Bears bow again
Results
Leicester Tigers 7 Gloucester-Hartpury 38
Bristol Bears 22 Loughborough Lightning 31
Trallfinders Women 17 Saracens 31
Trailfinders Women v Saracens
As so often, TF got on top at once. Abi Burton made a charge-down; a penalty followed.
On two minutes they produced a catch and drive, and a line-out brought them even closer. Controlled phases allowed Rori Wood to drive over. Rosie Inman, not Julia Schell converted. 7-0
Sarries got to work, but as they entered TF’s 22 they lost posession; Caity Mattinson hoisted a box-kick that Lotte Sharp couldn’t hold and Kat Evans roared away through the middle. Sharp made up for her error by getting back to haul Evans down.
At the first scrum Alysha Corrigan was given far too much space down the blind-side; the result – totally predictable – was a try to May Campbell from 0.005 metres out. 7-7
In case you didn’t kniow, the moment TF snaffle the ball it speeds its way across field and back (if necessary). Another fast-moving attack had Sarries manning the ramparts.
The scrums had gone evenly, till the 18th minute when a second TF heave brought them a penalty; a rare experience for a Sarries pack. Maddeningly for TF the line-out didn’t work. But another offence, and this time the ball was spun wide left to Rosie Inman who had space, since the Sarries defences had been drawn in by strong forward drives. Liz Musgrove was able to watch a long Chloe Rollie pass sail across her. 12-7
Time for me to apologise. Rollie aimed the perfect kick out of defence; a Sarries knock-on and TF were back over halfway.
Inman might possibly have been the slightest player on the field, but as Sarries tried to break, she hurled Alysha Corrigan rearwards to win a turnover. But Nikki O’Donnell does not enjoy unsolicited advice, so a moment later TF were marched back.
That built to three penalties in a row and a Sarries drive that led, after a heap of work, to their second try. On 34 minutes Amelia MacDougall’s conversion edged the visitors in front at last. 12-14
In the second quarter TF were their own worst enemies: needless penalties and inaccurate line- outs lost territory and ceded points. Sarries like nothing better than exploiting opposition errors.
Half-time: 12-14
Poppy Cleall was responsible for extending Sarries’ lead. Like Burton earlier, she charged a kick down, fed Georgia Evans and she was over. (12-19) It was stalemate till 70 minutes. Then a Sarries offside at a long kick ahead gave Ella Amory the chance to tap and go. TF advanced to the line, then the ball winged left for Jess Cooksey to extend a long arm over the line. 17-19
With five minutes left, it was all to play for, but especially a fourth try for Sarries, to gain that invaluable bonus-point. TF offended at another long clearance kick. In typical fashion Sarries hammered at the line till eventually the ball landed on whitewash. 17-26
On 81 minutes they offered their party-piece, a driving maul that would have incurred a traffic fine on the King’s Highway, it moved so fast.
This was a typical result for both sides. TF began like greyhounds, and held daunting opposition for much of the game. But they were unable to retain their innocence all the way, giving up hard- earned possession too easily.
Sarries have to work harder for their results these days, but they had enough in the tank in the final stretch to pull away convincingly.
Result: 17-31
Teams:
Trailfinders
1. Alivia Leatherman, 2. Kat Evans, 3. Rori Wood, 4. Tyson Beukeboom, 5. Shya Pinnock,
6. Grace Moore, 7. Abi Burton, 8. Kate Zackary (captain), 9. Caity Mattinson, 10. Julia Schell, 11. Rosie Inman, 12. Lisa Thomson, 13. Kendra Cousineau, 14. Liz Musgrove,15. Chloe Rollie
16. Paige Stathopoulos, 17. Liz Crake, 18. Cassandra Tuffnail, 19. Rowena Burnfield, 20. Megan Barwick, 21. Ella Amory, 22. Jess Cooksey, 23. Vicky Laflin
Saracens
1. Akina Gondwe, 2. Bryony Field, 3. Kelsey Clifford, 4. Rosie Galligan, 5. Louise McMillan, 6. Georgia Evans, 7. May Campbell (co-captain), 8. Poppy Cleall, 9. Ella Wyrwas, 10. Amelia MacDougall, 11. Lotte Sharp (co-captain), 12. Sophie Bridger, 13. Emma Hardy, 14. Alysha Corrigan, 15. Sarah McKenna
16. Carmen Tremelling, 17. McKinley Hunt, 18. Bryony Cleall, 19. Gabrielle Senft, 20. Sharifa Kasolo, 21. Tori Sellors, 22. Beth Blacklock, 23. Sydney Gregson
Leicester Tigers v Gloucester-Hartpury
This was the one foregone certainty of the round. Sean Lynn may have put out a second-string team, but G-H’s first two tries were both scored by players on the field in ’rotation’; first Meg Davies (not Mo Hunt); second Carmen Castellucci (not Zoe Aldcroft).
G-H may not have been engaging top-gear throughout, but they registered three tries in each half.
Their only setback came late in the game when Castellucci went to ground and stayed there. Medical help was there in an instant, but that might well spell the end of the Spanish international’s PWR season. We can only hope that she can recover in good time for the RWC.
In case you didn’t know, Emma Sing is rather a fine kicker. She was denied a 100% return only because the referee awarded G-H a penalty try.
Another novelty was seeing Mia Venner take up the No 9 position and hoist a decent box-kick. The win places G-H in the semis.
Bristol Bears v Loughborough Lightning
For Bears only one outcome was acceptable, 5 points – though they’d really have preferred it to be 10.
It was a full house at Shaftesbury Park; not even your chauffeur-driven car could have been squeezed in.
But a damaging home loss to mid-table opposition is as good as the end of the road for Bears this season. I invite you to be a fly on the wall in the jury-room. How does a club with so much strength manage to come unstuck so frequently?
The first 20 minutes were very tight, then Krissy Scurfield latched on to a grubber through by Helena Rowland to score; conversion Rowland. 0-7
Kathryn Treder was on the business end to send Lighning further ahead, but fortunately for the hosts Keira Bevan took her chance to snipe over.
Before half-time Millie David went in at the left corner, adding to her outsize harvest of tries. 12-12
From here the home side failed to close the game out. Lightning stretched away, as Scurfield benefited from lovely interplay between Emily Scarratt and Carmela Morrall. Elis Martin and Alev Kelter added to home misery (12-31), and it needed another run-in by Reneeka Bonner to salve an atom of satisfaction.
What will be the explanations coming out of the Bears’ den?
Loughborough are your mystery club. In their white alternate strip they bear the Lightning logo on the chest, but the words Northampton Saints on a sleeve. Are two clubs allowed to masquerade as one these days?
Attendance: 1,463
Table P W Pts
Glos-Pury 14 11 58
Saracens 14 10 53
Quins 13 10 50
Exeter Chiefs 12 9 44
Bristol Bears 14 8 44
Lightning 15 6 34
Trailfinders 13 4 27
Tigers 14 2 12
Sharks 13 1 4
Still to come:
Chiefs v Quins
