England v Wales – The Final Match
On the day HM the Queen’s coffin was borne with the utmost solemnity down the Mall to Westminster Hall, two rugby teams had to clear their minds and play the game of their lives.
All of them knew the fate that awaited them: a flight to New Zealand or exclusion. No easy task.
For Helena Rowland this match was a decisive turn for the better. As she left the field at Exeter in tears, we could shout at the screen as loud as we wanted: ‘Cheer up, you’re a top player. Choose your seat on the plane.’ At Bristol she scored three of England’s eleven tries and was denied another scorcher only by a hawk-eyed TMO.
Wales were in the same mood as the English. They could show how much progress they had made since their visit to Canada. But, as was all too predictable, they soon found the Red Roses attack all too hard to contain.
Zoe Harrison didn’t have the game Rowland enjoyed. First she aimed a clearance kick too low and it was charged down; then she dropped a high kick. But a big English scrum put them in a better mood and Rowland set off on a dazzling outside break to split the Welsh defence wide open. (7-0) She repeated the medicine a few minutes later, finding acres of midfield space, but Olly Hodges spotted a cunning piece of obstruction that created the gap.
Wales had their best moment of the game when they took clean ball at an attacking line-out; a well-controlled drive saw Gwen Crabb crash over the line. (7-7)
That only heightened the hosts’ resolve. Lydia Thompson made a huge break downfield. Emily Scarratt profited from quick ball to burst over the line. Her 52nd try, so she creeps ever closer to Sue Day’s astonishing 61. (14-7)
England then created a simple but beautifully worked try. From a clean line-out take by Alex Matthews, Marlie Packer moved open-side to feed Scarratt rushing in on a different angle. 53 tries. The opposition must have been expecting a typical pack-drive; it didn’t happen. (21-7)
On 25 minutes Wales paid for the pressure exerted on them; Alex Callender was shown a yellow card.
The red pack earned its corn by holding up another England drive. Turnover with only 14.
Wales’ old kicking problems came to haunt them as a Snowsill penalty failed to find touch. England were saved a heap of work.
On 35 minutes England switched their hookers, to save Davies an aggravation to an injury. Result, a deadly pack drive earning a penalty try. (28-7)
Just before the break Harrison sent a pass along the ground, a further slip that can’t have done her confidence a heap of good. But before the whistle ultra-quick hands gave Ellie Kildunne a sniff of a chance, and she was over.
Half-time 33-7
One area where England are proving so hard to dismantle is the quality of the bench. Once a host of players had come on the scene, every area of the game seemed to step up, the set-scrum, the line-out, the distribution to the wider parts of the field.
It has to be said that Claudia Macdonald’s introduction at No 9 confirmed my view about scrum-half selections; she was so much faster and stronger in contact than Lucy Packer. Packer did very little wrong, but it’s hard to think of positive actions she performed beyond sending out a stream of passes.
The game became more and more one-sided. Amy Cokayne finished off another drive to the line. (38-7) She was the link to help Rowland to her second, rushing through a convenient gap in Welsh defences. (45-7) As Scarratt converted, she reached 701 points for her country, a quite astonishing achievement.
She managed yet another try before being replaced. Some player! (52-7)
Now the England bench was largely emptied, and the pace increased. Hannah Botterman fed
Rowland delightfully for the hat-trick try. Joy unbounded. (59-7)
Botterman was awarded her own try on review from another unstoppable drive. (66-7)
On 68 minutes we saw Rowland leave the field. No-one to replace her, the bench was empty.
Middleton explained afterwards: they meant no disrepect to the Welsh. Rowland was cramping up; the medical team was concerned; she had to come off.
On 70 minutes the ground authorities provided a timely reminder. An image of the late Queen was projected on to screens, and the crowd broke out into spontaneous applause.
So the Red Roses played the last 12 minutes with fourteen, and they could still manufacture another score. Matthews, a giant throughout, drove over for Amber Reed to roll back the years with a final conversion.
