A powerful Exeter Chiefs Women’s side proves too much for the young Sharks Women, going down 38-0 at Sandy Park.
Katy Daley-Mclean got us underway at a dry but chilly Sandy Park and it was Sale who looked the most dangerous from the off. Some clever kicks from Daley-Mclean and Wooden kept the dangerous Chiefs back three quiet for the first 10 minutes with big carries from Stafford and the impressive Wyn-Davies getting Sale on the front foot. Unfortunately Sale were never were able to make the possession pay and Exeter slowly got themselves back into the game, much to the delight of the 1500 crowd who were lucky enough to be at Sandy Park for the first encounter between the two sides.
Some big carries from Exeter’s enormous no.8 Linda Van Der Velden and the powerful Cantorna in the centres began to make inroads into Sale’s defence. Pick and go after pick and go saw Exeter get within 5M of the Sale line and after the young Sharks pack held them up over the line, Exeter got over the line after 14 minutes. A huge Exeter scrum saw them push over from 5 metres out and deservedly Van Der Velden got the score, the try was converted. Exeter managed to make their physical dominance pay and were again back in the Sale half. Sachio Kato crashed over off the back of a rolling maul to make the score 12-0 at the break.
Darren Lamon’s half time team talk unfortunately didn’t manage to pay dividends as Exeter Chiefs came out of the blocks buoyed by their home fans and were very quickly into their stride. A break from within her own half saw Mackinder pulled down by Daley Mclean just 10 metres short of the try line. Exeter went to their pick and go game and having worked the ball towards the other wing, it was Mackinder who dotted down after a delicate cross field Taylor Black. Despite some big performances from the youthful Perris-Redding and Hibbert-Jones in the backrow Sale never really got going and it was Exeter who crossed again. Another scintillating break from Mackinder saw Exeter ease their way into the Sale Sharks 22 and go back to the infamous Exeter power game, eventually seeing the powerful Mckinley Hunt cross over under the sticks and grabbing the bonus point for Exeter Chiefs in the process. Second Row replacement, Vicky Irwin saw yellow with 15 minutes to go and Exeter made the extra player count. Scores from Fleming and the outstanding Zackary saw Exeter run away the game and finish up 38-0 winners.
Despite going down 38-0, Daz will be able to take positives from today as a very young Sharks side battled to the death. Next up for Sale is a trip to Darlington Mowden Park for the ‘Battle of the North’ on Saturday 2nd January 2021.
Exeter Chiefs Women:
Kato, Tuttosi, Delgado, Leitch, Hunt, Jefferies, Zackary, Van Der Velden; Garcia, Black, Mackinder, Cantorna, Cattell, Holland, Doidge.
French, Roberts, Merchant, Powell, Fleming, Robinson, Burgess, Terry.
Sale Sharks Women:
Fielding, Kelly, Houghton, Wyn-Davies, Howat, Perris-Redding, Hibbert-Jones, Stafford; Roberts, Daley-Mclean, Neumann, Perrin, Delany, Wallace, Wooden.
Kurtz, Hellin, Leung, Irwin, Quaeck, Grieve, Irwin, Calton.
Courtesy of Sale Sharks
