Wests Lionesses have booked their spot in the BentSpoke Premier 15s Preliminary Final after surviving a chaotic late assault from a spirited Uni-Norths Owls outfit, clinging on for a heart-stopping 22-18 victory despite finishing the clash with just 13 players on the park.
Uni-Norths made the early running, opening up the scoring in the 16th minute when fullback Claudia Obst carved open a gap on the far side of the pitch. While Wests' Faaaloala Luafitu quickly pinned her down and pilfered the ball, confusion at the breakdown saw the pill drop fortuitously into the hands of Owls outside centre Charlise Cleary, who raced away down the far edge to score. Maronay Smuts could not convert, but the Owls were humming at 5-0.
Five minutes later, it was the Owls women on the hunt yet again. After trucking it up the far side ruck after ruck, they swung the ball wide to the open side to their danger woman, Obst. The flyer impressively slipped past one defender and palmed off three more before crashing over the whitewash to double Uni-Norths' tally to 10-0.
Spurred on by the deficit, the Wests women marched their way up the open side with bruising intent. Uni scrambled with gritty, desperate defence, but the Lionesses bided their time before shifting the ball out to the blind side for fullback Emily Stanberg, who dived over for their first points of the afternoon. The conversion went astray, but the chase was well and truly on as both sides headed into the break with Uni holding a 10-5 lead.
Wests emerged from the sheds full of determination. Just five minutes into the second half, the Lionesses found themselves camped metres out from the Owls' try line. Relentless phase play down the open side created the opening, and they turned the ball wide once more for Stanberg to crash over for her second try of the day. The conversion was unsuccessful, but the contest was locked at 10-all.
A ferocious arm wrestle ensued, with both sides unable to penetrate each other's defensive line until the maroon outfit strung together a piercing attack that saw loose forward Fogamanono Tusiga tear towards the Owls' try line. In their scrambling defence, Tusiga was cut down high by Uni scrumhalf Maronay Smuts, earning the number nine a trip to the sin bin.
Despite the player disadvantage, Uni stormed up the field with phase after phase. The Owls repeatedly tested the Wests line before earning a penalty directly under the uprights, allowing Madeleine Gogala to step up with composure and slot the three points for a 13-10 lead.
Minutes later, Wests delivered an immediate response. Unable to crack the defensive wall through close-quarter phase play, they sent the ball to the open side to Tusiga, who dotted it down to hand the Lionesses the lead.
With the clock ticking down and ball in hand, Wests mounted one final assault, swinging play across the park before flanker Allie Booker spotted a gap and offloaded to her captain, Jane Morrison, who raced away to score. Luafitu nailed the conversion, extending the margin to 22-13.
Desperate to close the deficit, Uni mounted a late surge towards the Wests try line, where an intentional infringement saw Tusiga sent to the bin. Exploiting the player advantage, the Owls sent the ball wide along the far side of the pitch to winger Molly White, who dived over in the corner to bring Uni back into the fight at 22-18 with three minutes remaining.
Wasting no time, the green and blue outfit charged straight back into Wests territory off the kick-off, inching closer ruck after ruck. Wests' discipline frayed under the pressure, resulting in another yellow card for a high tackle as hooker Sina Neli was dispatched to the bin. Yet despite having a two-player advantage, the Owls were denied at the death when a tackle from Grace Sullivan forced a spill, bringing a gruelling assault to an end.
Wests now progress to face the Tuggeranong Viqueens next weekend to decide who will meet the runaway minor premiers, the Gungahlin Eagles, in the Grand Final.
