Jack Scott Cup rugby union: Hunter Wildfires punt old-school rugby to thrash Gordon

It's the first time the Wildfires have competed in the Jack Scott Cup - a competition glistening with Wallaroos and Super W talent - and the easy option would have been to play low-risk rugby.

Let the forwards rumble ahead, kick to the corners and make minimal mistakes.

But Saunders had other ideas.

"When I played for New York in the Women's Premier League in the US in 2016, we had a coach, James English, who played a very expansive game," Saunders said. "Now I am head coach, I want to teach the girls a new way to play. I didn't want to play old-school rugby where we just go punch, punch. I want the forwards to be able to move the ball and pass off the ground, play a new style.

"Eighty per cent of tries are scored from unstructured play - dropped ball, quick taps and things like that - so we have to make sure we throw 100 per cent at those mistakes and work off it. That is where we score points."

The result was a stunning 53-0 win over Gordon at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday.

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Winger, Anika Butler benefited most with a hat-trick of tries. She used her blistering pace to run 50 metre to open the Wildfires' account in the fourth minute, Added a second 10 minutes later when she snapped up a Sian Filipo. The third, in the 55^th minute, came from a bust down the right touchline and off load Candice Clay.

In total the Wildfires ran in nine tries. Ash Walker added four conversion.

Filipo, breakaway Kayla Waldron and lock Trudi Peterson continually carved open Gordon on the edges.

"They trusted the process and did everything I asked and the game plan worked," Saunders said. "It has taken a few sessions but the girls are picking it up."

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