PWR – Round 15
With the champions sitting this round out, the other four title hopefuls could make their mark. Glos-Pury spent the weekend wondering what life would feel like without Sean Lynn in charge. Rather like life without Susie Appleby, perhaps.
Trailfinders v Bristol Bears
For all their scoring successes, Trailfinders had never beaten a top club. Today they went straight on attack, wining a nudge at the first scrum then a penalty close in. Kate Zackary scored a try from a set move. (5-0)
Bears were building some momentum when a loose pass fell to Ella Amory. She sprinted, Ella Lovibond caught her; but TF developed so well that Lisa Thomson claimed their second. (10-0)
TF were nearly in for a third, when Thomson dummied a clearance-kick, broke free and aimed a long pass to Liz Musgrove at full speed. Only a vital tackle by Millie David halted her.
The first quarter was all TF.
Now Bears’ first try: TF didn’t release in a tackle, Lsrk Atkin-Davies drove over. (10-7) At once Bears reverted to handling in their own 22 and paid the penalty, a third TF try via the pack then wide to Musgrove. (15-7)
Chloe Rollie ran the ball out and was penalised at the breakdown on her own 22. How many times has she done that? The cost: try to Alisha Joyce-Butchers who slid through a non-existent gap. (15-12)
Inside 30 minutes TF had their bonus. Amory spotted an unguarded ruck edge and hared 30 metres. More patient build-up and soft hands by Cass Tuffnail gave Thomson her second.
Once more TF were proving one of the sharpest tacks in offence, a delight to watch. (22-14)
Millie David was allowed Bears’ next try although she lost contact trying to place the ball. There was no TMO to decide the issue; another reason why all matches should have the same facilities, either no TMOs or all TMOs. (22-21) Two defenders saw clearly what had happened.
On 41 minutes Meg Varley paid for an unwise pull-back pass in defence. TF built again, stretched from side to side, then Amory suddenly hoisted a kick towards the north stand and Musgrove plucked it out of the air.
H-T 27-21
Are Bears their own worst enemies, or is it the coaching team at fault? Why not kick deep and attack from there?
Ah, a response; Reneeqa Bonner made a devastating run to score. (27-26) TF countered at once. They played a naughty trick, leaving Tyson Beukeboom out wide left to score their sixth. (32-26)
The match continued mesmerically, the two sides like fencers thrusting and parrying. In amongst, David scored a splendid solo try curving in and out to go over.
With five minutes left it stood 39-38, with TF on the attack. They drove a short line-out throw, then lost possession.
On 80, Zackary hoofed the ball away over the line and TF erupted in joy. But the referee decreed she had been protected by an illegal obstruction! How many more twists? Bevan kicked for a 5- metre line-out.
Visions of the last moments of the RWC final swept across fragile minds.
Bears caught and drove. Ffion Lewis leapt in delight; Charlie Gayther swept in low to signal “held up”. This must surely be the most frequently given decision this season of all the 20 million available to referees.
Result 39-38
Player of the Match: Tyson Beukeboom
Teams
Trailfinders
15 ROLLIE 14 MUSGROVE 13 SCHELL 12 THOMSON 11 WHITE 10 SHIELS 9 AMORY 1 2 3 TUFFNAIL 4 BEUKEBOOM 5 PINNOCK 6 WHITE 7 BURTON 8 ZACKARY (captain)
16 K. EVANS 17 CRAKE 18 SEYE 19 McGINLAY 20 BARWICK 21 MATTINSON 22 COUSINEAU 23 LAFLIN
Bears
15 LOVIBOND 14 BONNER 13 KEIGHT 12 VARLEY 11 10 MURRAY 8 BEVAN 1 BOTTERMAN 2 ATKIN-DAVIES 3 CLARKE 4 BURNS 5 WARD (captain) 6 A. JOYCE-BUTCHERS 7 BALOGUN 8 MARSTON-MULHEARN16 PHILLIPS 17 PAM 18 19 CUNNINGHAM 20 GALLAGHER 21 LEWIS 22 HESKETH 23 J. JOYCE-BUTCHERS
Afterthoughts
There were many absent figures: Bern (ill), Maher (broken nose), Dow, Reed, Aitchison, Taylor, Bradley etc. it didn’t affect the excitement on offer.
