Results
>> England 10 – New Zealand 3
On 22nd November 2009, the World’s two top seeds in women’s rugby played their most telling match in their run up to the World Cup. The conditions were wet at Twickenham, a day when hard expansive rugby would be difficult to play.
Rachael Burford and the rest of England face a focused Haka
England won their first penalty in the first minute of the game with Katy McLean kicking to touch and Joanna McGilchrist catching the ball in a clean lineout.
In the first ten minutes, England’s defensive line was very well marshalled as New Zealand built up phases in the English half. New Zealand were strong at the breakdown with plenty of territory and possession. However, England held solid scrums with Catherine Spencer picking up from the base effectively, showing powerful running from the scrum and Maggie Alphonsi displaying a phenomenal work rate with pace and power.
The work paid off for New Zealand in the 11th minute when Rebecca Mahony kicked a successful drop goal.
Ten minutes later, prop Claire Purdy broke upfield to set England on the attack. Wing Kat Merchant took the ball further and flank Heather Fisher, cutting a line centrefield, looked set to score but was brought down by an ankle tap. The great team work resulted in Spencer carrying the ball over the New Zealand line, scoring the opening try.
Katy McLean converted off of the posts, giving England a 7-3 lead.
England managed to resist a powerful New Zealand attack just before half time.
England began the second half with intent: a drop goal from Katy McLean brought the score to 10-3.
The rest of the match remained scoreless. England gave away a couple of kickable penalties but Mahony’s first attempt at goal didn’t have the legs and the second lacked direction. New Zealand were in English territory for much of this half but defence held strong and the intensity remained.
The final winning result for England has shown that the Red Roses have the ability to win the World Cup in 2010 and has also showcased to sky viewers how skilful the women’s game is at this level.
After the game, England’s coach Gary Street said: “From here now the important thing is that we keep moving forward and improving. We know that winning the World Cup is not a pipe dream anymore, we can do it and that is our goal for the next nine months”.
England celebrate
>> 01/11/09 Bristol Ladies triumphant over Worcester 26-12
In front of another sizeable home crowd and in swirling wind conditions, Bristol Ladies claimed their second victory in 2 weeks, seeing off a tough Worcester side which time and again tested the home team’s resolve.
Bristol started the match ferociously, attacking the Worcester line from the whistle, and making some good ground with fly half Tina Lee taking advantage of the space to let the back line loose. However, Worcester’s defence held, and they quickly took the game back to Bristol, pressurising the home team in their own half.
The first score of the game was Bristol’s, with No.7 Claire Malloy stealing the ball at the breakdown and outsprinting the covering defence from 50m to score her first try for the club from the half way line with an impressive display of both strength and speed. The conversion was missed and the score stood at 5-0.
At the restart, Bristol again went on the attack but were unable to convert pressure into points. Worcester then started to get into the game and their aggression was rewarded with some set piece opportunities from good tactical kicking. Taking their chance, the Worcester half backs released their strong-running No.7 who broke through to score under the posts with a score that went against the run of play.
The remaining period of the 1st half was a scrappier affair, both sides having been handed a yellow card for offences at the breakdown. The away team capitalised on Bristol’s weakened pack and followed their initial try with another in much the same fashion, again from set piece play and again scored by their No.7. Bristol therefore found themselves 12-5 down at half time, the team talk focusing on the need for the attack to be more clinical and the defence to be tighter and more aggressive.
Team changes at half time saw Claire Flowers come into the back line at centre and Natasha Hunt move onto the wing and Lauren McDonald replacing Claire Loftus. At the start of the second half, Bristol again went on the attack and Flowers immediately made her mark, breaking through the Worcester defence to set up a try for Darel Poole.
Poole made the conversion in difficult conditions, and the game was leveled at 12-12. Several Bristol substitutions over the next 20 minutes saw Jill McCallum and Fiona Britten join the pack, and Kim Oliver and George Rosario join the backs, with Bristol maintaining the pressure on the Worcester try line for long periods. Despite a lot of good attacking play by the home side, Bristol were not clinical enough and the scoreline remained the same for much of the second half as the team suffered from several knock-ons and penalty decisions against them.
The Worcester back row and back line never threatened like they did in the first 40 as their attacks were quickly snuffed out by a dominant Bristol scrum as well as aggressive defensive work in the loose, whose every tackle and turnover were cheered on by the home supporters. Bristol were awarded a penalty within range of the posts, and opted to kick for goal in the hope of gaining a precious 3 point lead with not much time remaining. Unfortunately, the ball went wide so the scoreline still was tied.
Finally, with what seemed like minutes remaining, Bristol’s persistence paid off and a quick tap penalty by George Rozario released the back line and some quick hands inside the 22 put the ball in Mo Hunt's hands where she used her exceptional footwork to beat the defender and score close to the posts. Poole’s conversion was successful and the home side and crowd went wild.
After another great claim at the restart Marlie Packer set up the ruck where quick ball moved the ball wide and Bristol attacked the space. After a series of good go forward ball from the pack, the ball entered the Worcester 22 and finally numbers and a tired looking Worcester defence could not deal with Bristol and Darel Poole claimed her second try of the match in the left hand corner and then nailed the conversion to seal the win.
Clare Flowers in attack and Amy Day in Bristol defence
>> 25/10/09 Bristol Ladies 1st XV record decisive win against Northern rivals
The Bristol Ladies endured a long day including a 5.30am start to travel to Newcastle on Sunday to play rivals Blaydon, determined to build upon improvements in recent matches and lay down a marker for the rest of the season.
The game started off with good intensity, Bristol with the advantage of a strong wind. Bristol spent the first 10 minutes of the game camped in the Blaydon 22. Soon afterwards a lovely interception try came from fly half Tina Lee, who ran in under the posts, making the score 7-0.
Close to half time after some excellent driving forward play, Bristol were awarded with a penalty just outside the 22. This was not converted, leaving the score unchanged. But just before the whistle, excellent handling and aggressive running saw full back Daryl Poole run in for a try out wide. 12-0 at half time to Bristol.
The second half saw Blaydon use their powerful pick and drive to attack, and with the Bristol defence pulled in tight they were able to go wide and score, closing the scoreline to 12-5.
Soon afterwards, some excellent linking play with the forwards and the backs saw Bristol go further into the lead with a try from wing Amber Reed; bursting through the centre to score. 17-5.
Blaydon then received a yellow card for illegal use of the boot, and Bristol capitalised on this by scoring an excellent try out wide - centre Natasha Hunt this time going over the line to make the final score Bristol 24, Blaydon 5.
>> Canada 15 – USA 0
Despite USA Women controlling the match at the start, they were unable to convert pressure into points.
From the kick-off, USA won the first scrum, followed by a penalty which Kristin Baja kicked, only to see it come back off the posts. A seven-minute penalty also missed the sticks.
USA controlled the game for the better part of the first forty and kept Canada back in their own half, but they could not quite finish, spilling the ball in midfield.
Both teams went into the break with a 0-0 score line and all to play for in the second forty.
Seven minutes into the second half, Canadian pressure gave Anna Schnell a kick at goal, which was successful and gave Canada a slim lead, 3-0.
Canada stepped the game up a notch and the USA were unable to capitalise on penalty opportunities of their own, or push forward enough to retaliate.
The match held at 3-0 until the 75th minute when Canada replacement centre, Mandy Marchak, ran in for the first try of the match, Julianne Zussman converted and Canada went 10-0 up.
In the dying minutes of the game, Canada’s Maria Gallo made a forty-metre dart for the line to seal a 15-0 victory for the Canadian Women and a runners-up medal in the Nations Cup.