THE rain held off for the first home game of the 2020 season as the Oberon Tigers hosted Orange Barbarians. The day was reduced to just one game because the Barbarians were unable to field a men's side due to injuries.
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The league tag girls flew the flag for Oberon as they posted a comprehensive 42-10 victory to register back-to-back wins.
Barbarians drew first blood with a converted try to take an early 6-0 lead, and it wasn't until the final few minutes of the first quarter that Oberon were able to respond through Lourie Bailey, as she made an immediate impact off the bench to cross out wide and narrow the gap to 6-4.
The second quarter saw both teams launching several attacking raids as play see-sawed up and down the field. Oberon's Jade Taggart was causing the Barbarians' defence grief, and she was eventually rewarded as she darted through a narrow gap to score. Shannon Foley guided the conversion through the posts to put the Tigers in front 10-6.
As the clouds rolled in, it was the Tigers who turned up the heat. Lourie Bailey scored the try of the year so far as she took a 'slips-catch' a metre out from her own tryline and headed upfield. With the cover defence looming, it was only sheer determination that kept her going to score a length-of-the-field try, which she duly converted. Two minutes later, Bethany Wilkinson extended the scoreline to 20-6 in favour of the home side.
While the shell-shocked Barbarians tried to regroup, Renee Newstead continued the long range 'try-fest' in a 50-metre, touchline hugging sprint to post the Tigers' fifth try. Bailey converted to give the Tigers some breathing space at 26-6.
To their credit, the Barbarians fought back and posted the next try. However, Bec Fletcher snuffed out the mini comeback through a charge upfield. From the ensuing plays, Bailey found Ella Brien, who posted another Tigers try. Bailey converted to take the scoreline to 32-10. From the kick-off, the Tigers were at it again. Beth Wilkinson crossed for a well-deserved try to put the result completely out of doubt at 36-10.
Brien raced 60 metres in the dying minutes to bring up her double for the day. Foley converted and the scoreboard displayed the final tally of 42-10 in favour of the Tigers.
This Saturday the Tigers travel to Kandos for a 1.30pm league tag start, followed by the men's game.
