Saracens v Exeter Chiefs
Sonia ‘Sonic’ Green ran out alone to mark her 300th game for Sarries, a quite extraordinary achievement. Even Rocky Clark’s record of 137 caps for England is likely to be broken before Sonia’s.
Exeter started by hushing the large crowd with quick-fire attacks. So quick that Sarries left a ruck unguarded for Brooke Bradley to dart through under the posts. Gabby Cantorna ensured the goal. (0-7).
As usual Sarries’ response was immediate. They set up a fearsome driving maul; the ball spun right, and Sarah McKenna freed an arm out of a double tackle to off-load to Chantelle Miell. Zoe Harrison had no trouble converting from the edge. (7-7)
Exeter made an expensive mistake when a player ran in front of a kick and was penalised. Harrison kicked to the corner and Poppy Cleall was on the business end of yet another Sarries drive. (14-7) The tables had turned.
Susie Appleby is experimenting with Flo Robinson at No 10 in the absence of Taylor Black. Talented though she certainly is, her inexperience there was shown up by Harrison’s masterful performance. The England No 10 hoisted a kick into open space which Chiefs couldn’t deal with. Cleall drove and Sarries swarmed behind her; the ball was moved right where lovely passing and good work by Hannah Casey gave Hannah Botterman the try. It brought the half-time score to a convincing:
22-7
As the sun beat down, Sarries went on proving their all-round superiority. Chiefs couldn’t clear their rucks efficiently, and minor errors kept creeping in.
Cleall profited from the one inaccurate Harrison kick of the day, the opening created by McKenna. (29-7)
Chiefs did very well to score twice against this pounding. Ebony Jefferies finished off a series off pick-and-goes, (29-12) then, right near the end their determination paid off again. Another series of drives helped Robinson find a pinhole of a gap to go over. But by then Harrison had added an assured penalty from in front.
Chiefs will go on to win many more games playing to this standard, but on the day Sarries proved their right to go unbeaten with five out of five.
Result: 32-19
It was Black Shirts (Sarries) versus White Shirts (Chiefs). The standard of play was international class, but must we fear a similar (colour) outcome when Whites next play Blacks at Exeter at the end of the month?
Wasps v Gloucester-Hartpury
G-H were snuffed out only by the extreme pace and quality of Wasps’ backs. A long-distance break by Claudia Macdonald and two more outstanding tries by Abby Dow stretched the ‘home’ team’s lead after G-H had really made them work hard for their spoils.
‘Home’, because Wasps were playing about 100 miles from Twyford Avenue, in a double-header at their menfolk’s ground in Coventry.
They were greatly encouraged by the return to arms of their Sevens stars, Abi Burton, Meg Jones and Celia Quansah, an intriguing fact since England no longer allow players to switch between their 7s and 15s squads. But that ban obviously doesn’t apply at club level.
While Sevens tournaments remain thin on the ground, players must take every opportunity to enjoy some rugby, of whatever brand.
For G-H this was another case of ‘so near, yet so far’.
Some confused Background
Wasps held a media conference in midweek at their new training centre in Henley-in-Arden. HiA lies 20 miles cross-country from Coventry and 97 miles from Acton.
They hope to gain a new following by playing in the West Midlands, but how many of their members and fans in west London will make the trip in future? And how many West Midlanders will do the reverse journey to Twyford Avenue? There is at least one person on this planet who hopes that this trip to the northern edge of Coventry will be the Swarm’s last.
To the outsider their position is perplexing. How do the Wasps’ amateurs manage to do one training session per week in HiA, while continuing their jobs, most of which are located in the London area? Unlike the other brand new training centre that Bristol use, this one lies convenient neither for their home ground nor for the great barn that is now the Coventry Building Society Arena (formerly the Ricoh).
If it is their long-term aim to move north permanently, that will mean a major upheaval for everyone. Will all their players be able and willing to co-operate? If they are staying put in West London, what is the value of joining the men’s team in training so far away? We shall see.
Results:
Saracens 32 Exeter Chiefs 19
Wasps 34 Gloucester-Hartpury 25
Officials:
Saracens v Exeter Chiefs
Referee: Nikki O’Donnell
ARs: Toby Rowe and Simon Bourne
Wasps v Gloucester-Hartpury
Referee: Hamish Grant
ARs: Matt Rozier and Andrew Jackson
with thanks to rugbyreferee.net
Table ​​​        P​    W​    L​    Pts
Bristol​​​         5    ​5   ​0     ​25
Saracens​​       5    ​5    0​     25
Wasps      ​​    5​    3​    2    16
Exeter​​​         5​    3​     2​     14
Harlequins     5    3    2    14
Gloucester-H   5    2     ​ 3    12
Worcester​​     5    ​1​     3​     11
Loughborough​​​ 5    1​     4​      6
Sale         ​​ 5​    1​    4​      6
DMPDS​​       5   ​0​     5      0
Bears and Sarries stride away. Wasps leap to 3rd. It’s tight below the top.
Afterthoughts:
Returning Faces
It was heartening to see some familiar faces return to action after a long delay. Pride of place should go to North Walian Jess Kavanagh, who has been missing from the Welsh wing for too long. Her story is told by Jess Hayden (https://www.rugbypass.com/news/womens-rugby-if-the-clubs-want-elite-womens-rugby-we-should-be-looked-after/ ), an indictment of administrators’ inadequacies, if ever there was one. She is restored to the Welsh training squad after an absence of two years.
England supporters will be delighted to see Lydia Thompson, Laura Keates and Mo Hunt restored as well.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall as the England selectors mull over team choices for the coming tests. They have before them the evidence of five rounds of highest quality rugby, with players in the same positions putting in outstanding performances.
It’s a very different matter when they see them at close quarters in extended practice next week, but a glance at live stream repeats will show the standards already reached.
