The Cobar Roosterettes have shot to the top of the Castlereagh Ladies League Tag competition ladder following their comprehensive 24-0 win over visitors Baradine at Tom Knight Memorial Oval on Saturday.
The Cobar side is in fine form having won three out of the four games they’ve played this season.
While Saturday’s win was very much a team effort with the Roosterettes playing a very good defensive and attacking game, Brianna Watson was however their standout player scoring four tries and kicking two goals to help Cobar to the win.
Watson opened Cobar’s account early in the match crossing for her first try eight minutes into the game.
It came after sustained attack by the Roosterettes who passed the ball around well to create plenty of try scoring opportunities.
Cobar’s strong defence, led by “tagging machine” Phoebe Purshouse, ensured Baradine were kept in their own half.
The Roosterettes also demonstrated they were adept at seamlessly swapping from defence to attack.
They were gifted back-to-back attacking raids after a well placed kick in play by co-captain Zoë Egan sat up inches from the dead ball line.
The Baradine player was tagged in goal which forced the subsequent line drop-out.
Cobar was back attacking the try line, and Watson was in the thick of it. Once again she evaded her taggers to score close to the posts.
Egan’s clearing kicks continued to put pressure on Baradine as did strong runs from Brennah Aumua, who went close to scoring but was tagged just before she put the ball down.
Aumua’s efforts were however immediately rewarded with an opportunistic try by rookie Bridgette Negfeldt, who dived over to score after Aumua quickly played the ball.
Cobar then had a 12-0 lead going into the halftime break.
This season’s Cobar team is made up of a number of young players who did a lot of work building a solid platform in attack throughout Saturday’s game.
Negfeldt, along with Sophie Clark, Sarah Morley and Pursehouse made numerous line breaks throughout the match and Watson took advantage of every hole in Baradine’s defence that she could find.
Watson crossed for two more second half tries, both of which she converted, to see Cobar through to the 24-0 win.
Watson very deservedly earned the referee’s Best & Fairest three points for the match as well as her team’s B&F three points.
Two B&F points went to Morley and Aumua with one point earned by Negfeldt.
Watson and Pursehouse shared the Players’ Player award.
The Roosterettes will be put to the test when they come up against the strong Dunedoo Swanettes team this Saturday, with the Roosterettes hoping their home ground advantage will help see them through to a win.
