Jillaroos light up Cup with natural brilliance
ALI Brigginshaw couldn’t wear thongs.
So severe was the racing pain in her foot, having had a plate and six screws inserted into her lower leg after breaking her fibula in three places, the Jillaroos playmaker couldn’t even handle walking on the beach.
Yesterday, Brigginshaw played like the “natural” that Immortal Andrew Johns famously called her, laying on half of the Jillaroos’ 10 tries, including one of her own. There’s other stories too. Other stories, on a historic opening day of the 2017 Women’s World Cup saw Australia power through the Cook Islands 58-4 at Southern Cross Group Stadium, which help to explain the desire and perseverance from 17 women who have proved dreams can become reality. Meg Ward has a story. The 23-year-old made her Jillaroos debut yesterday on the wing, scoring her first World Cup try in the second half.
The 80-minute duration of the Jillaroos thumping round one victory was over in quicker time than it takes Ward to find an oval to play footy on every Saturday.
She travels three hours each way from Katherine – where she is based as a firefighter in the air force – to Darwin each weekend to play in the Northern Territory women’s premiership.
Consider this when the next NRL player or coach complains about a “taxing away draw”.
Fellow debutant Talesha Quinn phoned her mum a year ago to explain why she was quitting her job with the Australian Army. In the 32nd minute yesterday, the backrower powered past defenders to score her first try.
The Jillaroos now face England on Sunday.