The Southern Inland Rugby Union Women's representatives would prove too strong and too clinical in the 2024 Brumbies Provincial Championships as they managed to take down Monaro 48-15.
The Southern Inland representative side would get out to a red hot start, with a try just 5 minutes into the contest as halfback Kellie Allcorn would scoop up the ball close to the try line and dive over untouched for the first score of the match.
In the 17th minute however, the Monaro squad would strike back through elusive fullback Madeline Mathews breaking through the Southern sides line and bringing the ball behind the posts for the put-down.
22 minutes into the affair Allcorn would go close to a second five-pointer in a very similar fashion to her first, however some hard-hitting Monaro defence would hold her up to save a certain try.
Just two minutes later however, finally capitalising on their good territory Southern Inland's winger Megan Lonsdale managed to cross for the third try of the match in the right corner, after quick hands from her side delivered the ball to the number 11 in the nick of time.
Continuing their roll on, following a yellow card to Monaro, Seigia Seukeni would stand up for the Southern side and drag multiple defenders over 10 metres for a try in the 29th minute in a display of incredible strength. Converted by flyhalf Milly Lucas, the side in black held a 17-5 lead 30 minutes into the match.
Looking to get her side back into the contest in the 34th minute Monaro number 9 Chloe Waddell of Goulburn Rugby club would take a quick tap after a penalty and step her way around the Southern defences to score near the left sideline, taking the score to 17-10 in favour of Southern Inland Rugby Union.
Lonsdale however would be unsatisfied with just a 7 point lead going into the break, extending her sides lead to 12 after scoring in the 38th minute. With a slick backline play taking the ball out to the winger, she then showed off plenty of speed outrunning any would-be Monaro tacklers.
Dorothy Pikula-Carroll of the Monaro side would however prove too much to handle close to the line as the lock would barge her way over the Southern defences bringing the score to 22-15 headed into the break.
Opening the second half with a try even faster than their effort in the first half, within a minute Southern Inland had crossed the line through the heroics of Loata Nabulagi as the number 23 seemingly pushed her way through half of the Monaro side on her way to slamming the ball down. Converted again by Lucas, Monaro would face a 29-15 deficit with almost an entire half to play.
After putting in a strong hard-running performance all afternoon Southern Inland centre Tessa Good was finally rewarded for her efforts in the 50th minute as a barnstorming run aiming for the posts provide successful as she extended her sides lead to 36-15 after another conversion from Lucas.
In the 69th minute of the match the scoring would resume as a sideeline-to-sideline shift from Southern Inland would eventually end with the ball in the hands of Nabulagi who crossed for her second try of the match, bringing the ball around under the posts untouched. Converted by Lucas, Monaro had a mountain to climb in the remaining 10 minutes with a scoreline of 43-15.
With 5 minutes remaining in the match, the side in black would look to put a cherry on top of their points-frenzy as the side went in again through Amelia Harris. Shifting the ball out of the own half, it was Harris who would bump off two Monaro defenders before heading up the sideline and falling just metres short of the line after a remarkable chase down from Monaro. However the scrambling defence would not be enough was Harris found the ball again in the very next phase to finish off her impressive effort.
Southern Inland Rugby Union Women 48 (Tries: Kellie Allcorn, Megan Lonsdale 2, Seigia Seukeni, Loata Nabulagi 2, Tessa Good, Amelia Harris; Conversions: Milly Lucas 4) def. Monaro Women 15 (Tries: Madeline Mathews, Chloe Waddell, Dorothy Pikula-Carroll)
