The scoreboard operator at Crosby Park worked overtime Saturday as the Bull Sharks’ Premier Women put a whopping 68 points on rivals Brothers.
The reigning Queensland premiers and Australian club champions showed they are once again the benchmark of women’s rugby with a stunning 68–12 victory to move five points clear of Sunnybank on the ladder.
It was the only scalp Bond would claim in a tough trip up the highway as Brothers made it a clean sweep of both the colts and men’s games.
It was a spiteful matchup in First Grade as Bond suffered their first defeat of the 2023 season, 27-17.
Premier Women
The Bull Sharks started slowly but once they established their groove were dominant across the whole park.
Although it ended up becoming a try blitz, it was the forwards’ ability to consistently win the ball that set the platform for the Bull Sharks’ renowned attack to get to work.
Coach Laurence Faifua praised the efforts of his pack and skipper and lock Elisha Godsiff for the work they did to give Bond possession and field position.
From there it was class that carried the day with some excellent finishing from Charlize Ratu, Georgia Grey, Diane Waight, Caitlyn Costello and Grace Baker.
What they said:
“We started pretty poorly to be honest, and I think it was the work our forwards did that got us going,” he said.
“Once they got on top, we were able to play the game we wanted to and I think in the second half it really clicked for us.’’
First Grade
Bond University have come out firing in recent weeks and the trend continued as they scored within 59 seconds of the kick-off through electric winger Rhian Stowers who continued his strong form to open the Bull Sharks’ account.
Following 30 minutes of brutal defence and a battle for field position, Bond would force their way into Brothers’ half and managed to take another five pointer when Stowers skipped his way down the sideline to grab his second, giving Bond a 14-0 lead at halftime.
The turning point of the game came in the 41st minute when Connor Pritchard was red-carded for a swinging arm.
With Bond down to 14 men, Brothers were able to make their mark, scoring two tries in five minutes to reduce the margin to just two points.
Hamish Roberts would add a further three points to extend the lead but that’s where the joy would end for the Bull Sharks. Prop Rhys Sheriff received a yellow card for a no-arms tackle and the home side converted the penalty attempt to draw level.
With Bond now down to 13 men, Brothers capitalised, extending their lead with another try to pull away for a 10-point win.
What they said:
Experienced campaigner Dan Boardman spoke about his frustrations following the match.
“It was tough out there. We didn’t make it easy on ourselves and those little deficiencies really let us down. The penalty and unforced errors hurt our momentum,” he said.
He conceded the momentum shifted when Pritchard was red-carded.
“We try to train for those sorts of situations and the guys dug in for that period, but we just weren’t good enough on the day and will learn some hard lessons and build for next week,” he said.
What’s next:
Bond will be eager to bounce back when they meet the Sunnybank Dragons for round 4 at The Canal where the two attacking powerhouses in the competition go head-to-head.
The Premier Women will take on the Dragons in what has turned into a strong rivalry between the two clubs in the women’s competition.
Full Results:
Colts Two: L 69-0
Third grade: L 26-17
Second grade: L 29-19
Colts One: L 45-19
Premier Women's: W 68-12
First grade: L 27-17