Result: England 73 Wales 7
Player of the Match: Helena Rowland Attendance: 11,691
Teams:
England
15. Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 24 caps)
14. Lydia Thompson (University of Worcester Warriors, 53 caps)
13. Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 102 caps)
12. Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 15 caps)
11. Sarah McKenna (Saracens, 41 caps)
10. Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 39 caps)
9. Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 4 caps)
1. Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins, 69 caps)
2. Lark Davies (Bristol Bears, 40 caps)
3. Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 45 caps)
4. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 31 caps)
5. Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 55 caps)
6. Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 50 caps)
7. Marlie Packer (Saracens, 83 caps)
8. Sarah Hunter (captain, Loughborough Lightning, 134 caps)
Bench:
16. Amy Cokayne (Harlequins, 63 caps)
17. Hannah Botterman (Saracens, 29 caos)
18. Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 10 caps)
19. Sarah Beckett (Gloucester-Hartpury, 24 caps)
20. Poppy Cleall (Sarcens 56 caps)
21. Claudia Macdonald (Exeter Chiefs, 19 caps)
22. Amber Reed (Bristol Bears, 61 caps)
23. Holly Aitchison, Saracens 9 caps)
NB Morwenna Talling (Loughborough Lightning, 4 caps) was a last-minute casualty, replaced by Sarah Beckett (now of Gloucester-Hartpury).
Wales
15 Niamh Terry (University of Worcester Warriors)
14 Lowri Norkett (University of Worcester Warriors)
13 Carys Williams-Morris (Loughborough Lightning)
12 Hannah Jones (captain, Gloucester-Hartpury)
11 Jasmine Joyce (Bristol Bears)
10 Elinor Snowsill (Bristol Bears)
9 Ffion Lewis (University of Worcester Warriors)
1 Gwenllian Pyrs (Bristol Bears)
2 Carys Phillips (University of Worcester Warriors)
3 Cerys Hale (Gloucester-Hartpury)
4 Natalia John (University of Worcester Warriors)
5 Gwen Crabb (Gloucester-Hartpury)
6 Alisha Butchers (Bristol Bears)
7 Alex Callender (University of Worcester Warriors)
8 Sioned Harries (University of Worcester Warriors)
Bench:
16 Kelsey Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury)
17 Caryl Thomas (University of Worcester Warriors)
18 Sisilia Tuipulotu (Gloucester-Hartpury)
19 Siwan Lillicrap (Gloucester-Hartpury)
20 Bethan Lewis (Gloucester-Hartpury)
21 Keira Bevan (Bristol Bears)
22 Lleucu George (Gloucester-Hartpury)
23 Megan Webb (Bristol Bears)
Officials:
Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (FFR)
ARs: Joy Neville (IRFU) and Doriane Domenjo (FFR) TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
with thanks to rugbyreferee.net
Afterthoughts
Repeating his sensitivity of the 2017 ccampaign, Simon Middleton has asked his players how they would like to hear the news about his selections for the World Cup squad. I leave it to you to decide which your preferred route would be.
25 wins on the trot is a record to be proud of. But for World Rugby it presents the shortcomings of the women’s game in a nutshell. How on earth do you start levelling up the playing-field?
One answer will come during the pool-stages of the World Cup. WR has tried its darndest to widen opportunities for ‘emerging’ or ‘developing’ nations – choose the adjective of your preference – to gain admittance to the dozen qualifiers. But it isn’t just the obvious candidates like Colombia and Kenya WR is trying to support. Long established nations find it equally hard overcoming the highest-ranked teams of the world. (see today’s game) That is an even harder nut to crack.
Thoughts about Ashton Gate
It was all very well saying Amber Reed would be very familiar with the surroundings, but even Bristol Bears Women have only rarely made appearances there, making do with their attractive home ground at Shaftesbury Park on the other side of the city. Will the RFU be opting for other football grounds in the future?
The attendance of well over 11,000 could yet be seen a disappointing for a final home match before the best team in the world set off for a hoped-for third RWC trophy.
