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REPORT | Gritty showing as Blues Women win first outing of 2023
Bedford Blues Women ensured a first champagne weekend of the calendar year by winning on their first outing of 2023 with a spirited and determined performance to see off a combined Biggleswade and Royston side.
Cat Chambers and Jemma Langton scored in either half to secure a 10-0 away victory.
With neither Biggleswade or Royston able to field a full side and both struggling for numbers, the two clubs have now merged to pool resources but that was no problem for Darryl Veenendaal and Peter Frost’s side as they controlled the game from start to finish, picked their opportunities to attack and kept up their hunt for a Top Four spot in the table.
Handling errors at critical junctions probably cost them more points on the scoreboard but after six weeks without a fixture, those problems can creep in. They got fewer and further between as the game wore on as Blues started to get to grips with the contest and battle themselves to victory.
It was a day for the forwards with an immeasurable number of scrums and lineouts throughout the afternoon. But the pack stood proud and tall, particularly the new faces to the set up as they ground it out – you’d have to say the best scrummaging display this season with their opponents going backwards at a rate of knots.
The first half was decided by a moment of magic from Chambers who has now fully recovered from the injury which wrecked her middle part of the campaign. After dominating the lineout early doors, the second row took matters into her own hands when in possession, cut through the gap, rounded the covering full-back and sprinted clear from 40m.
In the second half, it was much the same – an attritional performance with a sprinkling of individual and team brilliance to again show the things they work so hard on in training.
And it was that team spirit which led to the second try of the contest as Blues stayed patient, worked hard at the breakdown before letting the backs do their thing with quick ball and hands to shift it from one side to the other and send Langton crashing to the line.
It was the ideal start to a second half of the season that sees some extremely difficult away fixtures coming up. But the confidence is back flowing among the group as they look to conclude their second season on the front foot.
PLEASE NOTE: We anticipate the fixture scheduled for next Sunday (22nd January) which should be against Royston to be cancelled due to the merger of the two clubs for the remainder of the campaign. Please check all socials throughout the week for a definitive answer.
*Matchday Photography supplied by Roy Long*
Bedford Blues Women Starting XV:
15. Natasha Taylor, 14. Alyce Trude, 13. Jemma Langton, 12. Martina Sharp, 11. Amy Winter, 10. Lucy Middleton (C), 9. Esme Fish; 1. Emily McBarron, 2. Steph-Sarah McPhillips, 3. Hanah Donovan, 4. Catherine Chambers, 5. Kelly Hodgson, 6. Emry Bond, 7. Bex Young, 8. Emma Hunter
Bedford Blues Replacements:
Kelly O’Flaherty, Georgia Black, Heidi Lawson, Gina Anstee, Alicia Eastment, Kate Barber, Natalie Daly
