Fixture

Match report by Jess Knapman

Off the back of two league losses, Taff’s headed into their final game of 2018 with a hunger for redemption. Their challenge: a much-awaited rematch against Tumble. Having come off second best against the Llanelli team three weeks prior, the Taff’s ladies were raring to get even in the return home fixture.

Dreary Conditions for Kick-Off

The downpour of rain during the week left the familiar Maes Gwyn pitch waterlogged and unplayable, resulting in a move to Pontypridd RFC’s 3G facilities for Saturday’s kick-off. With Tumble opting to receive the first kick, fly-half Jade Edwards struck the ball through the chilly December air to spur both teams into action. The initial chase from Taff’s was good, pinning the opposition in their own half and forcing them to move through the phases.

Williams With the Score

As the first half progressed, Taff’s settled into their rhythm. There were big collisions from both sides, but Taff’s ability to steal metres over the gain line and provide quick ball gave them the upper hand. The forwards worked hard, coming around the corner and hitting space to push further into the oppositions half. Once the opportunity presented itself, Louise Williams dived over for a brilliant first try, converting the teams hard work on the pitch to 5 points on the board. After, a beautiful conversion kick from Jade Edwards saw the scoreline tick over to 7-0.

Controlling the Counter

After conceding the first score, Tumble hit back hard with their counter attack. Some sniping runs from their scrum-half and a brilliant chip over the top gave them some great momentum, and an unfortunate penalty handed the opposition more metres into home territory. A big hit from Beth Morgan and Lily Gallagher stifled the first quick-tap attack, but Tumble were quick to get the ball away to their flanker for the next onslaught. Fullback Jess Knapman stepped up and tackled hard, quickly shutting down the run and stopping the opposition from penetrating the 10m line. This impressive defensive graft rewarded Taff’s with possession, and the ladies cleared their lines to survive the probing counter attack.

Right Under the Sticks

Around the halfway line, the ball once again found its way into Taff’s hands through the solid work of the forward pack. A few powerful carries in the middle of the field put the home team on the front foot and opened some space down the left-side of the pitch. Scrum-half Louise Williams quickly got the ball away to the back line, where it fell into the safe hands of centre, Kourtney Lewis. Lewis took the ball in her stride and sprinted down the field with purpose, skipping through multiple defenders to fly under the posts for Taff’s second score of the match. An incredible score, topped off with a swift conversion kick from Jade Edwards! 14-0.

Half-time: Score Taff’s Well 14-0 Tumble

As the first half came to a close, both teams fled to the changing rooms for the comfort of shelter and warmth. Taff’s regrouped and vowed to keep playing with the same determination they had showed in the first half. Wise words from Coach Craig and Captain Lily inspired the team to take to the pitch revitalised and ready to hunt down the important bonus point win.

Second Half Downpour

Once both teams had returned to the pitch, the heavens opened, and the weather presented itself as a third opponent for the ladies to contend with. With the downpour of rain rendering the ball slippery, the number of unforced handling errors from both sides increased. The Taff’s forward pack remained an intimidating presence at the scrum and constantly pressured the opposition during their put-in, however, Tumble dug deep and pressed on, using their talented runners to break through the gain line and sprint into the home 22. However, an incredible crunching hit into touch from Jade Edwards stifled Tumble’s attack and gave Taff’s a get-out clause! Unfortunately, the referee deemed the throw-in not straight and Tumble profited with another scrum.

Tumble’s Penalty Try

Sustained pressure from Tumble deep into Taff’s 22 was rewarded with a penalty 15m from the try line, and the opposition was hungry for a score of their own. Tumble went right, feeding the ball to one of their powerful runners, and Taff’s pressed up with their defensive line. Alas, a high tackle just before the line saw the referee running under the posts to award the penalty try; the visitors reaping the rewards of their continuous attacking pressure. 14-7.

Line Out Trickery

After conceding their first points of the game, Taff’s took to the restart ready to hit back immediately. After a big tussle for possession and a penalty rewarded, the ladies found themselves with a great attacking platform off a line-out outside of the 10m line. The forward pack capitalised on the opportunity, calling the line out perfectly so that substitute Louise Casey could collect the ball in front of an unsuspecting opposition and dive over for a brilliantly worked third score! 19-7.

A Fourth For Taff’s

As the cold and wet conditions took its toll on both teams, injuries began to set in. Tumble’s front row suffered a blow after a collapsed scrum which meant that scrums went uncontested for the last quarter of the game. However, the ladies took this in their stride and pushed on with the desire to seal the victory with a bonus point score. Taff’s slowly inched up the pitch using their powerful ball carriers to repeatedly punch through the gain line. Finally, solid work from the entire team rewarded Kayleigh Cushing with ball-in-hand and space to run at, which she quickly took advantage of. Cushing sprinted past Tumble’s winger and slid over in the right-hand corner for the all-important 4^th try! 24-7.

Wilding Wreaks Havoc

With a fourth score under their belt, Taff’s were in high spirits, but they weren’t quite finished yet. A huge determined effort from the whole team saw the ladies once again pressing up deep into Tumble’s half. As another ruck formed on the right side of the pitch, Ruth Wilding took the ball under her arm and ran hard for the line, dragging three Tumble defenders with her! Wilding’s powerful leg drive propelled her over the line, where she dropped down to score an astonishing 5^th try. To add to the celebrations, Jade Edwards slotted a brilliant tricky conversion from the right side of the pitch, bringing the score to 31-7.

Held Up at the End

Tumble speedily took the restart, ready to strike straight back. With 6 minutes left on the clock, Taff’s needed to dig deep to deny the visitors any more points on the board. As the onslaught of attack from Tumble continued, they stole metre after metre of Taff’s territory, backing them into their own 22. Yet, one mistake from Tumble left their ball carrier isolated, and some quick-thinking from the Taff’s ladies to hold the player up resulted in the referee awarding a crucial scrum to the home side. After a little messy play from both teams, a penalty was awarded against the visitors and Vice-Captain Cushing sent the ball flying off the pitch to end an exciting match and a great win.

Final Score: Taff's Well 31 v 7 Tumble

At the end of a gruelling 80 minutes, Taff’s were able to avenge their last defeat against the visitors with an incredible 5 try game. Both teams played their hearts out and showcased some brilliant flowing rugby! Our forward of the match goes to Kayleigh Cushing for some all-round brilliant play.

Tries:

Kourtney Lewis

Louise Williams

Louise Casey

Kayleigh Cushing

Ruth Wilding

Conversions:  Jade Edwards x 3