But first, the Saturday Show
Lightning v Saracens
Lightning made Sarries fight desperately hard for their success, but sure enough, right on the final bell they secured their fourth try and a vital bonus point to return to the top of the tree.
Neither the scrum nor the line-out was in best working order for the visitors. An early scrum saw them pushed back in undignified fashion, but where things matter, at the breakdown, they were the queens of all they surveyed. Time and again Lightning tried to find gaps in the defensive wall; they hardly ever succeeded. Instead, Marlie Packer, Poppy Cleall and their help-mates gave an object lesson in restoring possession.
After three costly errors in attack Sarries put together a move lit up by fine off-loads. Packer went over. (0-7)
It took them 30 minutes to repeat the dose. There was an apparent knock-on that went unnoticed, but Lotte Clapp thrust for the line, flung the ball back as she was held, and Cleall showed her balance and control by scooping it up and placing it just before the corner-flag came to meet her. (0-12)
Helena Rowland had been keeping her side in the game with her generalship, and now she showed her extraordinary gifts as she pirouetted out of a tackle, stepped and ran outside the defending winger, Rachel Laqeretabua, to show her remarkable pace. (12-7)
As is so often the case, Sarries had the last word before the lemons, Zoe Harrison inserting a delicate grubber through for Holly Aitchison to reach it first.
Half-time 7-17
The first success on resumption was yet another Lark Davies try, her 12th of the season, on the back of a powerful driven maul. (12-17)
But from there Lightning drew a blank. They liked to spread the ball wide with repeated deep passes, but that made the gain-line hard to reach, the pitch seemed to shrink in width and poor handling did for them.
Despite these handicaps they made life so difficult for the opposition that Harrison attempted two kicks at goal. The first hit a post – a very rare failure for her this season – but the second went over. (12-20)
Lightning tried hard to manufacture scores but continuity kept failing them, and it was the red shirts who had the last word, hammering at the line till Cleall forced the ball down.
Result: 12-27
Player of the Match: Zoe Harrison
Teams:
Lightning: Tasker; Gaffney. Hardy, Nelson, Alejandro; Rowland, Maxwell; Cockburn, Davies, Belisle, Wassell, Campion, Malcolm, Kabeya, Hunter
Sarries: Clapp; Laqeretabua, Casey, Aitchison, Corrigan; Harrison, Wyrwas; Botterman; Rettie, Rose; McIntosh, Green; G. Evans, Packer, P. Cleall
DMPDS v Bristol Bears
With the RFU moving in to help the cause, DMPDS could feel the wind in their sails. Certainly they held the former table-toppers to under 50 points and had the huge satisfaction of scoring a converted try themselves, thanks to Jaz Hazell.
The game was switched across to Billingham’s ground, as the Arena was unfit. Congratulations to everyone for making the change possible.
Exeter v Quins
The BBC game (falsely retitled A World XV v England) turned into an absolute classic.
Exeter may have felt that the whistle was blowing against them in the second half, especially when Patricia Garcia attempted a conversion of Hope Rogers’ debut try in the 76th minute. Quins charged, she rushed and the kick failed. She protested that she had merely gone up on her toes, but the referee and the opposition reckoned she’d started her run-up. That left the score 15-17.
From there she played like a woman possessed, placing an enormous kick into touch. From there Exeter advanced towards Quins’ 22 and achieved a penalty. The clock turned red. With nerves of ice Garcia slotted the kick to bring her side home by a single point. From there her feet hardly touched the ground as the team held her aloft back to the changing-room. Jubilation!
Their scrummaging held up well against Quins’ power, though the line-out was less reliable. They defended so well that Quins’ famed all-England backs were held largely in check. Indeed, Gerard Mullen may ask why they so rarely managed to put their dangerous back-three, Cowell-Breach-Kildunne, into space.
So Exeter achieved a rare double over the champions, and Quins must wonder how they managed to lose a game that looked theirs for the taking. Perhaps they should revert to their Famous Quarters; we haven’t seen them for quite a while.
Player of the Match: Patricia Garcia
Worcester Warriors v Wasps POSTPONED
In the most unusual circumstances the game had to be called off, as the appointed ambulance failed to arrive. When the Disputes Committee decides the issue, we have to hope that Warriors aren’t found negligent and have to concede points. Ambulances are a precious commodity these days. Everyone would prefer to have the game replayed. It leaves the hosts with a worrying backlog of unplayed games, only eight completed thus far.
Results:
DMPDS 7 Bristol Bears 48 (played at Billingham RUFC)
Gloucester-Hartpury 17 Sale Sharks 3
Loughborough Lightning 17 Saracens 27 (RFU live stream)
Exeter 18 Quins 17 (BBC coverage)
Worcester Warriors v Wasps POSTPONED
Table P W L Pts
Saracens 10 9 1 43
Bristol 11 8 3 41
Exeter 11 8 3 38
Harlequins 10 7 3 35
Gloucester-H 11 6 5 33
Wasps 9 5 4 26
Loughborough 10 4 6 21
Worcester 8 2 6 12
Sale 10 1 9 6
DMPDS 10 0 10 0
Officials
Gloucester-Hartpury v Sale Sharks
Referee: Callum Watson
ARs: Joe Binfield and Kevin Williams
DMP Durham Sharks v Bristol Bears
Referee: Rebecca Rees
ARs: Gavin Jones and Simon O’Neill
Loughborough Lightning v Saracens
Referee: Iain Kiy
ARs: Nick Borkett and Andrew Ashwell
Sunday Matches:
Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins
Referee: Harry Walbaum
ARs: Ben Simpson and Andy Bickle
Worcester Warriors v Wasps
Referee: Ben Wood
ARs: Harvey Knight and Brian Ravenhill
with thanks to rugbyreferee.net
Afterthoughts
It’s quite excellent to hear that the RFU is stepping in to help DMP out of their present difficulties.
This is a long-term initiative which we must all hope will succeed.
Their result against recent leaders Bears (7-48) may well be a signal of the boost they have been given.
The table is still clogged up with postponements; only three clubs have played all eleven rounds. Some will feel the pinch as players claim prior engagements. With Scotland off to Dubai next month,
Lightning alone are likely to lose seven.
There’s a gap-weekend to follow, but DMPDS are due to face Warriors in a rearranged Round 6 fixture.
