Finchley Phoenix Ladies booked their place in the next round of the National Junior Cup with a hard-fought and deserved victory over a powerful Millbrook side, in what proved to be their sternest test of the competition so far.

On a tricky, rain-soaked surface, Millbrook made their intentions clear from the opening kick-off, pinning Finchley back in their own half and demonstrating real strength at scrum time. The visitors controlled territory early on and, after 20 minutes of sustained pressure, their fullback Tuvay Stroom broke through with a trademark powerful run to open the scoring. The conversion drifted wide, but Millbrook led 0-5

Finchley absorbed pressure well and gradually grew into the contest. Just before half-time, Sophia Grilli produced one of her signature bursts through the middle, slicing the defence apart to score under the posts on 37 minutes. Bailley Oosthuizen added the conversion to edge Finchley ahead at 7–5.

The response from Millbrook was immediate. Straight from the restart they struck again, Stroom once more proving a handful as she crossed on the left wing to reclaim the lead at 10–7. But Finchley refused to let the visitors take momentum into the break. A sharp counterattack from deep saw excellent interplay between Taylor Carey and Rose Turner, with Carey applying the finishing touch to a well-worked try. Oosthuizen converted to send Finchley into the interval with a 14–10 advantage.

The second half followed a familiar pattern, with Finchley once again showing discipline and resilience in defence as Millbrook pressed hard. The decisive moment came on 65 minutes when Oosthuizen intercepted inside the Millbrook 22. From the resulting ruck, slick hands moved the ball wide, allowing Carey to power over to the right of the posts for her second try of the afternoon. Finchley extended their lead to 19–10.

Millbrook, to their credit, were far from finished. Late forward pressure saw Nellie Eastland crash through under the posts on 77 minutes, with Malone converting to close the gap to just two points. With nerves jangling around the ground, the Phoenix backs showed their experience and composure. On 79 minutes, Carey gathered possession on the Millbrook 22 and, with excellent support around her, fed Grilli, who shrugged off tackles to score a decisive try. Rose Turner calmly converted to seal a 26–17 victory.

Both teams can take real pride in their performances on a demanding afternoon, but it was Finchley Phoenix Ladies who showed the clinical edge and composure when it mattered most to march on in the National Junior Cup.