Today’s two PWR matches brought one inevitable win and one big upset.
First, Gloucester-Hartpury v Harlequins in brief
Glos-pury completed their tenth unblemished win in ten, to cement their place at the top.
This was first versus third, so no wonder the half-time score reached only 19-10.
The Kingsholm crowd was worried as Sam Monaghan left the field early for an HIA. She didn’t return, so we can only hope for the best for her.
Despite the quality of players all over the field much of the play was scrappy.
It was Kate Williams, on in Monaghan’s place, who opened the scoring. Quins had committed too many to the ruck, leaving a gap outside.
But they responded well, Lucy Packer and Ella Cromack exploiting space created by a Kildunne run (7-5).
G-H forced Quins to defend bravely, but Sisilia Tuipulotu found her way over.
On radio commentary Millie Wood called her second try the best of the season. She swatted tackles away like flies and ran in like any fleet-footed winger.
Just before the break Lauren Torley finished a lovely move to narrow the margin.
Once again G-H asserted their dominance after the break. They were still a distance short of perfection, but even with players of the eminence of Zoe Stratford missing, they had the power up front to decide the issue. By the end it looked like one-way traffic, though the Londoners had made them work hard and revealed a few deficiencies.
Result: Gloucester-Hartpury 45 Harlequins 22
Referee: Tarsh Ganley (NZR)
Trailfinders v Sale Sharks
When TF played the Sharks away last November, they waltzed home 22-64.
Today was another day.
As at Kingsholm, much of the game was scrappy, errors both forced and unforced breaking the rhythm of play.
Tom Hudson rejigged his side enterprisingly; Beatrice Rigoni was back at last at 13, and Holly Aitchison moved to 15 to allow Lizzie Duffy her turn at 10, her preferred position. She played thoroughly well.
A big break by Alana Borland almost put Vicky Laflin away, but the ball wouldn’t stick. Another attack involving Emma Uren and Cass Tuffnail just failed to complete, but a powerful scrum forced Andy Wigley to run under the posts (7-0). The first yellow followed like night following day.
TF were unable to consolidate. Instead Asia Hogan-Rochester completed her debut try from a fine move on the left edge. A score when a player down works wonders.
On the half-hour Cristina Blanco finished another TF attack (12-7).
Rigoni was understandably upset at being hauled off for an HIA, but fortunately she did return – in time to see Katie Childs drive over to put Sharks in the lead (12-14).
There was still time for Tysh Harper to see yellow for a head contact, and for Blanco to mount her second.
Half-time: 19-14
Who was expecting to see the hosts saunter away to victory from here? My lips are sealed.
Despite continuing errors on both sides, the game grew in drama and intensity.
Trailfinders seemed to be easing away as Alivia Leatherman added a further try (24-14). But when still a player down Sharks responded with a try by Brittany Hogan, a prize signing (24-21).
The moment Georgia Ponsonby came off the bench, she became the fulcrum of TF’s game. Her try brought a 31-21 lead. Safe as houses?
Ha! Amy Cokayne scored the next try by her usual methods close to the line (31-28).
Now the game lurched away from the hosts. First, Kate Zackary, only recently on, became the next player to spend ten minutes watching from the side.
Things now deteriorated further for the hosts. Sadly the cause was the decision, taken some way back, to convert Annabel Meta from the back row to loose-head. It reminded me forcefully of two similar cases for England: Shaunagh Brown and Bryony Cleall. In my view neither move did the players any favours.
Here Meta was crumpled twice at scrums. Her yellow reduced her side to 13 v 15 with a few minutes on the clock.
The team responded gallantly, but the errors refused to disappear. Near the end a hasty clearance by Niamh Gallagher was charged down by Charlotte Fray – another promising performer who has been missing a long while. She followed up and dropped on the ball.
Even more frenzied play followed, but TF couldn’t find a way through.
So a great triumph for Sharks; their second win of the season, with a growing hope for more.
For Trailfinders the two points they extracted will leave a bitter taste.
Result: Trailfinders 31 Sale Sharks 36
Player of the Match: Brittany Hogan
Teams
Trailfinders: 15 N. GALLAGHER 14 LAFLIN 13 UREN 12 COOKSEY 11 QUANSAH 10 C. GALLAGHER 9 NORMAN-BELL 1 LEATHERMAN 2 BLANCO 3 TUFFNAIL 4 PINNOCK 5 ROOS 6 BORLAND 7 MALCOLM 8 G. MOORE
16 PONSONBY 17 META 18 MONTIEL 19 WASSELL 20 TAYLOR 21 ZACKARY 22 COX 23 AMORY
Sharks: 15 AITCHISON 14 HOGAN-ROCHESTER 13 RIGONI 12 KEIGHT 11 S. CAMPBELL 10 DUFFY 9 RELF 1 HARPER 2 COKAYNE 3 BENAVENT 4 DONALDSON 5 JARRELL-SEARCY 6 PERRIS-REDDING 7 CHILDS 8 HOGAN
16 HYNDMAN 17 WRIGHT 18 ROACH 19 ANTWIS 20 FRAY 21 THORPE 22 PERRIN 23 KASOLO
Afterthoughts
It was a delight to have Wendy Young on comms for the first time. She holds a unique place in USA rugby, having established Your Scrumhalf Connection site 20 years ago. There she covers every scrap of information about women’s rugby she can unearth world wide. Here she could slow her delivery rate and reveal her deep knowledge of the game.
It was a pleasure seeing Emma Wassell restored to the game after two difficult years.
Colours: once more I doubt the kit colours on parade match up to ER’s requests. I’m not colour-blind, so can’t complain personally. But this was one of several matches on view this season where spectators and viewers may have had difficulties.
Despite the errors that punctuated the match, it was another enthralling spectacle.
