Source: Bruce Perkins

Trailfinders break their Duck

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PWR Round Four

The table (see below) becomes even more disjointed than last week. The absence of full medical support at the Hartpury University Stadium meant Sale’s journey south was in vain. That is not the first time this unwanted shortage has occurred. Only three games completed is not a good look for the league. Two clubs have played twice as many matches as two others.

Trailfinders v Tigers

It was mild but blowy at West Ealing as the two rookies came face to face for the first time.

Trailfinders’ first ever win was a big moment for them; equally it was a worrying portent of future toils for Tigers. Crucially, the home pack made its presence felt from the start, winning penalty after penalty. Only late in the second half, as replacements appeared, did Tigers’ forwards come closer to equality.

Trailfinders had their first try in two minutes. Emma Swords hoisted a restrained box-kick to allow for the following wind. From there TF established a strong position and Liz Crake finished off with a powerful drive. 7-0

A move far more typical of the Mather approach followed. The ball was flung wide to the right wing. From there Vicky Laflin made up for some of her sadness at leaving Sixways by accepting a fine off-load from Rosie Inman to race over from a distance. 12-0

Now at last Tigers started prowling. Elis Martin had the pleasure of registering her first try for her new club. 12-7

It may be a sign of the relative inexperience of two sides seeking togetherness, but Mike Hudson was forced to use his whistle more than he would have wished.

TF proved their superiority by widening that single-score margin to a comfortabler 24-7 by the interval. First Crake proved her value by forcing her way for the second time, then Meg Barwick scored a memorable try.

As TF spread the ball wide again, Julia Schell sent a massive kick skyward. As it caught the wind.once I murmured ‘too far’. But then it became a whirlibird. Instead of landing in the east stand, it veered sharply round on its descent. As it came to land behind the try-line, Barwick found herself all alone and in possession. Ellie Green potted both conversions with an ease that explains her top position in the kicking charts in her teenage days at Quins.

Half-time: 24-7

Lightning attempted an immediate comeback; they reached the line, but as the defences mustered, the referee called ‘held-up!’ Instead, TF put on a show that included a try for Abby Dow, now at last brought on, that had started in their own red zone. 29-7

The wind had lessened, but even so Tigers must ask themselves why most of the play took place in their own half.

TF nearly had another great try on the far right. The move had started on the other side of the field, but sadly for them the last pass went astray. At least we weren’t to be denied our weekly dose of a card. Is it an addiction?

On 73 minutes Meg Jones was shown yellow for a so-called ‘professional’ infringement. TF were playing without a care; now Elisa Riffonneau sliced through a tiring defence and there was Kate Zackary to finish the job with a flourish. This was a towsing.

Result: 36-7
Player of the Match: Julia Schell

Teams

Trailfinders
15 Inman 14 Laflin 13 Schell 12 Cox 11 Musgrove 10 Green 9 Swords 1 Crake 2 Gwala 3 Seye 4 Buckland-Hurry 5 Pinnock 6 Burnfield 7 Barwick 8 Zackary
16 Riffonneau 17 McQuade 18 Leat 19 Beukeboom (captain) 20 Willet 21 Amory 22 Cooksey 23 Dow

Tigers
15 Swartz 14 Feury 13 M. Jones 12 Childs 11 McGhie 10 N. Jones (captain) 9 Nye 1 Bartlett 2 Martin 3 Sagapolu Sanele 4 Jacobs 5 Fray 6 Donaldson 7 Noon 8 Brody
16 Bainbridge 17 Knight 18 Cockburn 19 Warrington 20 Richardson 21 Relf 22 Nicholas 23 Collie

Officials:

Referee: Mike Hudson
ARs: Lionel Spooner and Simon Adams

The Other Games in brief

Lightning v Bears

As in the first match there was a try inside two minutes at Franklin’s Gardens, but here it was Deborah Wills waltzing over on the end of a flowing movement. Bears were 7-22 up at half-time, thanks to a pair of tries by Meg Varley and one from the irrespressible Sarah Bern.

Another four after the break had to include one from Lark Atkin-Davies. Dave Ward reckoned his side was still in third gear, so we have to wonder which gear they were in when they were nilled by Glos-Pury the previous week – and why.

The one-sidedness of the result only underlines Bears’ unconvincing performances in previous rounds. With their all-round strength they don’t have any excuses for failing to win these days. For Lightning it was more concern about their likely progress. Next week they have the pleasure of hosting Sarries.

Note: Lightning appeared in their new away kit, which just happens to be Northampton Saints’ colours. So some members of the crowd will have felt at home.

Quins v Chiefs

The other club with a point to prove, Chiefs, had the nerve to post a half-century on Quins at the Stoop, the sort of result you could not have imagined in past seasons. Chiefs had the bonus point sewn up by the break (6-28), and the 6 itself tells a story – a side needing kicks at goal to replace the tries they couldn’t score.

Merryn Doidge, now elevated to vice-captaincy of the side, helped herself to a hat-trick of tries.

27 points against title-contenders looks well enough till you read the other half of the score-line.
What an irony that Quins’ first try was scored by Flo Robinson, an ex-Chief.

Results

Lightning 17 Bears 46
Quins 27 Chiefs 52
Trailfinders 36 Tigers 7
Gloucester-Hartpury v Sharks – postponed (no medical support present)
Saracens – bye

Table ​​​

                                 P​     W​      L​      Pts

Saracens                 3       3     ​0       15
Exeter​​​                      3      3     0       15

Bears       ​​                4       2      2      10

Glos-Pury         ​​     2        2      0        9

Trailfinders      ​​​     3       1       2        6

Harlequins  ​​          4       1     3          6  ​
Sale         ​​                2       1      1         5
Lightning              3        1     2          5
Tigers​​​                    4       0      4         1

Afterthoughts

Trailfinders won’t mind one little bit finding themselves placed above Quins.

Tigers have some worrying to do. During the summer break I wasn’t brave enough to comment on the signings the two new clubs were making, so I can’t prove that I had misgivings about Tigers’ policy. I thought they placed too much trust in players who had served them well the previous season in the Championship. Certainly new players were introduced, but not of the consistent quality to ensure a sound start at the top level. They miss the presence of Amy Cokayne up front, but they can’t afford to leave Meg Jones playing so far from the centre of action (13). As you would expect, she had some telling moments, but in Wasps’ days Giselle Mather used her at No 10, where she reaped rewards.

Mather was happy to leave Abby Dow on the bench till after half-time; she still scored a splendid try. The skipper, Tyson Beukeboom, was kept waiting too: original thinking!