Four-try Joyce leads Barbarians over Eagles

A superb four-try performance from Great Britain star Jasmine Joyce led the Barbarians to a 34-33 win over the Women’s Eagles on Friday evening. Fans at Infinity Park were hoping for a spectacle and that’s exactly what they got as the two sides combined for 12 tries and a dramatic conclusion.

The game wasn’t even a minute old when Joyce blazed a trail to her first try. A second score nearly came in true Barbarians fashion soon after as Elinor Snowsill heeled the ball over her head and the defensive line on a penalty play but Jennine Duncan was there to snaffle it just ahead of Carmen Farmer.

An intercept try by Amy Naber-Bonte leveled the scores and the Eagles took the lead with a scintillating team try finished by Neariah Persinger. Starting in their own half, Catie Benson crashed ahead and a quick recycle saw both locks, Naber-Bonte, and two touches from Persinger combine for the score.

The specter of Joyce, using her blinding speed at fullback, stood tall twice in rapid succession. Both were long-range efforts that saw her dancing through defenders seemingly at will, the second a near length-of-the-pitch effort.

Alison Miller finished off a third Barbarians try in five minutes to stun the Eagles, and then Alisha Butchers made it a five-try first half to bring up the intermission. At 29-12 the game was in danger of slipping away.

To the crowd’s delight, the Eagles resolved to stay in the fight. After a 20-minute stalemate Eti Haungatau blasted her way through to breathe life into the USA. Persinger got a second, another sweeping team attack, and then with just three minutes to play Kate Zackary burst onto a Stacey Bridges offload and into space for a breakaway try.

As remarkable as the comeback was, it wouldn’t be enough. Farmer took to the skies to nab the restart and the first forwards moved ahead. The ball went wide to Joyce and there would be no stopping her as she showed a clean pair of heels to put the cap on an historic victory.

 

SCORING

USA 33
Tries – A. Naber-Bonte (18′), N. Persinger 2 (22′, 73′), E. Haungatau (61′), K. Zackary (77′)
Cons – G. Cantorna 4/5 (19′, 62′, 74′, 78′)

BARBARIANS 34
Tries – J. Joyce 4 (1′, 31′, 33′, 80′), A. Miller (36′), A. Butchers (40′)
Cons – E. Snowsill 2/5 (2′, 34′), A. Other 0/1

 

TEAMS

USA
1 Catie Benson, 2 Joanna Kitlinski, 3 Nick James, 4 Stacey Bridges, 5 Nicole Strasko, 6 Kate Zackary (capt.), 7 Rachel Johnson, 8 Asinate Serevi, 9 Carly Waters, 10 Katana Howard, 11 Neariah Persinger, 12 Amy Naber-Bonte, 13 Eti Haungatau, 14 Jennine Duncan, 15 Gabriella Cantorna

Replacements: 16 Katy Augustyn, 17 Hope Rogers, 18 Charli Jacoby, 19 Alycia Washington, 20 Joyce Taufa, 21 Ashlee Byrge, 22 Bui Baravilala, 23 Bulou Mataitoga

BARBARIANS
1 Rochelle Clark, 2 Fiao’o Fa’amausili, 3 Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox, 4 Carmen Farmer, 5 Dalena Dennison, 6 Paula Fitzpatrick, 7 Alisha Butchers, 8 Linda Itunu (capt.), 9 Emma Jensen, 10 Elinor Snowsill, 11 Alison Miller, 12 Helen Nelson, 13 Amanda Thornborough, 14 Tova Derk, 15 Jasmine Joyce

Replacements: 16 Heather Kerr, 17 Samantha Martinez-Gion, 18 Gillian Bourke, 19 Amelia Buckland-Hurry, 20 Julia Folk, 21 Hannah Stolba, 22 Andrea Burk, 23 Katie Mason

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Amelia Luciano (USAR)
Assistants: Lee Bryant (USAR) & Emily Sharfstein (USAR)
TMO: Marc Nelson (USAR)