GRAFTON Redmen Women’s 10’s side went into the game against Coffs Snappers on Saturday as red-hot favourites and didn’t disappoint with a 43-17 victory to remain in second place on the Mid North Coast Rugby ladder.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the home side as first-half handling errors helped throw a lifeline to the visitors who took full advantage.
Down, 12-7 midway through the first half, Grafton levelled up proceedings after three-try hero Ahliyah Browning scored out wide for a 12-all scoreline.
The bubble burst after the break as Grafton produced a stunning second-half performance with a brace of tries to Browning and Yuri McHugh.
The visitors had no answer to Grafton’s speed on the edges, and with play-maker and captain Tamar McHugh calling the shots, Grafton continued to pour on the tries.
After the match, McHugh admitted her side struggled to execute plays early in the game.
“It was probably the toughest opening to a game we have had all season,” McHugh said.
“Coffs turned up to play and had it all over us in the first half which showed on the scoreboard.
“Are ball security was poor at the breakdown, we knew the game was going to be tough and that’s exactly what it was.
“We appeared to panic early on. Snappers were strong off their line and dominated our middle and we failed to stick with our game plan.”
Whatever was said at the half-time break was just the tonic Grafton needed as they went on a five-try scoring romp.
“We had a tough chat at the break and talked about our lack of effort at the breakdown and not contesting the ruck,” McHugh said.
“I think putting everything on the table and changing our game plan a little helped us execute and produce a free-flowing game.”
It has been a remarkable turnaround for the Women’s side which last year struggled to put points on the board. After seven-rounds Grafton has amassed an incredible 308-points with star centre Yuri McHugh racking up 117 of those.
“It is incredible to have such a diversity of players in the team which bring both strength and speed. When push comes to shove, we know we can work through the motions and execute in tough situations,” McHugh said.
“I also think that when you have a team that is behind every single player and backs each other up regardless of their weaknesses, you will always come out on top.
“Yeah, I think Yuri has 117-points and it is only halfway through the season. Full credit to her, she puts in a lot of work off the field. If she’s not at the gym, we are down at the field and she’s putting me through some extreme fitness.”
GRAFTON 43 (Tries: Ahliyah Browning 3, Yuri McHugh 2, Esther Barker 1, Tamar McHugh 1. Conversions: Esther Barker 2, Yuri McHugh 1, Tamar McHugh 1) COFFS 17.
