Wanderers beat Hamilton 10-5 to win HRU women's grand final: 2023

Duff played a pivotal role in the victory, which ensured Wanderers secured the minor and major premiership double for the second year in a row, to be named Most Valuable Player of the grand final.

The 31-year-old flanker converted Victoria Parker's try on the stroke of half-time then kicked a penalty from around 25 metres out with nine minutes remaining to have her side up 10-0 before the Hawks staged a late comeback.

But the Two Blues, who lost co-captain and hooker Kirsty McGrorey to a knee injury in a huge blow early in the second half, held off a fast-finishing Hamilton.

"That was a tough game," Duff said.

"That was the toughest game of the season by far. They really came out and they came firing. Every minute they were working hard and we couldn't be complacent at all.

"We were building and we had the majority of possession. It was coming, we just had to be patient. But, when the try came, it was a lot of relief.

"We had a very shaky beginning of the season. I was really unsure even if we'd make it this far but then we got a really good coach come on board.

"We had six debutantes who had never played rugby before, which made it even more of a challenge, but we grouped together with a strong coach and we worked hard for one another and it's good to get all the rewards."

The Two Blues-Hawks rivalry has been the biggest in Hunter women's rugby since the competition's inception, and every exchange this season has been tight.

Hamilton got the upper hand in round one, edging Wanderers 18-17.

The Two Blues, under new coach Geoff Davy, did not drop a game from there on their way to grand final glory.

"It was gritty," Davy said of Saturday's win.

"The girls needed a lot of tenacity and resilience and camaraderie to get that continuity on the pitch. Full credit to Hamilton, they put us under a lot of pressure and that discombobulated us a little bit.

"Our structures fell away and our communication lapsed, but that try at the end of the first half and then Duff's penalty really put the scoreboard pressure back on them.

"Hamilton are real momentum players. We got a bit complacent and were giving them penalty after penalty after penalty. We kept letting them back in. But games, and grand finals especially, are won on defence.

"A real big shout-out to Molly Jordan. Right at the death in the second half she got a pilfer and that was a game-changing moment."

It was an arm wrestle for most of the first half.

The breakthrough came right on half-time when scrum-half Parker crossed for a try that was then converted by Duff to have Two Blues 7-0 up at the break.

Hamilton had the chance to bridge the gap with penalty kicks in the 35^th and 39^th minutes but could not convert.

Duff, however, did not miss up the other end in the 51^st minute to give Wanderers a 10-0 advantage.

The Hawks were building pressure but could not find a way through Wanderers smothering defence until versatile back Olivia Creswick finally broke through, diving for the try line in the right corner with four minutes remaining.

The kick was unsuccessful and Wanderers were able to hold out Hawks in the final moments.

It was the first time Hamilton had booked a grand final appearance since returning to the competition in 2019 following a six-year absence. They were chasing their first major premiership since 2002.

"The try at the end of the first half hurt a little bit," Hamilton coach Gerry Mason said.

"It came through a little bit of luck, some errors of us right on the line and they were lucky enough to pick it up and get the try. We were probably just a little bit tired going into the end of the half.

"We probably didn't come out of the half-time break as tough as we should have and I think ran out of legs in the middle section of the back half.

"As we did against these girls two weeks ago, we had a late flurry, but it was all a little bit too late and they defended really well.

"When we gave away penalties at the death, they were smart enough to take the kick options and slow it down that little bit, which was all they needed to get the win, so well done to them. It's deserved and we'll try to keep building."

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