Barraba Rams - Ladies game in Armidale
On Saturday, 29 August, the Barraba Ram Ladies travelled to Armidale to compete in their first-ever Major Final since the team’s inception in 2019. On a warm and sunny afternoon at Bellevue Oval, the Rams were ready to take on the Armidale Barbets for the third time this season, with a place in the Grand Final on the line.
The starting 10 looked dangerous as Barraba kicked deep to the Barbets to begin the match. Armidale held possession and worked their way towards Barraba’s 10-metre line, where a perfectly timed draw-and-pass put one of their centres through a gap to score the opening five points. From the restart, a scrum on halfway saw the Barbets overpower the Rams and turn the ball over, but a cracking tackle from Charlie Norton and a well-timed clean out by Amie Middlemiss won possession back. Barraba quickly went to work, and after some exceptional passing and support play, Norton found space and ran the ball in under the posts to level the scores at 5-all heading into the first break.
Barraba started the second quarter strongly, sending the restart deep into the Barbets' 22. After just three phases, the Rams forced a turnover and kicked for touch. A shaky lineout saw Barraba scramble for possession, but halfback Ally Smith settled the play before shifting the ball through the backline, where Leilani Tevaga crossed for her first try of the afternoon. Norton added the conversion to give Barraba a 12–5 lead. The next passage of play looked very similar, with Emily Kelso earning Barraba a penalty for the Barbets failing to release. A much cleaner lineout followed, and the Rams shifted the ball wide before bringing it back towards the sideline. Kirra Jordan looked almost certain to cross, but a wayward pass from Middlemiss sailed into touch. It mattered little, however, as a mistake at the resulting Barbets lineout saw young gun Macey Cabot collect the ball and charge to just short of the line. Some strong pick-and-drives from the forwards created an overlap out wide, allowing Tevaga to dive over for her second try. With five minutes remaining in the half, Barraba continued to apply pressure. Norton secured another turnover and immediately took a quick tap, making valuable metres back into the Barbets' 22. A strong carry from Cabot and some great tip-on passes eventually put the ball into the hands of Lily Bradshaw, who found herself with plenty of space and raced underneath the posts. Norton converted to extend Barraba's lead to 24–5 with three minutes remaining.
The Barbets controlled possession for the final few minutes of the half, but Barraba’s defence refused to crack, keeping them outside the Rams' 22 and sending Barraba into halftime with a commanding lead.
The third quarter began with Barraba receiving the kick-off, and a powerful carry from prop Jemma Johnson immediately put the Rams back around halfway. After a handful of phases, Barraba once again found themselves attacking inside the Barbets' 22. A scrappy period followed, with possession changing hands four times in general play before Norton stripped the ball. Kelso followed with a huge carry before Norton took over again, bulldozing her way across the line to extend the lead to 29–5. Barraba worked hard to keep the game firmly in Barbets territory for the remainder of the quarter, with Kiah Newell using her pace through the middle to continually push the opposition backwards. After a Barbets forward was shown a yellow card, Barraba kicked for touch and set up a lineout just five metres from the try line. A powerful rolling maul from the Rams forwards drove towards the line before Jordyn Snape collected the ball from the back and darted down the short side with nobody in front of her, adding another five points.
Barraba headed into the final quarter leading 34–5 and just 10 minutes away from a historic Grand Final appearance. The Rams took the field for the final quarter determined not only to protect their lead, but finish the job in style. It didn't take long for another commanding Norton carry to put Barraba back into attacking territory. Catching the opposition napping around the ruck, Kelso powered over the line to add another five and extend the score to 39–5. A short restart handed the Barbets a scrum feed on halfway, but the fresh legs of Paige Oliver and Piper Cribb in the Rams pack proved a menace for their opposition and forced a reset.
Play remained around the middle of the field before another Barbets penalty allowed Barraba to kick for territory. From there, the ball was shifted to the backline and Addison Dixon made a commanding run through the middle. Another penalty followed when the Barbets were slow to roll away from the tackle. Barraba wasted no time. A quick tap and shift found Middlemiss five metres from the line, and she dove over for another Rams try. Norton added the conversion and the lead grew to 46–5. Not long after the restart, Barraba's relentless pressure forced another Barbets fumble. Bradshaw was there to scoop up the loose ball and race the remaining 20 metres to score, with another successful conversion adding seven more points to the tally. With a minute remaining, Barraba kicked deep once again and Newell's pace ensured the Barbets made virtually no ground from the return. With just 10 seconds left on the clock, Barraba's dangerous front row of Urquhart, Oliver and Johnson laid the platform with a strong scrum. Hard runs from Bradshaw and Smith followed before Norton put the final nail in the coffin, crashing over underneath the posts. Norton converted her own try as the final whistle sounded, sealing an emphatic 60–5 victory. It was a dominant performance from the Barraba women and, more importantly, one that has secured their place in the Grand Final for the first time in the team's history.
From the formation of the women's team in 2019 to now being just one win away from their first piece of silverware, it is a huge achievement for everyone who has pulled on the green and white jersey and helped build the women's program along the way.
The Rams now earn a weekend off before returning to Bellevue Oval in Armidale on Saturday, 12 September, where they will face either the Glen Innes Elks or Armidale Barbets, depending on the result of this weekend's Final.
A supporters bus will be running to Armidale for the Grand Final, and we would love to see as much green and white on the sidelines as possible! If you would like to put your name down for a seat, please message the Barraba Rugby Club Facebook page or contact Amie Middlemiss on 0409 879 093.
Let's get behind our Rams Ladies as they chase history!