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REPORT | Blues Women sign off in style
It was almost heaven for Bedford Blues Women as they secured league invincibility thanks to a stunning 45-5 victory over Stockwood Park Ladies at Goldington Road.
A vintage display as they racked up a 12th league victory from as many games to send the ground into raptures and kickstart the title party with perfect aplomb. If there was a time to bring out your best performance of the season, it arrived right on queue.
The day started with the radio reminding them that their home wasn’t that far away as Patrick Kielty of Radio 5 Live gave them a much-needed shoutout to spur them onto victory. The day ended with teardrops in their eyes as the trophy was held aloft in front of a record Goldington Road crowd for a women’s match this season – it was an unbelievably special moment to complete a special season.
Memories will gather around them to last a lifetime. Paint it on the sky, Bedford Blues Women are league invincibles and NC2 Midlands (Central) champions.
They grew into the game like a breeze and after scoring the first try just 67 seconds into the contest, you knew it was going to be a red letter day for Eddie Rennell and Peter Frost’s side.
Forget the Shanandoah River, this was a try scoring river that just kept on breaking Stockwood’s flood defences and they were 19-5 up at the break thanks to another impressive display.
They spent virtually the entire game camped in the Stockwood Park 22m and while it took them until the second half to fully get into the blue water, it was a joy to watch all afternoon.
Heidi Lawson will take the plaudits again for getting four of the seven tries – if this is to be her last game for the side, it was a pretty good way to sign off things in a Blues Women jersey.
Emma Graham turned her defensive masterclass into attacking tenacity by getting herself two of the tries, while Alyce Trude rounded things off. The backs were the best we’ve seen them, and they defended like a unit.
The team will of course be annoyed at being breached, after the impressive Ellen Walsh got a try that her performance deserved. She was the one who was constantly breaking the line and giving Stockwood a way to exit – and if she didn’t have Graham as the last line of defence to face, she could have had a fair few more.
In many ways, this wasn’t about the scoreboard, or even the performance in many ways. It was about getting the job done – and they did that (and more!) Queue the music, queue the party and celebrate a very impressive campaign.
In the words of the team’s favourite song; Take Me Home, Country Roads….
And those roads lead to NC1.
Bedford Blues Women Starting XV:
15. Emma Graham, 14. Gemma Cook, 13. Alyce Trude, 12. Emma Hunter, 11. Amy Winter, 10. Lucy Middleton, 9. Esme Fish; 1. Hanah Donovan, 2. Steph-Sarah McPhillips, 3. Millie Rennell, 4. Catherine Chambers, 5. Kelly Hodgson, 6. Bex Wright, 7. Heidi Lawson, 8. Alivia Usher-Harris
Bedford Blues Women Replacements:
Emily McBarron, Lauren Mason, Tara Adams, Megan Solomon, Elena Famiglietti, Naomi Stockham, Sophie Singleton-Sells
