3 minute read

The New Zealand Maori women's team have edged the Indigenous All-Stars team 8-4 after a late try to their skipper Krystal Rota.

A late try to New Zealand Maori's skipper Krystal Rota has given her team an 8-4 win over the Indigenous team in their inaugural women's All-Stars clash in Melbourne on Friday night.

Squaring off the first time, the women's teams were locked at 4-4 until Rota broke the deadlock with five minutes left.

A member of the Warriors NRLW team, dummy half Rota spotted the smallest gap in defence and scooted through for the match-winning try.

A curtain-raiser to the men's All-Stars match at AAMI Park, both team delivered traditional pre-match war cries with a Haka by the Maori Ferns before the Indigenous team were led in a traditional war dance by their captain Rebecca Young.

They were accompanied on the didgeridoo by Preston Campbell, the former NRL player who was responsible for starting the Indigenous All-Stars concept back in 2010.

Playing four 15-minute quarters, the Maori side were first on the scoreboard as they used their big forward pack to knock the Indigenous All-Stars, with a number of rookies in their line-up, back.

After getting on the front foot they sent the ball wide with a superb cut-out pass by Kararaina Wira-Kohu finding winger Tyler Birch for a try at the four minute mark.

The Indigenous women started to find some rhythm and play to their strengths out wide.

After a break up the middle from Kandy Kennedy they used their momentum and winger, former soccer talent, Shakiah Tungai touched down to level the score in the third quarter.

The Ferns looked like they had secured a try through Jonsal Tautari but for some desperate Indigenous defence managing to stop her getting the ball down.

However they weren't able to do the same with Rota's clever dart.