Rugby - Albies v Barraba
Barraba Rams Match Reports – Albies vs Barraba
The Barraba Women continued their strong season on Saturday, travelling to Albies and recording a convincing 41–12 victory.
Barraba were on the front foot from the opening whistle, with Charlie Norton causing headaches for the Albies defence through a series of damaging line breaks. Her efforts were well supported by Leilani Tevaga, whose support play and attacking flair helped Barraba convert opportunities into points.
The forwards laid a strong platform throughout the afternoon, with Emily Kelso outstanding around the breakdown, securing key turnovers and making dominant carries that consistently put Barraba on the front foot. Defensively, Kiah Newell was immense, producing several strong tackles to help keep Albies to just seven points for the majority of the match.
In attack, Lily Bradshaw showed excellent vision with ball in hand, while Ally Smith and Jordyn Snape provided great direction from dummy-half, moving the ball quickly and creating opportunities across the field.
Despite Albies crossing for a late consolation try, Barraba controlled the contest from start to finish. Charlie Norton crossed for four tries and added three conversions, while Leilani Tevaga, Lily Bradshaw and Kiah Newell also found their way onto the scoresheet.
Tries: Charlie Norton (4), Leilani Tevaga, Lily Bradshaw, Kiah Newell
Conversions: Charlie Norton (3)
Coach's Points
- 3 Points – Emily Kelso
- 2 Points – Leilani Tevaga
- 1 Point – Charlie Norton & Kiah Newell
Players' Player
- Charlie Norton & Kiah Newell
The Barraba Rams travelled to take on a strong Albies outfit on Saturday, knowing they would be up against one of the competition's benchmark sides, with Albies currently sitting inside the top three on the ladder.
Despite the final scoreline, the Rams showed plenty of encouraging signs throughout the match, particularly during a determined first-half defensive effort. Barraba worked hard to slow Albies' attacking momentum and remained committed in defence, making the home side earn every metre.
Will Robinson led from the front with a tireless defensive performance, repeatedly shutting down attacking raids with strong tackles and physical defence around the park. Alongside him, Jarrod Petrus was equally impressive, putting his body on the line and making several important tackles to help keep Albies to a relatively low score heading into the halftime break.
At the back, Cody Townsend found himself under constant pressure as Albies looked to use their kicking game to gain field position. Townsend handled the challenge admirably, safely fielding numerous kicks and repeatedly working his way out of trouble to relieve pressure on the Rams.
Barraba continued to compete hard throughout the contest, but Albies were able to lift the intensity in the second half. Their experience and depth began to show as they capitalised on opportunities and ran in a number of late tries to pull away on the scoreboard.
While the final result of 50–0 was not the outcome the Rams were chasing, there were plenty of positives to take from the performance. The team's commitment in defence, willingness to keep working for one another and periods of strong resilience against one of the competition's leading sides demonstrated the progress being made throughout the season.
Final Score: Barraba 0 – Albies 50
Coach's Points
- 3 Points – Will Robinson
- 2 Points – Jarrod Petrus
- 1 Point – Brandon Newell
Players' Player
- Jarrod Petrus
Next weekend, the Barraba Rams return home to host the Armidale Baa Baas for our Mexican Day. Kick-off times are 2:15pm for the women and 3:15pm for the men.
The rugby action continues on Sunday with the Barraba Junior Rugby Carnival, bringing together junior players from across the region for a packed day of rugby. Be sure to get down to the grounds over the weekend and support both the Rams and the next generation of Barraba rugby stars.