A big week for Women's rugby

Peter Symonds was the Wednesday venue for the regional round of the BCS 10s competition and Worthing travelled full of energy with a strong squad of 16 ready and willing to give their all in the chase for glory.

 

The day was to consist of game against Peter Symonds and the very highly fancied Yeovil side that came to the competition on the back of a great win against Truro. Worthing had a warm up game against Brockenhurst where all players got into the action.

 

So to the first of the competition games 3 teams 2 progress to the national finals, so to Yeovil, pass out the ammunition lets go to war. Worthing had much of the early possession and territorial advantage however the west country side were strong in the rebuttal of each advance and looked dangerous on the counter attack. Towards the end of the first half Priest went over taking two defenders with her, T-R-Y time. In the second half Worthing went at it hammer and tongs, the collisions were big and the gains small until some excellent work from the entire team- 10 phases and Gatland finished off in the corner, not the prettiest try at the ball but certainly a graduate of the event. So 10-0 and more to come saving the best not for last but this delicious little number came from a scrum 5m from the Worthing try line, Wilson-Hardy hit Leeming from the base of the scrum, Leeming then threw the miss pass to Priest, she attacked her opposite number, showed her a clean pair and off loaded to Cave. A foot race ensued up to the 50m line, where Cave was felled but managed to hit the supporting Priest immediately offloading to Gatland and then we were off the races. Gatland high stepping into the opposition half breaking one half tackle and gassing the rest of the cover defence. Consulting the mirror we could now see this really was the fairest try of them all.

But not done yet, Worthing ploughed through the now overly frustrated Yeovil side and one more try was earned by great continuity and understanding of the laws of the game and the captain dotted down in the corner. A resounding 20-0 win and a marker was set, bring it all or nothing.

 

Yeovil beat Symonds and that set up the all or nothing clash with Worthing to the victor the spoils. In the best celebrity ‘Death match’ tradition ‘lets get it on’. Symonds played as if there was no tomorrow because there wouldn’t be if they didn’t get the win. So play they did and score they certainly did, 10 unanswered points in the first half. Not the way the story was supposed to play out. Here is where the story takes a big turn, at the half Worthing made some changes and it was clear what was needed- 12 points in 10 minutes, possible, yes, probable, no, but this is where heroes are made. Situations like this don’t build character they reveal it and these girls brought it by the bucket full. One then two unconverted scores and with the final play of the game Eager touched down between the horns and Leeming took care of business 17-10. through to the national finals, the last 8. The date for the finals has yet to be confirmed but rest assured the Worthing College Women’s side will be there and be keen to take care of business again.

(Wilson-Hardy, Leeming, Richardson, Cave, Priest, Potter, Longhurst, Lane, Frost, Eager, Finlay, Gatland, Northeast, Short, Kay, Moore)

 

So Sunday morning comes 8.30am to be exact and off to the fantastic 7s tournament at Christ Hospital. The sun was out and so were the big guns in both the Men’s and Women’s competitions. Worthing started their campaign with a greatly different roster to that of the successful 10s team but were full of excitement and my ears stopped bleeding from the noise they called music just in time for kick off. Epsom College (eventual cup winners) laid down some education proving every day is a school day dispensing the knowledge by 17-0, we weren’t in Kansas anymore that was for sure.

 

So on to SEEVIC another fancied side that could bring the heat so lets to it, Worthing scored first, while not unexpected not as scripted by the Essex side. Worthing were put back into their box by losing 15-10 great performance though, maybe 7s was for us?

 

Then it was time to drop the hammer St Bedes who had brought an energetic squad full of girls playing for the first time, no mercy here 28-0 Worthing a great 4 try display with Leeming getting the conversions. Momentum was with the army of 9 although their number reduced as man down (Parker had a shift at the sports centre) but the rest would soldier on into the final group game. Wisbech GS from Cambridge, a fantastic encounter two sets of warriors going toe to toe in a gladiatorial battle to the finish….of the game. Worthing 15-0 winners and into the Plate competition as did Wisbech. 3^rd in the group was good enough and an excellent effort seeing as the squad was a fraction of the size of the others at the tournament.    

 

Worthing made short work of Sutton Vale in the semi final scoring 3 trys in a pretty one sided affair. To the final by now the effects of their efforts had taken their toll and Worthing had less of a bounce and more of bumps and bruises with nearly every member of the squad carrying some kind of injury. Deterred not by the physical ailments inspired by the occasion the last girls standing took the field and made and excellent fist of defending for all they were worth until the last play of the half where Wisbech crossed for an unconverted try. This laid symmetry firmly at the door as Gatland had her try to square the game disallowed with the last play of the game.

(Leeming, Short, Parker, Potter, Kay, Gatland, Northeast, Anderson-Easy, Moore)

 

Hugely disappointing but in all incredibly rewarding, the pain will heal and we will have to leave glory for another day but maturation in defeat and the journey travelled to be the prize for a weeks efforts.  I am proud of the efforts of all of the girls that played this week and look forward incredibly to the national 10s and Rosslyn Park 7s which will be another step forwards in our development.

 

As a last piece of good news Amy Wilson-Hardy has been selected on the bench for the England U20s to play France next weekend, congratulations.