Tamworth came within seconds of their first win in the New England women’s competition at Tamworth Rugby Park on Saturday, but couldn’t quite get over the line with a try after the bell in the second game securing Armidale a 15-12 victory.
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It gave the Blues two wins for the day, after they got up 10-5 in the first game, and pushed them up to second.
“We started (the season) slowly but we’re starting to get a few wins and we’re getting better each game,” Blues coach Mike TeMoana said.
The former NSW Country player of the year thought it was “a bit messy” from his side in the first game.
“They got away from our set structure,” he said.
“The second game we started to get back to our structure.”
“We’ve got some pretty good ball players and have got some pretty good speed, which is a key component, especially in women’s rugby.”
The second year the Blues have fielded a women’s side, TeMoana said at this stage it is “more about the learning” especially with a number of players new to the game.
Only about five of the current crop played last year.
“The more they learn about the game the better they’re going to get,” he said, adding that one of the most rewarding things about coaching the side is that when you tell them something they apply it straight away.
Sky van Asch is one of the new faces this season and scored in both games for the Blues. Abby Brooker has also been pretty strong, TeMoana said.
They have now had wins against St Alberts, Robb and Tamworth, leaving competition leaders Barbarians as the only side they haven’t beaten.
The Magpies were a bit of an unknown for them but from what he saw on Saturday TeMoana expects them to be a pretty strong side once they get some consistency of games.
Magpies coach Blake Hamilton would tend to agree.
“They’re improving every week,” Hamilton said.
Numbers too are increasing. From only six players a couple of weeks ago they now have close to 18 registered and had 12 for Saturday’s games.
“That’s mainly come from the recruiting the club has done, and the girls themselves,” he said.
“It’s more so come down to the team wanting to make it work.”
“Three of the players we had out there (on Saturday) had never played a game before.”
He thought they played well.
A lot of the things they wanted to execute they did, like taking different options that the opposition didn’t expect.
Hamilton was also impressed with the development of knowledge regarding the ruck and taking tactical options, and noted that they are’t scared to tackle, which is good, he said.
“That’s definitely harder to teach someone, than where to stand,” he said.
They also showed they have plenty of speed outwide.
Zoe Darlington scored the Magpies lone try in the first game, with Natasha Field and Montana-Rose Ellsley crossing in the second.