Sapphire Series R10 live stream: Thrilling north v south battle as Wildcats entertain Cougars

The Sapphire Series premiers stopped a rare losing streak in its tracks to hand the Wildcats their second consecutive defeat by 25 goals or more. Relive the action from two LIVE games.

The Cougars showed they are far from a fading finals force as they hit a season-high 72 goals in a ruthless demolition of last-placed Wildcats on Saturday.

Beaten in their previous two games by the Titans and Bullsharks, the Cougars took control of the match in the second half, outscoring the Wildcats 37-21.

The 72-47 final scoreline looked far from the likely outcome early as the Wildcats held their own to trail 16-14 at the first break.

But the floodgates opened soon after.

REPLAY

Brisbane South Wildcats v ACU Cougars (Ruby)

PREVIEW

Wildcats centre Maddy Davies is having the season of her life and there’s no sign of her hitting the brakes.

She has been a vital cog in her side’s transition down court and has a particular knack for switching from defence to offence, and vice versa, in an instant.

Her impact is sure to be huge again when the Wildcats look to get back into the 2023 HART Sapphire Series winners’ circle against fading premiers ACU Brisbane North Cougars.

You can catch Davies and her teammates in the big round 10 clash against the Cougars LIVE and EXCLUSIVE from 6pm on Saturday. See the full live stream schedule below.

As a centre/wing attack, Davies compensates her lack of height with incredible speed and footwork that helps her lose any opposition quick-smart.

What’s more, the ex-Cougar has an uncanny ability to feed varying styles of shooter.

From a moving goal attack to holding shooter, nothing fazes Davies.

Pic credit: KWP Studios Flagstone. Pictured: Maddy Davies

This weekend is the second double-header round of the season. The Cougars back up on Sunday against the Thunder while the Wildcats face the Tigers.

The Cougars will be on the hunt for a win following two consecutive losses in rounds eight and nine.

With players from their 2022 ranks leaving the nest and joining the Queensland Firebirds, and Leesa Mi Mi being called up as a late permanent replacement player, the Cougars are still finding their feet with a new line-up.

The changes include Ruby defender Gemma Hutchings, who after several appearances, has been brought into the side as a permanent member.

Wildcats, meanwhile, are battling weeks of halftime blues, having given away leads on several occasions and being left to reflect on their inconsistencies.

Gemma Hutchings has become a permanent Sapphire player.

PREVIOUSLY: Cougars v Wildcats

The last time these sides met at the end of May, the travelling Wildcats started fast and gained a quick lead.

They hung on until halftime but then handed Cougars too many turnovers resulting in a six-point loss.

The result gave Wildcats something major to unpack.

EXPERT PREDICTION

If Wildcats can get off to a flying start, head coach Megan Lynch will be pushing to consolidate in the third and final quarters.

It’s after the halftime break when the Wildcats seem to get complacent and offer their opposition too many chances to fight back.

The Cougars are especially adept at comebacks and aren’t afraid to put their body on the line during close contests.

With a poor win/loss record after eight games, head coach Liz White will no doubt be chasing a comfortable win to save their top four position.

If unsuccessful, the Cougars risk dropping to fifth spot on the ladder.

We predict the scoreline will stay within five goals, with Wildcats coming out victorious to leave fans stunned.