Reds unearth another Fijian superstar
The Queensland Reds unearthed a “superstar in the making” while booking a home Super W grand final against the Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua in Townsville on Saturday.
New Zealand import Carys Dallinger kicked the match-winning penalty with 90 seconds left in a tense 23-20 semi-final victory over the ACT Brumbies in Sydney on Sunday.
But it was winger Heleina Young who really turned heads, and swung the match, with a breathtaking double strike within four minutes to start the second half at Concord Oval.
Playing just her second game of Super W, Young’s first try was particularly impressive, with Stan Sport commentator Luke BarryDonnellan calling her “a superstar in the making”.
“This is what we came to seeYoung, showing her speed, leaving everybody in her dust,” Australian sevens star Dom du Toit said. “That was a beautiful piece of play by the Reds.
“The pass from Dallinger to Young, so beautifully out in front of her, giving her the opportunity to run onto it and then show her speed, not just her speed but her footwork. “She still had a bit of work to do when she got that ball. Isn’t that beautiful to watch her in full flight.”
Young is a former Fijian sprint champion now based in Brisbane. The Brumbies, who went 2-3 in the regular season, looked on track for a major upset against the 4-1 Reds before the winger’s dazzling footwork.
An interesting looms on the wing in the Super W grand final where Young is expected to come up against Laisani Moceisawana. They were both secondary school sprint champions.