Eccleshall Ladies
Women's Rugby Union Football Team
Match Reports
Stafford Fixtures
12/10/08 - Stafford - Away
On a hot Sunday afternoon, Eccleshall Ladies rugby team arrived at the home of Stafford Rugby to play the long awaited local derby against a recently established Stafford ladies team.
Whilst we had played them a number of times before this was the first time league points were at stake. The Eccleshall team took the field, and for one in the team, Hollie Murphy, it was a first time experience entering the field for a real game of rugby for Eccleshall.
At the kick off Eccleshall kicked towards the Stafford team, and from the start all the Eccleshall Ladies got stuck in. After 5 minutes of play, a well worked try up the middle of the pitch from Ruth Mansfield and a great run from Alex Downs with a conversion from Rachel Hodgkinson gave Eccleshall the lead. This was how the game continued, with some good back line work, powerful scrumming from the forwards as well as good use of the off load in tackles leading to further tries from Ruth Mansfield and Alex Downs.
After 25 minutes Stafford were camped on the Eccleshall 22 but to no avail as the Eccleshall defence held firm.
After a spurring half time team talk from coach Tim West and Captain Amy Seabridge, Eccleshall came back with all guns blazing. Amy Seabridge lead from the front and smashed over the 5 metre line for 2 tries with Alex Downs, Rachel Hodgkinson, Becky Davies and newcomer Becky James (scoring 2 tries) seeing the benefit from some strong forward play and showing great use of the space this allowed.
Rachel Hodgkinson added to her tally with a further 5 conversions. The forwards won a fair share of line out ball with Sally Palmer jumping well.
The scrum was solid for the majority of game until injury to the Stafford hooker lead to uncontested scrums, Claire Hardy (woman of the match) and Victoria Haynes (also woman of the match – voted by Stafford) scrummed well, Jenny Passmore hooked throughout. No 8 Ruth Mansfield battled on and made some hard yards from the base of the scrum. The back line up started a bit shaky but came into the game more and more as play went on.
Rachel Hodgkinson ran the back line well and combined fantastically with the centres Amy Seabridge and Hollie Murphy. The wingers, Becky Davies, Alex Downs, Becky James and Lynsey Shields attacked from deep at every opportunity.
Overall it was a pleasing start for the Eccleshall Ladies who have put down a brilliant marker for the start of the season. The girls are all looking forward to the return match at Eccleshall later in the season.