21 March 2024
NB: Jersey number does not correlate to position for all players, players will have the same jersey number throughout the entire tournament.
In this opening match of the tournament, a light drizzle fell on an overcast Pizzey Park. Upon kickoff both sides struggled with the wet conditions, coming up with errors resulting in scrums.
The opening try was scored at the 5-minute mark after the NSW side contested a scrum 20 metres out from their try line, stealing the ball and spreading it to their left winger who scored.
The remainder of the first half saw an arm-wrestle as both sides made outstanding physical defensive efforts, keeping scoring at bay setting the halftime score at 4-0 to NSW City.
The second half saw more set-completions and excellent go-forward from the Ahi Kā women, particularly from the outside backs and the Onesemo-Tuilaepa twins who bolstered the front row.
Their efforts were rewarded with a few close opportunities at the try line, but ultimately the strong NSW defence shut them out.
The second and final try came in 35th minute from a nifty offload for NSW to score again on their left edge. The final whistle blew minutes later with the score at 8-0 to New South Wales City.
Ahi Kā Aotearoa will face Northern Territory tomorrow 22 March at 1:30pm NZT, watch the free livestream here.
