Having seen their other team pipped by a point in the Plate final in the opening game of Day 5 at #RTP24, the Quins wanted to get ahead early and proved to be the dominant team in the opening half as they plundered three tries to lead 19-0.
After the daughter, Israel, of one Welsh international, Willis Halaholo, appeared against them in the first game, the sister of another full cap, Sisilia Tuipulotu, appeared against the Quins in the second game. Taufa certainly made an impact with ball in hand, but most of her work in the opening 35 minutes was in defence.
It didn’t take long for the capital city side to open their account when hooker Mali Hill profited from a great drive by her No 8 Grace Boyd to score the first try of the game. Megan Jones added the extras.
It was a clean break into the Chargers 22 by outside half Jones that paved the way for the second try from centre Faith Hyrcia-Kempster. This time Jones couldn’t improve the score, but she was on target when Barrett picked up a lose ball on her 10-metre line and went racing away towards the left corner.
Some brilliant covering defensive work from Megan Thomas forced her to cut inside 10 metre out, but skipper Eden Skuse was in perfect support to take the pass and race to the posts.
That made it 19-0 to the Quins at the break and meant the Chargers needed something special to spark them in the second half. Despite the sterling work of skipper Niamh Corcoran-Lockley they simply couldn’t find a way through the Quins strong defensive line.
A storming run into the Chargers 22 from prop Kiera-Leigh Jones set up the bridgehead from which Skuse was eventually able to dummy her way over from the fourth try at the post. Jones’ conversion stretched the lead to 26 points.
Quins scrum half Freya Perry, who picked up the Go.Compare Player of the Match award for her superb all-round display, especially in defence, kept her side on the attack right to the death. In the last moe of the game, Ffion Lewis got over for the fifth try to crown a superb team effort
U16 Girls Cup – Chargers v Cardiff Quins
Chargers: Megan Thomas; Catrin Williams, Megan Thomas, Tegan Bendall, Sioned Lewis-Jones; Seren Matthews, Bethan Patterson; Megan Dunn, Megan McDonald, Darcie Locke, Taufa Tu’ipulotu, Seren Lewis, Mali Hughes, Niamh Corcoran-Lockley (captain), Georgia Morgan
Reps: Emily Spear, Lauren Fletcher, Robyn Hall, Erin Richards, Carys McDonald, Catrin Jackson, Millie Wilson, Brylee PagetCardiff Quins: Amelia Balfry; Eleri Williams, Faith Hyrcia-Kempster, Eden Skuse (captain), Elise Barrett; Megan Jones, Freya Perry; Kiera-Leigh Jones, Mali Hill, Ava Gazzard, Mabli Griffiths, Ffion Lewis, Libby Tresize, Charlotte Palmer, Grace Boyd
Reps: Seren Whitling, Lucy Rees, Tanwyn Jones, Grace Hyrcia-Kempster, Arianna Collin, Rya Caviell, Chloe Roblin
Scorers: T: E Skuse 2, M Hill, F Hyrcia-Kempster, F Lewis; C: M Jones 3Go.Compare Player of the Match: Freya Perry (Cardiff Quins)
