Both Old Xaverians Womens teams ventured to Parkville this afternoon to meet Melbourne University teams.

The Varsity, of course, is a club with players of many years' experience, and while speed is not their thing, strength and size they have in spades. They also have a little more polish, a product of practice and experience.

Both Xavs teams, decked out in the red clash strip, played hard. but a failure to convert opportunities did for them both.

Again, injury raised its ugly head. In the Reds game, Grace Purchase copped a knee to the neck and Rach Cox was crunched, and left the ground with a suspected broken collar-bone. Early in the Blacks game, Emily Archer wore a corky, which finished her day.

Coach Young commented: Not the day we were hoping and working for today. After a strong week on the training track we just couldn't string enough plays together to get the score on the board. Our tackling was fierce and the enthusiasm there but under pressure our lack of experience/games played is being exploited. Today in the Blacks 12 (half the team) that played were playing their fifth game (or less). Most of those Melbourne Uni players have been around for years - a couple were playing when I was finishing so that is a hell of a lot of experience. We were again hurt in both games by injury also. All of this gives a picture of why things happened the way they did, but it is what it is and so we have to work with it and fast track our skills to bounce back next week. The great thing is that is was only a couple of goals and so with some determination and hard work we can turn things around. Get your hands on a ball and do some extra work on your own working on clean pick up, one grab marks, clean handball receives and getting an effective disposal away. Stick together, get behind the injured girls and get along to training where we can keep pushing forward.

REDS

Melbourne University    3.3-21    5.7-37    8.13-61    13.17-95
Old Xaverians    0.1-1    0.2-2    0.2-2    0.2-2

Best Players: G. Cleaver, G. Chester, M. Purdon, C. Sgarbossa, R. Percy, M. Slingo

BLACKS

Melbourne University    0.2-2    3.3-21    5.7-37    6.7-43
Old Xaverians                  1.0-6    2.1-13    3.1-19    3.2-20
Goal Kickers: G. Knox, A. Benifer, A. Keith
Best Players: M. Sorrenti, A. Harangozo, C. Pittard, I. Ellis, G. Knox, A. Keith