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REPORT | Destructive Blues Women run riot
Bedford Blues Women returned to winning ways in fine fashion as they notched up eight tries in a dominant 52-0 victory over Bletchley Women.
Backs duo Claire Cranfield and Emma Graham both scored first half hat-tricks as Eddie Rennell’s side secured their biggest aggregate win in over two years to keep up the pressure on Peterborough at the top of the table.
It was a performance borne not just out of silky attacking skill, but a tenacious and determined fighting effort up-front to halt Bletchley in anything that they tried to do to try and get back into the game.
An inspired pre-match team talk from Rennell laid down the challenge and the entire team stood up to that test in what was a pretty much perfect performance.
Such is their determination for perfection that there will be some things they’d like to fine tune, you wouldn’t expect anything different from a group that is never happy to stand still and simply set the bar, but wants to keep on raising it further and further again.
Racing into a 47-0 lead at half-time, it is hard to get yourself motivated again but while they may not have scored that much more in the second 40, they were more than happy to use the time to practise some more moves from the training ground and get more hands on the ball.
It was by far and away the best performance from a handling perspective that has been witnessed. They were near faultless in their transitional play to get ball from side to side with ease; captain Lucy Middleton and Emma Hunter linking up particularly well to create the space with some intricate play.
Fair play to Bletchley for not allowing Bedford to continue running away with it after the break; always difficult to continue picking yourself up when facing a tidal wave of attack but they stuck in the fight and had a couple of players who caused problems.
Graham rightfully garnered the plaudits for another vintage full-back display by scooping Back of the Match, matching her hat-trick with the customary try saving tackles when Bletchley tried to counter punch, and bringing the energy through the backs division during the match with a vocal display.
In the pack, it was pleasing to see Katharine Simpson rewarded for her efforts with Forward of the Match. You wouldn’t have known it was her first game in the engine room following three years at university as a winger and beginning her Blues career with a similar position on the field.
Her desire to get up quickly to stop Bletchley on the gain line set the tone, and the rest of the team followed the example in quite a clinical display.
Simpson got the try her performance warranted right at the end of the first half, and Naomi Stockham also dotted down an inaugural score in Blues Women colours to round off the scoring.
More blooding in of new faces again continued as Niamh Ovey finally made her long-awaited debut after seeing chances against Peterborough (postponed) and Shelford (cancelled) come and go without taking the field. You can never have enough South Walians involved at Bedford Blues Rugby Club; even if it’s a proud Welshman match reporter saying so!
Peterborough played yesterday, notching up their own 52-0 victory, and it’s been very much the case of anything they can do, Blues can do just as well.
Rennell’s side followed Peterborough’s example by gaining promotion out of NC2 with a 100% league record, and they again threw the gauntlet back at them by matching them with a dominant performance.
They’re not going to give this league up without a fight and they again showed that they are ready to pounce should the unbeaten league leaders make any mistake before their grudge match rematch in January.
It was said at the start of the season that every side would lose at some stage in the season and if Blues can replicate that opening 40 minutes evidenced today, it’s going to be an almighty battle in Cambridgeshire in just over six weeks’ time.
Still two more league games to get through before that showdown and it would be remiss not to focus on them, nothing’s won on paper. But the way they went about their business this afternoon, you wouldn’t put it past them to keep cranking up the gears.
Welwyn will be a tough test at Goldington Road in two weeks’ time. Again, home support could make all the difference. 50% off tickets purchased online in advance – get yours here.
Big win. No injuries. Can’t say fairer than that!
Bedford Blues Women Starting XV:
15. Emma Graham, 14. Chloe Flynn-Brown, 13. Alyce Trude, 12. Emma Hunter, 11. Claire Cranfield, 10. Lucy Middleton (C), 9. Esme Fish; 1. Hanah Donovan, 2. Steph-Sarah McPhillips, 3. Lauren Mason, 4. Katharine Simpson, 5. Kelly Hodgson, 6. Laura Stephens, 7. Megan Solomon, 8. Alivia Usher-Harris
Bedford Blues Women Replacements:
Emily McBarron, Millie Rennell, Heather Cousins, Niamh Ovey, Sophie Singleton-Sells, Naomi Stockham
