Round One
This important and imaginative series got under way in Parma with three matches.
Your puzzle for today: the Red Roses win every game against France they play. Why do France’s Under 20s win every game they play – against absolutely everyone?
Then, the curious timings of the three daily matches: one early morning, the other two stretching late through a summer’s evening. The reason is the weather; it can get hot in Italy! Between 4 and 5pm Parma was registering 25-26 degrees. Water-breaks essential.
Game 1
France v Wales
Wales U20s were the first to feel that French power. From the opening moments les Bleuettes performed on a different level. A Welsh kick ahead brought the usual reward. The French countered with skilful timing of passes to Suliana Sivi on the left edge. She found No 15 Kelly Arbey on her inside shoulder, and she strode past flapping hands to score.
By half-time France were well ahead (28-7), and the second half confirmed their superior fitness and player-depth as they doubled the score.
Wales’ consolation came with two tries. The pack was denied a try under the posts, but at the cost of a yellow for French No 8 Marie Morland. Wales’ open-side Lucy Isaac drove over.
Their second try deserves even greater credit. In the great heat, the pack, much rearranged, drove under the posts again. This time the ball was spread wide, and a wonderful high pass found Amy Williams unguarded by the left-hand post.
Both these scores came seconds before the end of the two halves. What does a coach make of that?
Result: France 57 Wales 12
Game 2: England v Ireland
A hopeful Irish kick ahead met its fate with England gaining an immediate 50-22 An accurate take by the captain Lilli Ives Campion, a half-break by Lucy Calladine, an off-load, and Tori Sellors, an ‘old girl’ with seven caps, was over. A good conversion by Lia Green. (7-0)
Ireland countered at once, Ruth Campbell making good yards. A neat move was arrested when a link between Lucia Linn and Brianna Heylmann just failed; England’s defence was almost shredded.
A first scrum saw England under pressure – the second went the other way. Great hands gave Amelia McDougall then Sophie Hopkins a run to the Irish 5m line. Ireland recovered well, and a cross-kick from MacDougall was just too far ahead of Hopkins for a clean take.
England won a position identical to the first successful line-out, but the throw was offline.
Scrums were favouring the side not putting in, as if all sixteen feet on the floor were the deciding factor.
England won another penalty. This time the driven maul worked perfectly, Calladine with the try. (14-0)
Then it was all scrubbed off; the TMO had spotted an obstruction, still only 7-0. But by an irony of the laws the Irish found themselves back near their own line, instead of kicking deep into hostile territory. England muffed a penalty chance by going too wide too soon, but yet another penalty under the posts.
Now it was the skipper who won the final touchdown. Green with her third good kick, but only two had counted. (14-0)
After the water-break fortunes switched. Kate Flannery made a wonderful break and fashioned a clever link-pass under pressure to Chisom Ugwueru who sailed over.
Ah! We were forgetting the 16th player, I mean the TMO. He intervened again to suggest an obstruction had opened Flannery’s path. Communication between the officials sounded WWII-like. In the end Bérénice Bralley has happy and the try stood. And the sun sank lower. (14-5)
Another clever move by England’s backs saw Reneeka Bonner take the ball, now on the right. Hannah Clarke did better than some RWR players in pulling her down.
Once more Ireland failed to complete a safe exit. Ivana Kiripati broke from the base of the scrum; again possession was lost, and this time Bonner beat the defence on the far left. (19-5)
Two consecutive lost possession by Ireland brought searching diagonals from Sellors to relieve pressure.
After the 40 minutes were up, England varied their line-out, to peel round the edge. Once more it was Ives Campion who scored right between the posts.
Half-time: 26-5
England messed up an easy clearance: the relieving kick was charged down. Chaos followed. England offered a bounce pass behind their own line, but got away with it. A second clearance was also charged down, by Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair, just on. Then another bounce pass behind the line! It took them four minutes to escape.
A lovely dummy and break by Carmela Morrall got her side on the front foot at last. They benefited from a pass on the Irish line that Ellen Boylan couldn’t hold. From the 5m scrum fast accurate passes helped Morrall to feed Green for another score. She converted to take her tally to 15. (33-5)
Into the last quarter and good Irish combinations put defences to the test. They got their second try via a neat chip of the outside of Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton’s boot. Clarke added her boot to the mix and fell on the ball over the line. (33-10)
The 78th minute saw both teams at their best. England broke brilliantly from their own 22, to within metres of the opposition line, but Ireland got back, stopped them dead, and cleared well.
As time ran out, Kelly Burke effected another turnover to stop a last English attack. Her team had done very well to hold the English so close in the second half.
Result: England 33 Ireland 10
Game 3: Italy v Scotland
By far the most enjoyable and dramatic game of the day.
Things looked bad for the Scots when Italy No 3 Vittoria Zanette emerged from a maul and powered over the line (7-0). They had already been guilty of a muffed kick-off and been driven back at a scrum.
Lucy MacRae reduced the margin with a penalty, but Zanette almost had a second try; the Scots did well to hold her out.
But they came back strongly to take the lead. A fine give-take-and return between Nicole Flynn and Hannah Walker saw Flynn score an opening try. (7-10). Back came the Italians. From a tap penalty they needed a couple of phases for Aregash Pellizzon to cross.
Another fine kick by centre Lucy MacRae regained the lead for a half-time score of: Italy 12 Scotland 13
The second half was even tighter than the first. Chances went begging as vital passes were dropped.
What was to prove the only score came with eighteen minutes still left on the clock. It fell to Greta Copat, now on from the bench. (17-13).
The last minutes of the game were harum-scarum. We had a series of line-out steals, jackals, knock-ons and chips over the top to test defences.
At the very end Scotland kicked a loose ball ahead three times, but, as right-winger Sky Phimister chased it for a deciding touchdown, it ran beyond her reach over the dead-ball line.
Result: Italy 17 Scotland 13
