There isn't too much Ellie Hannaford can't do on a rugby field.
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And at Tamworth Rugby Park on Saturday, the full gamut of her skills was on display as Tamworth kept their top two hopes alive with a 63-12 win over Robb College.
The Magpies captain was at her inspiring best scoring four tries, pulling off turnovers and producing some brilliant defence - one particular covering tackle leaving the crowd in awe and even prompting a few comments from the sidelines from a couple of players that they wish they could tackle like that.
For co-coach Ben Watts it's nothing he hasn't seen before. He sees it every week.
"She's really good; her skills are really good, her fitness is top notch.
"She's if not the fittest probably up there with the fittest girls in the whole comp," he said.
He added that to become a good player "it's not just about showing up on Tuesdays and Thursdays".
"It's the extra work. And you can see the girls that put in the extra work and Ellie's one of them," Watts said.
She is also very "rugby aware".
On Saturday her first two tries helped the Magpies establish a 24-nil lead midway through the second quarter. Robb found a couple of holes in the final few minutes to close the gap to 24-12 at the main break but the home side reclaimed the momentum with two quick tries early in the third and never relinquished it.
Both those tries resulted from turnovers in the tackle.
"We work really hard on securing our ball ourselves," Watts said.
"And sometimes it doesn't work but I think it brings awareness in defence too, they see the ball in open space and just grab hold of it and give it all they've got and rip it out."
One of the most pleasing things for him about the performance was seeing them implement some of the things they've been practising at training. They scored two tries from a play off the scrum they have been working on.
![This tackle from Hannaford in the second half brought probably the biggest cheer of the day from the crowd. This tackle from Hannaford in the second half brought probably the biggest cheer of the day from the crowd.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/9bf08501-1135-4ee9-aff8-4c03e1d4d6af.JPG/r0_330_5080_3147_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"They were really chuffed with it and were like 'yeah it actually works'," he said.
Aimee Watts, Isabel Davis and Claudia Kenniff backed up Hannaford with two tries apiece and were among their best.
Davis is in her first year of rugby and has just come on in leaps and bounds, Watts said, as has Kenniff.
"At the start of the year she was a little bit hesitant but she rips in now," he said.
"She just doesn't want to come off, just wants to run and tackle."
The win strengthened their hold on third with second-placed St Albert's awaiting next weekend.
![Tegan Nicholls is all smiles after scoring the Magpies final try of their win over Robb. Tegan Nicholls is all smiles after scoring the Magpies final try of their win over Robb.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/5f71a881-acc6-4a80-946a-4be400484446.JPG/r0_45_1836_1077_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Both sides will be missing key players with the Magpies without prop Paige Leonard and Albies No.8 Tink Morgan due to Country Corellas training.
Round 10 results:
Albies 54 (Tries: A. Haddrill (2), G. Thomas (2), C. Harpley (4), H. O'connor, E. Peart Conversions: G. Thomas, C. Harpley) d Glen Innes 30 (Tries: S. Speedy (2), K. Cooke, A. Levy-Blair (2), M. Baker)
Tamworth 63 (Tries: I. Davis (2), E. Hannaford (4), C. Kenniff (2), A. Watts (2), T. Nicholls Conversions: I. Davis (3), E. Hannaford) d Robb 12 (Tries: P. Lamph, M. Redpath Conversions: Z. Holden)
Baa Baas 59 (Tries: S. Gordon-Briggs (4), S. Boney (3), J. Kelly, T. Danieli Conversions: S. Gordon-Briggs (6), S. Boney) d Armidale 7 (Tries: B. Kassman Conversions: H. Scullion)