In a gritty and tightly contested elimination semi-final, the Canowindra Tigress fought hard but were narrowly defeated by Cowra, who claimed a 6-0 win in a low-scoring clash defined by defensive intensity and missed opportunities.
The game opened evenly, with both sides trading strong sets before a simple mistake early in the first half gave Cowra a crucial edge.
A deflected kick from Canowindra gifted Cowra prime field position, and after withstanding three tackles on their line, the Tigress conceded a try off a straightforward play.
The successful conversion gave Cowra a 6-0 lead just seven minutes in.
From there, the match became a battle of resilience.
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Canowindra’s defence stayed strong, repelling further pressure with determined tags and structure across the park.
Cowra continued to test their line, using short kicks and inside balls to probe the gaps, but the Tigress held firm.
On the other end of the field, Canowindra began to show signs of attacking flair.
With smart ball movement, varied play, and support runners in motion, the Tigress found space through players like Georgia Kennedy, Laura Price, and Maddie Baron.
Several promising moves, including sweeping backline plays, dummy runs, and a clever grubber kick, came close to levelling the score, but handling errors and forward passes halted their momentum.
“There were a few half chances where they looked like they might be in,” Barry Traves said.
“They just needed a bit more variation and a bit more polish on the final play.”
The second half saw more of the same, Cowra controlled possession with smart kicks and relentless pressure, while Canowindra scrambled well in defence and tried to strike on the counter.
A late surge from the Tigress, featuring key contributions from Kennedy, Price, and Annabelle Lewis, nearly brought them back into the match.
At one point, a break down the sideline had Cowra scrambling, but a crucial tag just inches from the line kept Canowindra scoreless.
With less than five minutes to play, a line dropout and attacking set gave the Tigress another golden opportunity, but a knock-on in the corner dashed hopes of a comeback.
A final attacking push also ended in frustration, as a forward pass with seconds remaining sealed the result in Cowra’s favour.
Despite the loss, Traves praised the Tigress’ effort, saying, “they defended really well”.
“They didn’t have a lot of ball, but they hung in well.”
“Sometimes those 50/50 chances just don’t fall your way, and that’s what makes all the difference in a semi-final,” he said.
The Canowindra Tigress leave the finals with heads held high, having pushed a tough Cowra side to the limit.
