Eccleshall Ladies
Women's Rugby Union Football Team
Match Reports
Oxford Fixtures
04/10/09 - Eccleshall 54 - 0 Oxford
Newly promoted to the National Challenge Midlands 1 league, Eccleshall were unsure of what to expect from an Oxford team with experience playing at a higher level. Traffic chaos and a bout of injuries saw the Oxford team arrive 45 minutes late.
The Eccleshall plan was to take the game to Oxford and try to get ahead whilst they still had the journey in their legs however the success with which this was achieved was wholly unexpected by the delighted crowd of fifty or so spectators. After only three phases of play Eccleshall found themselves 10 points up with tries from Samantha Vaughan and Alex Downs. It was by no means going to be a walkover and the Oxford Ladies came back with some strong attacking and spent the next ten minutes in the Eccleshall half but the defence of Eccleshall remained solid and they were eventually able to clear their lines. The work rate of Eccleshall’s forwards and the extra player became apparent as the Eccy pack took the ball up the pitch with good skills being shown in the ruck and quick recycling and interplay eventually seeing Becky Davies put over in the corner. The floodgates were now opening and Eccleshall were to score a further two tries in the first half. The first for Becky James following from some solid running and inter passing by Amy Seabridge and Eccleshall’s player of the match, Sabrina McGill. Rachael Hodgkinson was successful with the conversion adding an extra 2 points. The final move of the half saw Alex Downs score her second try with a great solo effort running 40 metres down the wing and handing off three would be defenders!
After what would probably have been some choice words at half time from their coach the Oxford Ladies came back in the second half and spent an extended time attacking the Eccleshall line but once again they could find no way through. Having seen off the initial barrage it was soon business as normal again for the Eccleshall side with the try of the game coming from another strong run from Alex Downs and Liz Halliday providing the link to Rachael Hodgkinson who sold a superb dummy to the Oxford full back giving her a clear run to the line for a try under the posts. Sabrina McGill then made use of the space on the short side to pick up from a scrum and run in unopposed from 5 yards. With Oxford in no doubt that they were well beaten they resorted to kicking deep to try and stem the tide by clearing their lines, however a great catch from new recruit Ruth Clewer started an excellent move with good handling by the backs eventually seeing Rachael Hodgkinson going over under the posts for a try which she converted herself. Sabrina McGill put the final nails in the coffin with a try from the back of a ruck and a tidy pass off the floor to put Becky James in for her second of the day.
Eccleshall will be expecting some tougher challenges this season but an excellent start sees them along with their male counterparts sitting at the top of the league. A sterling effort from a newly promoted side and a thoroughly deserved victory, congratulations go to the whole team.