Chances for Storm bring renewed optimism

In a battle of medieval proportion, Sandy Bay pulled out all the stops in its attempt to slay the Tai Po Dragons last weekend.

The scrum was reminiscent of a battering ram, powering down the pitch, making ground and dominating through the front row ferocity of Joan Yip, Toni Ireland and Hayley Kaplan. This was Ireland's first innings as hooker and likely not the last.

The back line was bolstered this week by debutante Melissa Collins Gut, who put in a sensation of a performance at fullback, and Lucy Thomson returning to the Storm after a rain break.

Tries from Wawa Li and Jemima Joy Gbadago kept Storm in the game at pivotal moments, but it was Harriet Jamieson's eventual try after what seemed like 200 phases, that had the coaches, subs and supporters near collapse on the sidelines.

There were wry smiles too from the crowds when Tai Po attempted an early kick after halftime, only to be penalized for being offside.

To their credit, the Dragons had their fair share of chances but Storm showed commitment to chasing down every single one – with unfailing Eve Caplowe repeating tackle after tackle – and a huge run from Jemima Joy Gbadago to smash her opponent behind the line, and prevent their try under the posts.

This performance truly showed what Storm is capable of, and the team will be itching for a win as they come up against Gai Wu this Saturday. There may well be fireworks…