Rugby - Barraba v Glen Innes

RUGBY RECAP | RAMS v GLEN INNES

Saturday saw the Rams Women take on a tough Glen Innes side in a top-of-the-table clash — and if you missed this one, you missed a thriller!

It was one of Barraba’s toughest games of the season, with both sides trading momentum throughout the match and the result coming right down to the final play.

The Rams started a little slowly, with most of the opening quarter played between the two 22s. Both sides had periods of attacking dominance, but neither could initially break through. After Glen Innes conceded a penalty just inside Barraba’s half, Addison Dixon gained valuable metres with a kick to touch. The forwards then went to work, making huge metres down the sideline before creating space for the backs to shift the ball and send Macey Cabot across for the opening try. Glen looked to respond before the quarter-time whistle, but Barraba’s pressure pushed play back into the Glen 22. Unfortunately, a turnover opened the door for Glen, whose pace proved difficult to contain as they broke away for an 80-metre try to level the scores at 5-all.

Barraba kicked off to begin the second quarter, and an early Glen offside allowed the Rams to maintain good field position. Barraba continued to apply pressure and, after five-eighth Jordyn Snape found space close to the line, a quick pop to Ally Smith saw her cross for the Rams’ second try. Addison Dixon slotted the conversion to put Barraba ahead 12–5. Glen’s speed again caused trouble shortly after, finding a gap in the defensive line before an offload allowed them to level the scores at 12-all. The following few minutes saw some scrappy rugby from both sides, with multiple turnovers, jackals and loose balls. Glen eventually came away with possession and once again used their pace to get around the defensive line, adding another five points and taking a 17–12 lead into halftime.

Barraba came out after halftime determined to regain control. Within the opening three minutes, some strong support play from the backs down the western side earned Barraba a penalty. From there, Emily Kelso powered her way over the line to level the scores at 17-all. Glen continued to use their kicking game to avoid playing deep in their own half, but strong carries from Jemma Johnson and Leilani Tevaga quickly put the Rams back inside Glen’s 22. Play continued between the 22s until a brilliant steal at the ruck from Macey Cabot gave Barraba another opportunity. The ball was shifted beautifully through the backline before Kiah Newell crossed in the corner — a fitting try in her 50th game for the Barraba Rams! The try gave Barraba a 22–17 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Rams came out firing in the fourth, shifting the ball beautifully through the hands before a cracking run from Charlie Norton resulted in another seven points and extended Barraba’s lead to 29–17. But Glen weren’t going away. An unlucky Barraba lineout handed possession back to Glen, who again found space out wide and used their speed to score a converted try, narrowing the margin to 29–24. Barraba continued to apply pressure and spent plenty of time inside Glen territory, but a loose ball from a missed pass was scooped up by Glen, who raced away to score under the posts.

Suddenly, Glen had taken the lead, 31–29. The final bell sounded — but the game wasn’t over. Glen conceded a penalty inside their own 22, giving the Barraba Women one final opportunity to steal the win. A brilliant run from Ally Smith took the Rams to within five metres of the line. From there, the forwards put their heads down and went to work, picking and driving towards the try line. Then, with the game on the line, Emily Kelso powered over for her second try to secure an incredible 34–31 victory for the Rams! A huge win in a genuine top-of-the-table battle and one that guarantees the Barraba Women a top-two finish and a place in the Major Final on 29 August.

 FINAL SCORE

Barraba Rams 34 – Glen Innes 31

Tries:

Macey Cabot

Ally Smith

Emily Kelso (2)

Kiah Newell

Charlie Norton

Conversions:

Addison Dixon

Charlie Norton

Points:

 3 – Charlie Norton

 2 – Jordyn Snape & Ally Smith

 1 – Jemma Johnson & Kiah Newell

Players’ Player: Macey Cabot

THIS WEEKEND

This Saturday, 8 August, the Rams travel to Armidale to take on Robb College. Unfortunately, Robb Women are unable to field a side, meaning the Barraba Women will collect the five competition points and enjoy a well-earned weekend off. Those points further strengthen their chances of finishing the regular season as Minor Premiers, with the Women now set for two weekends away from the field.

The Men will kick off at 3:15pm at Bellevue Oval, with the match marking an incredible milestone for Luke Smith, who will play his 200th game for the Barraba Rams.

Two hundred games in the green and white is an outstanding achievement, so make sure you make the trip over to Armidale and get behind Luke and the Rams!

Our final home game of the season is Saturday, 22 August, which will also be our annual Sponsors Day. Keep an eye on our page over the coming weeks for more details.

GET KEEN, GREEEEN!