Once more I query the Bears’ game-plan. Relying on handling in defence is fine if you don’t make errors. Bears did.
Leicester Tigers v Loughborough Lightning
No less intent, but much less drama at Welford Road. Lightning continued their promising revival by overwhelming Tigers, who are still a long long way from where their founders had planned them. Once more I must wonder what assurances they had given the RFU committee that convinced them of their ability to hold their own at this level. A second-half tally of 0-35?
Result: 12-61
Harlequins v Saracens
Sarries were sitting on a 16-try victory over Tigers; now they repeated the dose against an old foe. They started methodically, denying Quins much sight of the ball – a sensible approach against a side on a 10-win streak.
A delightful move saw them take the lead. The forwards kept feeding back inside towards support. Finally the ball was slung wide left; Lotte Sharp stepped inside Ellie Kildunne to score yet again for her side. 0-5
A tiny error by Quins proved costly. Bryony Field responded with an unstoppable try. 0-12
It took 17 minutes to find an excuse for a scrum. Sarries won it with ease and Amelia McDougall stabbed anoither ground-eating grubber through to the edge.
It took Quins 20 minutes to find a high gear, the ball suddenly winging around the park. It earned them a penalty in front of the posts. They went for the corner, but the ball fell the wrong side of the flag.
Exhausting open play led to Quins’ first response. Kildunne popped a kick across to Wilcock. A delightful off-load back to Kildunne left her with ten metres to cover down the right touchline.
It had taken them all of 40 minutes.
Half-time: 5-12
Games involving top teams aren’t meant to turn as one-sided as this one did. Quins’ unbroken run (great credit to them) came to a shuddering halt as Sarries put them firmly back in their box. It started as usual with the pack. Then a lovely inside ball to Sharp saw her cut clean through the home defences and under the posts. 5-19
Sarries’ raids were so powerful that Mike Hudson showed Beth Wilcock a yellow near her line. Quins wasted a great chance when they failed to exploit a goal-line drop-out that flew direct into touch. A score then, and the game might have regained its balance.
Kaitlan Leaney knocked on under pressure five metres from the visitors’ line. Result: an outstanding full-pitch counter, led by Alysha Corrigan from an excellent kick-pass by Emma Hardy. Sophie Bridger had the honour of the final touch.
Can you believe it? Quins were the next team to be held up over the line! Is it time to award points for this great triumph? On 64 minutes they actually scored, through Abbey Fleming. 10-26
Sarries weren’t accepting that; at once Akine Gondwe added some icing. 10-33
Result: Harlequins 10 Saracens 33
Teams:
Quins
1 TURANI 2 C. POWELL 3 HANLON 4 FLEMING 5 LEANEY 6 GRANT 7 MEULLER 8 MILLAR- MILLS 9 M. PACKER (captain) 10 K. POWELL 11 NEUMANN 12 PARRY 13 PENA 14 WILCOCK 15 KILDUNNE
16 PHILLIPS 17 SPURRIER 18 DELGADO 19 SHIRLEY 20 PAGE 21 SWORDS 22 CROMACK 23 MAYHEW
Saracens
1 GONDWE 2 FIELD 3 CLIFFORD 4 GALLIGAN 5 McMILLAN 6 EVANS 7 CAMPBELL (co-captain) 8 P. CLEALL 9 WYRWAS 10 MacDOUGALL 11 SHARP (co-captain) 12 BRIDGER 13 HARDY 14 CORRIGAN 15 McKENNA
16 TREMELLING 17 FLANAGAN 18 MONTIEL 19 B. CLEALL 20 KASOLO 21 SELLORS 22 BLACKLOCK 23 GREGSON
The top five look like this:
Table P W Pts
Glos-Pury 13 10 53
Quins 13 10 50
Saracens 13 9 48
Exeter Chiefs 11 8 43
Bristol Bears 13 8 42
Afterthought
Selectors are having to deal carefully with their players. As the final rounds pile up, points grow in importance, so do the bruises. That’s where player-depth becomes a central issue. Amelia McDougall of Sarries was a classic case of a youngster coming into a prime position (10) and doing the job.
