A skilful dot down for an Eva Karpani try was a spectacular yet brief counter-punch by the Queensland Reds at Ballymore Stadium today.
Moments like that just before half-time highlighted what the Reds were capable of yet too rarely produced in their 50-17 loss to the Fijian Drua in Swyftx Super Rugby Women's.
The Reds found themselves down 33-5 at half-time when three misfires - a charged down kick, a miscue at a lineout and an attack of the fumbles - cost them three tries.
“We were our own worst enemies. It’s very disappointing because we got away from what works for us,” Reds skipper Jemma Bemrose said.
“The accountability is on us to be better. We are still building something strong with a really good group. Unfortunately, without the luxury of a longer season you leave yourself vulnerable if you are not on from the start.
“You see the impacts we had from the bench today and that’s a glimpse of what we can do.”
Karpani’s brilliant try was a show of what this young and ambitious Reds side is capable of.
Standout Piper Flynn sliced through out wide, coming off the blind wing. The ball was spun back to the left to prop Karpani standing in the wide channels.
She took on the challenge herself, shrugged off two defenders and dotted down with her left hand as the cover defence swarmed over her.
It was an acrobatic grounding worthy of a top Test winger rather than a prop.
“In our team chat before that, the call was ‘next job, be brave’. My job is to get us some go-forward so I had a crack and was lucky enough to get it down,” Karpani said modestly.
“We are not where we want to be as a team at the moment but where we can get to is exciting.”
Flynn’s speed created several half chances in one of her best Reds performances against a Drua team full of Fijian Test players.
The tone was set after just three minutes when dangerous Fijian centre Josivini Naihamu ran a strong outside-in angle off a lineout win and sprinted 40m for a try.
The Reds were down 47-5 before they dominated the final 10 minutes. Too late, there was the sustained pressure and ball control the Reds had trained for.
Flynn scored a deserved try in the left corner. Replacement backrower Sarah Riordan was involved as backs and forwards took the ball into the Fijian defence.
With time almost up, there was another with replacement prop Hayley Glass popping a pass off the turf to put replacement hooker Mary Tuaana over for another try.
Australian sevens star Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea came on in the centres for the final 27 minutes. She got involved, dished some offloads when tackled and will be all the better for her first 15-a-side game in years.
Replacement flyhalf Charity Wightman-Beaven, just 18, came on for the final quarter of the match to build her playmaking experience.
An upset 28-21 win by the Western Force over the NSW Waratahs in Perth today means a top three finish and playing finals is now out of reach for the Reds.
That won’t lessen resolve to finish on a high against arch-rivals NSW in Sydney on Sunday week in the final regular season round.
“We will be resilient and chase a performance to be really proud of,” Bemrose said.
FIJIAN DRUA 50
Tries: Varanisese Qoro, Verenaisi Ditavitu, Litiana Vueti, Sulita Waisega, Aqela Raitubu, Tiana Robanakadavu, Josivini Naihamu
Conversions: Varanisese Qoro 6
Penalty goal: Varanisese Qoro
Def
QUEENSLAND REDS 17
Tries: Eva Karpani, Piper Flynn, Mary Tuaana
Conversion: Charity Wightman-Beaven
Half-time: Drua 33-Reds 5
Venue: Ballymore Stadium
