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REPORT | Blues Women suffer defeat in Rugby
It was a war of attrition as Rugby Lionesses showed their seasoned experience to implement the dark arts of the game on a more frequent basis and secure a 27-17 victory at Webb Ellis Road.
One of Blues’ most complete performances – particularly in the back line that functioned much better and put together some real neat passages of play to gain territory and possession.
But Rugby had a bit of a nasty streak about them and therefore continually have platforms from which to launch an attack, and they were pretty clinical in the danger zone to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
It was walking wounded out there at the end as Blues were blackened and bruised. It was a gritty contest, but they never gave in and constantly picked themselves back off the canvas – Catherine Chambers embodying this to perfection by fighting through the pain barrier to ensure Blues didn’t finish with 14, even though she had earlier gone off injured herself.
The injury problems will be something Darryl Veenendaal and Peter Frost will have to contend with ahead of the visit of St Neots to Goldington Road on Saturday 17th December – we still aim to complete Project 1,000. Buy tickets here.
The opening 40 minutes was a finely poised affair that saw Blues show attacking intent but also strong defence in equal measure. Bex Young was back to her battling self at the breakdown to gather turnover ball, while Kelly Hodgson marshalled the pack with great intent and controlled a lineout that functioned all afternoon.
On her first game at scrum half, Alicia Eastment was another standout with constant quick ball exploiting holes in the defence and allowing the back line to do their stuff and carve open the opportunities.
It was 12 all at the break despite the best efforts of the Rugby touch judge to try and rule out Lucy Middleton’s successful conversion.
Alivia Usher-Harris was again playing like somebody possessed and her first two tries garnered ascendency to keep Blues in the fight. If the first was a simple dot down, the second was anything but as she peeled from the driving maul and went through the covering defence like a knife through butter to dot down.
Usher-Harris completed her hat-trick in the standout moment of the second half, but it was more that war of attrition which started upon the play resuming and as a result, a higher volume of lineouts and scrums.
It was disappointment in the end, but again lots of positives to keep taking from the performance, particularly against such a tough opposition that grind you into a game that is so unfamiliar to the ‘Blues Way’.
There’ll be learnings to take but all attentions quickly turn to that St Neots fixture and another chance to return to winning ways in-front of a packed out Goldington Road, in the final fixture of 2022.
Bedford Blues Women Starting XV: 15. Alyce Trude, 14. Amy Winter, 13. Jemma Langton, 12. Martina Sharp, 11. Tabitha Everett, 10. Lucy Middleton (C), 9. Alicia Eastment; 1. Emily McBarron, 2. Alivia Usher-Harris, 3. Lauren Mason, 4. Kelly Hodgson, 5. Catherine Chambers, 6. Bex Young, 7. Laura Woodfield, 8. Emma Hunter
Replacements: Stephanie-Sarah McPhillips, Hanah Donovan, Emry Bond, Esme Fish, Kate Barber, Gina Anstee
*Matchday Photography provided by Dan Fennell - FennellTakesFotos.co.uk*
