Round 10 - 28.06.25
BATTLE SCARRED IN BALLINA
Too big, too fast and too much for the Rebels to handle. Ballina Rugby Club’s women’s and first grade men’s teams were too good for Byron Shire last Saturday, and the Rebels have
the scars to prove it.
The Rebels’ women’s squad was severely depleted with a large number of players away or injured. So much so that the club physio and all-round legend, Emily Hunter, volunteered to pull on a jersey to help make up the numbers. In typical Emily style she did much more than that. She was one of our best on field, with an outstanding performance marked by plenty of strong carries and crunching tackles.
The Rebels started well with some smart ball handling and phase play leading to an early try to Evie Eastwell. But when the tide turned and the Ballina Seahorsettes started to gain momentum, they proved impossible to stop. Well, almost impossible.
The Seahorsettes were already well ahead on the scoreboard when one of their faster women made a break in the mid-field and found open space with no Rebels defenders between her and the try line. It should have been a straightforward forty metre run to score under the posts. But Evie Eastwell had other ideas. She sprinted after the ball carrier, never giving up the chase even though it looked hopeless. She closed the gap just as they both reached the try line, grabbed the Ballina player from behind, tackled her and turned her on to her back. Held up, no try! It was an amazing effort and definitely one of the absolute highlights of the season.
But even outstanding courage and determination like that can only go so far against a much bigger side with plenty of speed and a full bench of substitutes. Ballina pressed home their advantage with a series of tries before things got even harder for the Rebels when Beth Mayman had to leave the field with what looked like a significant concussion. At the final whistle the score was Ballina 32, Rebels 7. The took home the chocolates, we took home the bruises.
Like the women’s team, the Rebels first XV squad was depleted with players away and injured. But unlike the women’s game, our men did not start well. A series of unforced errors immediately put them under pressure. Three offside penalties and two lineouts lost on our own throw gifted possession and field position to Ballina repeatedly inside the first 15 minutes. By the time the Rebels steadied they were down 14-nil.
The next period of play belonged to the Rebels. They picked themselves up, regrouped, and started playing with better composure and a touch of flair. For the next 15 minutes it was the Rebels’ turn to apply the pressure. Ballina’s defence cracked and George Garnett went over for a nicely worked try that was converted by Jay Manson. Shortly after, the Rebels were on the verge of scoring again when the ball was turned over just five metres from the Ballina try line. The Seahorses quickly turned defence into attack, kicked downfield, and after a few more phases had scored their third try.
Our restart kick didn’t go the ten metres, so once again the Rebels put themselves under pressure through an unforced error. That was all that the top-of-the-table Ballina side needed to launch another period of sustained, well-connected attack. Another try and the points were really starting to build against the Rebels.
In the second half the same storyline continued. When the Rebels did manage to gain control, they lost it too quickly through an ill-timed penalty, a lost line out or a handling error. And whenever that happened, the Seahorses grabbed the opportunity and converted it into points. The Rebels were strong and hard-working in defence, none more so than the Energizer Bunny Jude Eastwell who showed that defensive determination runs deep in the Eastwell family. But by the time the rain started in earnest, the Rebels were well behind and couldn’t regain momentum.
Every game against the big men of Ballina is tough and physical, and this was no different. By the final quarter the bruising encounter was taking its toll on the Rebels players. There was a series of minor injuries and Coach Mick Muir emptied the bench to replace our bruised and bloodied warriors, but there was no stopping the rampant Seahorses. They thoroughly deserved to win, but the final score of 53 – 7 didn’t really reflect the effort, determination and spirit that the Rebels displayed right up to the last whistle.
Written by David Phillips
