ best players with “arguably her best game of the season at halfback”. The Tuskerettes will now face another two-week break due to consecutive byes. “We’ll need to stay on our game though as our next assignment will be a blockbuster top-of-the-table clash against Grenfell on July 18, with the result likely to have a major bearing on the race for the minor premiership,” McCrone said.
