Great Britain Women Royals won the Plate final of the Rugby Europe Grand Prix Sevens Series in Kazan with the GB Lions finishing the tournament in third.
GB Lions (Photo: England Rugby)
An eight-try final game against Spain saw the Royals land the Plate, having been knocked out of the Cup competition by their GB counterparts 5-24.
Following their semi-final disappointment, where Russia clinched the spoils in the dying seconds, GB Lions came back fighting to beat Ireland 32-0 for third. The Lions dominated throughout, with a brace of tries each for Vicky Fleetwood and Jo Watmore, supported by touch downs from Abbie Brown and Claire Allan.
Head coach Simon Middleton said: “Obviously I am disappointed as we came here with the intention of winning. The Lions played really well in five games but failed to execute to our standards in the Russia game.”
Photo: England Rugby
GB Royals finished day one second in Pool A, having found eventual winners France too good, losing 7-31, while beating the Netherlands (19-10) and Finland (44-0). Following their quarter-final loss, they faced Portugal in the semis and a hat-trick and two converted tries from Emily Scott, plus two tries from Megan Jones and one from Stephanie Johnston, secured an easy 36-0 path into the Plate final.
Of the Royals, Middleton said: “The overall depth of quality in the squad was reflected in the quarter final game between the two sides where no quarter was asked or given. The quality in the Royals side is reflected in the semi and final scores that resulted in them lifting the Plate.”
With this GB Women’s last competition before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Middleton added: “Although ultimately it was disappointing from a team performance, there were some outstanding individual performances and from that the final selection picture has become clearer.
“Ultimately we came third but that’s not what we wanted and we need to find the missing five per cent on a more regular basis as that is what will be needed to medal in Rio.”
GB Lions
Claire Allan, Abbie Brown, Heather Fisher, Vicky Fleetwood, Natasha Hunt, Jasmine Joyce, Sarah Mckenna, Katy Mclean, Alice Richardson (C), Danielle Waterman, Jo Watmore, Amy Wilson Hardy
Third place result
Lions 32 – 0 Ireland
Tries: Fleetwood (2), Brown, Allan, Watmore (2)
Conversions: Mckenna
Semi-final result
Lions 17 – 19 Russia
Tries: Watmore, Richardson (2)
Conversions: Richardson
Quarter-final result
Royals 5 – 25 Lions
Tries: Joyce, Mclean, Hunt, Wilson Hardy
Conversions: Mclean (2)
Pool C results
Lions 48 – 0 Ukraine
Tries: Joyce (3), Allan, Brown (2), Fisher (2)
Conversions: Mclean, Richardson (2), Fleetwood
Lions 40 – 0 Portugal
Tries: Fisher, Wilson Hardy (2), Hunt, Mckenna, Brown
Conversions: Mckenna (2), Mclean (2), Brown
Lions 62 – 0 Spain
Tries: Fisher, Waterman, Brown, Joyce (2), Mckenna, Watmore, Allan (2), Hunt
Conversions: Mclean (3), Mckenna (3), Richardson
GB Royals
Keira Bevan, Natasha Brennan, Rachael Burford (C), Sioned Harries, Megan Jones, Stephanie Johnston, Fran Matthews, Marlie Packer, Emily Scott , Michaela Staniford, Sian Williams, Kay Wilson
Plate final
Royals 44 – 0 Spain
Tries: Packer, Johnston (2), Wilson (2), Staniford, Jones (2)
Conversions: Scott (2)
Plate semi-final result
Royals 36 – 0 Portugal
Tries: Jones (2), Scott (3), Johnston
Conversions: Jones, Scott (2)
Quarter-final result
Royals 5 – 25 Lions
Try: Johnston
Pool A results
Royals 19 – 10 Netherlands
Tries: Johnston, Burford, Matthews
Conversion: Scott (2)
Royals 7 – 31 France
Tries: Johnston
Conversions: Scott
Royals 44 – 0 Finland
Tries: Harries, Jones (2), Staniford, Johnston, Wilson (2), Williams
Conversions: Jones (2)
Report courtesy of England Rugby
