A week of warm hospitality was traded for bone-rattling hits as club allegiances were put to the side and the Maori women’s All Stars triumphed in a 16-12 thriller over their Indigenous counterparts in Rotorua.
All week the Indigenous All Stars have marvelled at the welcome they’ve been afforded as the fixture landed in New Zealand for the first time. Within minutes of kickoff the locals went about burying their guests literally and figuratively. Testament to the visitors, they weathered the storm and held a 12-8 lead heading into the final quarter, before a lazy high shot from Shaylee Bent set off a packed Rotorua Stadium.
Baying for blood one minute, the masses were in raptures the next when quick hands sent Maori winger Zali Fay over for her second try with three minutes remaining.
The Maori had the chance to take a penalty shot from in front from Bent’s high tackle. But with star five-eighth Zahara Temara missing four previous conversion attempts, the call from the sideline was to roll the dice on jagging a try, with Fay coming up trumps.
All afternoon the Maori side attacked with and without the ball as the likes of unknown late call-up Kahu Cassidy, Temara and captain Mya Hill-Moana dished out regular bellringers.
Temara was particularly brutal on 19-year-old Indigenous winger and Roosters clubmate Jada Taylor with a heavy shot in the first half. But in a tale of the tape, the rising teen star who last year became an internet sensation thanks to her under-19s Origin exploits, was able to beat three defenders to the line just a few minutes later with class and pace.
She did so thanks to a sublime cut-out ball from Kirra Dibb that was slung past another three Maori opponents, the highlight of an impressive performance from the Indigenous five-eighth.
It was Fay who had opened the scoring in the sixth minute, thanks to a set-play that featured centres Amy Turner and Shanice Parker combining to pick apart the Indigenous defence.
Indigenous prop Saleka Mooka was held up soon afterwards, then upended two tackles later by Cassidy for her troubles. Cassidy’s impressive outing will surely have been noticed by scouts for the expanded NRLW competition given her physicality helped set the tone for the afternoon.
The heavy hits kept coming from the Maori women, though the Indigenous cause was helped when Destiny Brill took things too far and was sin-binned for a lifting tackle that went past the horizontal.
The Maori’s 8-6 halftime lead evaporated while down a defender, Indigenous prop Keilee Joseph stepping through for defenders after the break for a surprise Indigenous lead.
A crash ball for veteran Turner levelled the scores at 12-all and set up a manic final seven minutes, before Fay’s second secured a fine win for the locals as fullback and captain Gayle Broughton was crowned player of the match.
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