Allianz Premier League – Round 18
Wasps v Bristol Bears
The largest crowd of the season saw the Swarm win the first and second quarters, then the last minute to record their second bonus point of the season.
It was an heroic display in the last ever elite match to be staged at Twyford Avenue, and Dave Ward was forced to send on his power players – a front-row of Simi Pam, Lark Davies and Sarah Bern anyone? Bern treated us to another gallop and back-door off-load to show her class.
Makeda Lewis had the thrill of scoring Wasps’ fourth and last try in front of a roaring crowd.
But there the curtain came down.
The other Games
How much pleasure can Chiefs derive from swamping the league leaders away from home? Glos-Pury knew they were safe with a home semi-final, and that sort of certainty can do funny things to a team’s onfield display. They now face Bristol (details below), while Chiefs have to overcome Sarries, who are all too used to the big time.
We had our very first draw of the season in a palpitating finish. At Sixways Quins looked to be riding comfortably with a half-time 21-7 lead, but Warriors fought back admirably, Abi Kershaw bringing the home team level with seven minutes to play. And there the scoreboard remained stuck.
This is an unsatisfactory season’s end for Quins, who have come to depend heavily on imported talent. Quite the reverse for Warriors who have been through really challenging times to find themselves sailing high in sixth place.
Lightning completed their poorest season to date with a home defeat to erstwhile champions Sarries at Franklin’s Gardens. It’s a shock to see them down in eighth place after years of relative success.
Sharks met Sharks with the expected result. Sale finish seventh overall, but Katy Daley-McLean and Rachel Taylor will know the club needs to make further improvements to ensure a safe future at the top level.
Results:
DMP Sharks 5 Sale Sharks 34
Gloucester-Hartputy 19 Exeter Chiefs 58
Loughborough Lightning 21 Saracens 33
Worcester Warriors 33 Harlequins 33
Wasps 22 Bristol Bears 41
Table P W L D Pts
Gloucester-H 18 16 2 0 79
Exeter 18 15 3 0 78
Saracens 18 15 3 0 74
Bristol 18 12 6 0 62
Harlequins 18 10 7 1 55
UWW 17 6 10 1 38
Sale 18 7 11 0 35
Lightning 17 5 12 0 30
DMPS 18 2 16 0 10
Wasps 18 0 18 0 2
Note: UWW were awarded 5 points for the match against Lightning that had to be called off owing to the lack of an ambulance (Official result 0-0).
Semi-Finals: 10 June
Gloucester-Hartpury v Bristol Bears, KO 15.00)
Exeter Chiefs v Saracens (Sandy Park, KO tbc)
*Here are a few northern Red Roses who moved south (some not permanently): Abbie Ward (née Scott) Claudia Macdonald, Detysha Harper, Ellie Kildunne, Heather Kerr, Holly Aitchinson, Jo Brown, Katy Daley-Mcleas, Sarah Beckett, Tamara Taylor and Zoe Aldcroft.
Afterthoughts
For the second time in three years the season finishes with two clubs being banished from the presence, in all probability for ever.
At last the RFU’s AP 15s website managed to add a first message of regret: Saturday (…) sees DMP Sharks and Wasps make their final appearances in the Allianz Premier 15s. Both sides have contributed so much to the league in recent years and created countless unforgettable memories, for players and fans alike, and the entire Premier 15s family wishes them well for the next chapter of their respective journeys.”
But we can have little idea what those respective journeys will be. The gap between the elite league and the rest yawns ever wider.
Three years ago Giselle Mather predicted an increasing strength in the two Championship leagues. Elite clubs were having their size reduced and the players of Richmond and Waterloo would add further depth. That opinion now looks misplaced.
The two current cases are strikingly different. The London club has suffered from the misplaced ambition of a former owner. The move of the men’s club to Coventry proved a disaster; the women paid the consequences.
DMP have suffered from the socio-economic truth that the south (especially London) exerts an unwelcome draw on rugby talent*. Even Sale Sharks, the one northern club left in the league relies largely on imported talent to survive.
Who will be the next to go under?
