Sport
16 May, 2025
Flamin’ Galahs tame Pumas in Tri Tag
The Flamin’ Galahs would be thrilled with their Puma-hunting expedition on Friday night (May 9) in Warren.
By The Pink Parrot
They returned home with the points after a comprehensive 58–5 win over the Warren Pumas. This was another brilliant team display by all 14 Flamin’ Galahs who took the field.
From the kick-off, the Galahs settled confidently into the rhythm of the match. In just the seventh minute, Paige crossed the try line to open the scoring spree. Flying winger Ella added another out wide in the 11th minute after a beautiful sequence of passing from the backline. Paige then notched her second try in the 20th minute, converted by Peta. Smart scrum-half Sarah followed up in the 24th minute with another try, again converted by Peta. The Galahs took a commanding 24–0 lead into half-time. Though the tries flowed, it was the forward pack - Mak, Jess, Alana, Caitlin, and ‘French Import’ Canelle - whose hard running and structure in attack laid the platform.
Fly-half CK had a standout game, expertly directing the backline and putting pressure on Warren with clever clearing kicks. Scrum-half Sarah continually tested the defence with her darting runs from the ruck. The second half resumed with no let-up from the Galahs. Inside centre Rani scored within a minute of the restart, followed by two more quick tries from Sarah in the fourth and sixth minutes, bringing her tally for the evening to three.
Rani then crossed again in the eighth minute, pushing the score to 46–0 with 22 minutes still to play.
To their credit, the Warren ladies didn’t give up. They applied attacking pressure and forced the Galahs to stay sharp on defence. However, the Galahs’ defensive wall stood firm, with Rani and Teagan repeatedly shutting down threats on the right edge. The team’s defence overall was once again a pleasure to watch.
With a commanding 46–0 lead, the Flamin’ Galahs may have eased off the accelerator slightly. After a sustained wave of attacking Tri Tag rugby, the Warren ladies - credit to their persistence - finally broke through, scoring out wide on the left in the 17th minute of the second half to get on the board at 46–5. But the Galahs weren’t done yet. Paige crossed for two more tries, taking her tally to three, and Ella added another late try to cap off a remarkable evening. The final scoreline was 58-5 at full-time.
Outside centre Kelsey was a constant threat, making breaks all night, while ‘pink tag rover’ Peta relentlessly cleared rucks, enabling fast ball movement to the backline. It was also a huge welcome back to Gailey, who had been absent from the team for an extended period.
It was a dominant win, but most impressive was the way the Galahs played as a united team, both in attack and defence.
Points for the night: three points – Rani; two points – CK; one point each – Teagan and Jess; Players’ Player – Rani.
The competition now takes a fortnight break due to the Country Championships in Tamworth this weekend. The Flamin’ Galahs wish all the Gular men selected for the Western Plains team the very best.
The Galahs’ next match is a big one on Ladies Day, when they face the also-undefeated Coonamble ladies at Gulargambone. It promises to be an absorbing clash and may well reveal whether the Flamin’ Galahs are true contenders - or just pretenders?
