Day 1 of the 2012 Barastoc Nationals was for the most part a success for the favourites New South Wales, they won 4 of the 5 matches they were involved in but did suffer a 22-11 loss in the Under 24 girls to their biggest rivals, and the home team, Queensland.

Elsewhere in the Under 24 girls Western Australia overcame South Australia 18-10 but South Australia will be delighted to have got a big win in the Challenge Cup (which is the second level of the senior men’s competition), overcoming Queensland 19-17. Queensland are probably not one of the favourite states in the Senior Men’s competition in general and also, like most of the States, they do have teams in both the Caltex Shield (the top level of Senior men) and the Challenge Cup, so the Challenge cup team are not their strongest men’s side. South Australia does only have a Challenge Cup team but to defeat one of the big three states on day 1 is still a big win for them, given that two years ago they did not send a men’s side to the Nationals at all and they have only sent 4 teams in total this year.

Apart from this defeat Queensland had a good day, winning all their other 5 matches. Western Australia were the only team to end day 1 undefeated, playing two matches and winning them both, beating the Northern territory 19-8 in the Masters Mixed and SA in the Under 24’s Women’s.

Northern Territory were the only team to end the day winless, losing all three of their matches, with Victoria only doing one better, their only win of the day coming in the Under 16 Mixed against the Northern territory. Most of the time Victoria were punished by NSW, losing three matches to them, including a 27-2 thrashing in Masters Mixed as the older generation of New South Wales showed exactly why their state side has been feared for years.

Full Results

Challenge Cup (Senior Men): SA 19 vs QLD 17
Under 24 Women: QLD 22 vs NSW 11
Under 24 Women: WA 18 vs SA 10
Under 21 Men: NSW 22 vs VIC 16
Under 21 Mixed: NSW 20 vs VIC 10
Under 21 Mixed: QLD 19 vs NT 12
Under 16 Mixed: QLD 15 vs SA 8
Under 16 Mixed: VIC 14 vs NT 9
Masters Men: NSW 18 vs QLD 11
Masters Mixed: NSW 27 vs VIC 2
Masters Mixed: WA 19 vs NT 8
Under 12 Exhibition: QLD 17 vs VIC 1