'From disappointment to jumping around': Blues pair relive match-saving heroics

Neither Jesse Southwell or Teagan Berry knew if their attempts, just minutes apart, to save a Queensland try in the south-east corner of Suncorp Stadium in Origin II were successful.

They were, and NSW won the game 14-10 to wrap up the three-match 2026 series in Game 3 on Thursday night at Cbus Super Stadium.

But there were some doubts in those seconds immediately after the tackles – both against luckless Maroons winger Jasmine Peters.

“To be honest I didn’t think I got her out because I saw the ball go down over the line,” Berry told NRL.com.

"I wasn’t sure what her feet were doing but my first thought was that she’d scored.

“Disappointment came straight away but then it went upstairs and we were all in a huddle. Then disappointment turned into jumping around in excitement.”

Southwell actually tackled Peters into touch twice – once with the help of Isabelle Kelly in the 56th minute and again on her own in the 59th when she used great strength to roll the No.5 right over the chalk.

“I wasn’t sure to be honest if I’d got her,” Southwell said. “I was just hoping for the best.

“The wingers in our game these days are pretty good at what they do so I was thinking my chances were 50-50.

“I just threw everything at it and I’m very happy it ended up not being a try.”

The match-winners at such a crucial stage of the game brought many to recall the George Gregan cover tackle on New Zealand winger Jeff Wilson that saved Australia’s bacon in the 1994 Bledisloe Cup match.

Since both Berry (2002) and Southwell (2005) were not born then, neither had any memories of it but Southwell said: “I do know of George and what a talented player he was. It’s pretty cool if anyone thinks there’s a small similarity".

A crafty and skilful No.7 known more for her short and long kicking games, Southwell said she never practised corner peg cover-tackles in her regular training sessions.

“I feel it’s something you learn as you play more and more growing up,” she said of putting her body quite literally on the try line.

“If you’re a competitor, you’re the one that wants to be there and do whatever it takes to win,” Southwell said.

The St George Illawarra Dragons’ regular fullback in the NRLW, Berry said she didn’t spend a lot of time on sliding towards the corner post.

“We don’t do a lot of that in training because there’s a high chance of picking up an injury,” Berry said.

“But obviously in a game you just put all your effort into it no matter what.”

Berry had fumbled the ball a couple of times before her try-saving tackle so she felt that helped balance the ledger a little.

“This week my family and friends keep congratulating me. But right before that I dropped a couple so I’m still disappointed in myself,” she said.

“Although finishing the game like that did make me happy.”