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Harlow 49
New Ash Green 17
(1st November 2009)
RFUW South East Eastern
Div 2
A week after their away win against Old Dunstonians
Harlow ladies recorded another great home league victory over New Ash Green
on Sunday. This takes them to third place in their league with a game in
hand over the league leaders Beckenham, side they have already beaten. More
important they have the best points difference and highest number of points
scored of any team in the league. When they won promotion from division
three last season there were one or two sceptics asked whether they would be
able to cope in the higher division. The results this season so far proved
that not only can they cope in this division but they are becoming a very
real force in it. To their credit to the Kent side defended very well
covering very many breaks by the Harlow backs but with Harlow keeping up the
pressure gaps did start to appear and when they did the visitors just did
not have the pace to match them. As the match progressed it became clear
that New Ash Green depend heavily on their forward game that in the Harlow
pack and they mat a player unit which could match them in the rucks and
mauls and could dominate them in the set scrums.
The visitors kicked off deep into the Harlow half but were rapidly he had
taken back into their own territory and following ineffective drive by the
Harlow forwards Davina McLellan playing at centre broke away and sprinted in
for a try near the corner. The conversion came close but a combination of
the distance and a difficult crosswind just prevented it crossing the bar.
Within the next few minutes Harlow had a double setback first when hooker
Gemma Ackerman had come off following an injury in a scrum collapse followed
quickly by lock Claire Lacey with an ankle sprain. The game restarted with a
line out and New Ash Green took the ball cleanly and set up the rolling maul
to drive over for a try near the corner, levelling the game at 5 points
each. Harlow countered quickly however and again McLellan made a very good
break at centre but this time offloading to the Harlow fly half Rebecca
Conway who cut through the defence for a second try. After a period of the
cut and thrust play midfield a well placed kick to the corner allowed Harlow
to establish themselves for a scrum about five metre short of the line.
Harlow took the ball cleanly and their back row players drove hard to the
line and despite an attempt by the visitors to hold them up they were too
powerful and Harlow skipper Kelly Cotterill playing at number eight
touchdown for Harlow’s third try. Just before halftime Harlow added fourth
try; their scrum pushed the opposition back and scrum-half Sarah Stimpson
picked up and made a solo break for the try making the score 20 points to 5
at halftime
With the slope and the wind now against them Harlow could have expected a
the much harder time in the second half. However they were the first side to
make their mark. The New Ash Green number 6 was penalised for coming in at
the side of the ruck and Stimpson seized the ball took an immediate tap
penalty and made a solo break for the line catching their defence on the
wrong foot and touching down under the posts. Emily Gizzi was on target with
the conversion taking the score to 27 points to 5. The visitors countered
immediately kicking off a very deep into the Harlow half when the ball went
dead but only after coming off the Harlow player giving them the advantage
of a five metre scrum. In a re-run of the earlier Harlow try they picked up
and went for the line and despite the efforts of Harlow to hold them up were
able to ground it for a try taking the score to 27 points to 10. From the
restart Harlow took play deep into the visitors half and for the next 10
minutes dominated most of the play largely due to the power strategy of
their forwards. The Harlow props Tina Baldwin and Sarah Lucas were both
making hard yards with the ball in hand, well supported by the rest of the
pack. From a good position near the 22 metre line they released the ball
allowing them a Dunkley playing on the Harlow wing to sprint in for another
try near the corner taking the score to 32 points to 10. The further drive
by the Harlow pack added an additional try this time from a rolling maul
where they drove over the line and attempted to ground the ball. New Ash
tried to hold it up but Harlow flanker Emily Gizzi riped it free and touched
down for the try. Although they had played with great commitment the
pressure was beginning to tell on the visitors’. They had been forced to
bring on a number of replacements and in the absence of experienced forwards
the final minutes of the game were played with a uncontested scrums. Against
a tiring side Harlow struck twice in quick succession on both occasions
using the pace of their scrum half Stimpson, she run in her third try under
the posts allowing Gizzi an easy conversion taking the score to 44 points to
10 and then in the closing minutes another near the corner taking the Harlow
tally to 49. In the final play of the game if a long clearance kick by
Harlow was deflected by the strong wind and picked up by the New Ash winger.
Seeing her opportunity she sprinted 40 yards towards the try line and this
time found just enough pace to out sprint the Harlow cover and cut round for
a try under the posts. The conversion went over making the final score 49
points to 17.
Tries: McClellan, Conway, cotterell, darkly, Gizzi, Stimpson (4]
Conversions: Gizzi[2]
Team: 1. Tina Baldwin, 2 Gemma Ackerman sub Carla Souch, 7), 3 Sarah Lucas,
4. Claire Lacey (sub Stevie Doherty 9), 5 Tracey Lee, 6. Emily Gizzi, 7.
Keighly Diprose, 8 Kelly Cotterill, (captain), 9. Sarah Stimpson, 10.
Rebecca Conway, 11. Toni Beard, 12. Davina McLellan, 13. Dani McKenna, 14.
Emma O’Donnell (sub Emma Dunkley 35), 15. Abi Parry.
Replacement: Paulette Tovey
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This photo is from the 2010/11 season
This photo is owned by:
Dave Sharp
This photo shows:
Ladies XV
About to off load
The opposition were:
Tabard
This photo is from the 2007/08 season
This photo is owned by:
Dave Sharp
This photo shows:
Ladies XV
Taking a stroll
The opposition were:
Woodbridge
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