Central North's Georgia Moore, Piper Rankmore, Emmy Barr and New England's Paige Leonard and Tink Morgan have helped the NSW Country women win the 2023 Australian Rugby Shield.
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The Corellas prevailed over Queensland Country 18-11 in a high quality back-and-forth final played in warm conditions at Ballymore on Monday, to make for a triumphant first Corellas campaign for Moore, Rankmore, Barr and Leonard.
Morgan and Moore both started on Monday, with Rankmore also seeing significant time after an injury two-and-a-half minutes in to back-rower Olivia Creswick.
She made an immediate impact, producing a bullocking run to almost score. The Gunnedah star looked to have powered her way to the line but the Orchids were somehow able to hold her up.
Winger Anika Butler opened the scoring a few minutes later with Moore, Rankmore and Morgan all having strong charges in the build-up.
After coming on midway through the first half, some good pressure at the breakdown from Leonard then helped earn the Corellas a late penalty which Sarah Colman slotted for an 8-nil lead at half-time.
Queensland Country threw a fair share at them but the Corellas defence continually shut them down.
They eventually got some pay, four minutes into the second half.
Six minutes later the game was all square at 8-all.
The momentum very much with Queensland Country at that stage, Candice Clay put the Corellas back in front with 20 minutes to play with a barnstorming run.
It was Moore that set the opportunity up, charging down an attempted clearing kick and forcing a drop-out.
The Orchids closed back within two with a second penalty, but a second charge down, this time from Emma Bradford, pushed the Corellas back out to a seven point advantage with eight minutes to play and they held on to clinch their first title.
NSW Country president Luke Stephen said it was fantastic to see them get the result after finishing runners-up last year and with more teams coming into the competition this year too.
Putting his [New England] "zone hat on" he said it was great to see Leonard have such a good tournament and "the year that she's had".
Morgan too was "immense" all week, he said, as were "all the girls from the North West".
The ACT & SNSW side featuring former Pirate Erika Maslen finished with the bronze after a 19-5 play-off win over Victoria.
The NSW Country men earlier just missed out on the bronze with the side containing Collins brothers Andrew and Tim, Quirindi's Hamish Dunbar and Walcha's Henry Leslie falling to their Queensland Country rivals, despite a late onslaught.
Trailing 24-20 into the final four minutes, they had all of the ball in the final minutes.
Struggling initially to make inroads into their half, when they eventually did Rawri Wilson's grubber didn't look to be the right option. But it ended up working out, with the Cockatoos forcing the Heelers into touch for a lineout after the bell.
Tim Collins found his target and the forwards rumbled through a few pick and drives close to ruck but then just went a bit too wide with one and Queensland got over the ball to hold on for the win, 24-20, and keep hold of the Border Cup.
