The Temora Rugby Union Club’s women’s side (Tuskerettes) remains unbeaten in this season’s Central West Rugby Union South West Fuels Cup competition after grinding out a 38-20 win against the Young Yabbettes last Saturday. The Tuskerettes survived a spirited second-half fightback from Young during the bruising encounter at Cranfield Oval. Tuskerettes’ coach Bill McCrone said his side “exploded out of the blocks” early to dominate territory and possession through powerful running and aggressive field position. Although the Tuskerettes showed their class early in the game and towards the latter stages, periods of ill-discipline invited Young back into the contest. “Kaesha Maxwell opened the scoring before Monique Kitchener crossed soon after, giving us a handy 12-0 lead,” McCrone said. “However, repeated penalties handed momentum back to Young, and the Yabbettes capitalised, marching downfield before crossing for their opening try. “We responded in perfect fashion just before halftime when Kamryn Wood sliced through from long range to extend the lead to 19-5 at the break.” Soon after the restart, the Tuskerettes appeared to have one hand on the competition points when Maddie Miller powered over to score a try against her former club to extend the lead to 26-5. However, the contest quickly turned with lapses in discipline and some poor defensive reads allowing Young to mount a spirited fightback. Young controlled possession for an extended period and attacked through the middle with strong carries before shifting the ball wide, repeatedly exposing overlaps on the edges. The Yabbettes’ persistence paid off with three quick tries suddenly reducing the Tuskerettes’ lead to just six points at 26-20 and swung momentum firmly towards the home side. With the match threatening to slip, the Tuskerettes regrouped following a stern message from the sideline. They steadied, regained control of field position and possession and eventually shut down the comeback. Mylah Maxwell crossed for a crucial try to give the visitors some breathing space, before Sam Jordan sealed the result late as the Tuskerettes powered home to secure the victory. Molly Greenham’s accuracy with the boot also proved critical. The reliable kicker successfully converted four from six attempts, while Young failed to add the extras to any of their tries - a decisive factor in the final margin. McCrone noted some of the standouts for the Tuskerettes, with the Maxwell sisters heavily featured in the Players’ Player voting. Kaesha Maxwell earned best-on-ground honours after a dominant first-half performance. “She was relentless in defence and dangerous in attack, helping spark several attacking raids and Mylah Maxwell also impressed with another tireless display around the breakdown, continually troubling the Young defence,” McCrone said. “Maddie Miller was another standout, producing a strong performance against her former club.” In the next round, the Tuskerettes will host the Boorowa Goldilocks team on Saturday at 1.30pm, at the Temora Recreation Ground.
