With just 12 minutes remaining, scores locked at 6-6, the Blues found themselves under immense pressure in Game One of the Ampol Women’s State of Origin series, at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Westpac NSW Blues captain Isabelle Kelly was down injured in back play; Queensland were surging towards the try line and the Blues scrambling with a 12-player defensive line. Then came the play that changed the game.
A sharp run from Queensland dummy half Jada Ferguson split the Blues defence before Maroons lock Keilee Joseph charged at the line with momentum. In an instant, fullback Abbi Church and forward, Yasmin Meakes, who would go on to earn “Player of the Match”, threw themselves into the contest.
“I remember just thinking ‘you have got to throw everything you can into this play’,” Meakes recalled.
“I did try to dislodge the ball, but I just couldn’t get there. I was thinking after my hit ‘please someone else be there’, and then I saw Abbi coming from the inside, she managed to get underneath, and the ball came out.”
Church said the moment perfectly captured the mentality driving the Blues this year.
“My job is to be that last line of defence, and I personally could not have done that without Yasmin”, Church said.
“It wasn’t just us two, there were plenty of girls who got back and tried to help.
“We have all got that mentality to be there for each other on the field," she added.
The forced error proved a turning point as NSW went on to close out an 11-6 victory to move one win away from reclaiming the shield.
For Meakes, the opening win was special, but far from complete.
“We definitely weren’t perfect in the first game and do have a lot of little things that we need to work on,” she said.
“I feel like last year we were a little bit disappointed. We got the win but fell short in that third game at home.
“I think that is driving the hunger of us wanting to be better this year,” added Meakes.
Now, with Queensland desperate to respond in Brisbane, the Westpac NSW Blues know the challenge ahead will demand even more, and one phrase has become the mindset of the Westpac NSW Blues camp; “whatever it takes”.
“State of Origin is a massive rivalry and one of the hardest, fastest games of rugby league,” Church said.
“Mentality wise, we just want to do whatever it takes out there to win for our State.”
