FOLKESTONE
RFC
Ladies Match Report
H3 34 FRFC 29
Folkestone
Fillies
- Folkestone Girl’s Under 15s team – played their first ever game of
competitive rugby away against a team know as H3; an amalgamation of three
rugby clubs, Hasting, Hellingly and Heathfield, who last year were the unbeaten
Surrey league winners.
On a bright, sunny Sunday morning the girls set
off from the clubhouse for the journey to Heathfield. They were in high spirits
but more than a few were already suffering with butterflies and the nerves
increased the closer they got to Heathfield. With six of the girls never having
played a competitive match before it was looking to be a very eventful day.
H3 kicked off and immediately put the visitors under
pressure inside their twenty two. The Folkestone pack absorbed the onslaught,
taking the ball forward before unfortunately knocking on. From the set piece H3
won their own scrum and got the ball out to the backs who found the gaps and
crossed the line to score under the posts. The try was converted, 7-0 to H3
after two minutes. From the restart the Fillies picked up the momentum and
secured the loose ball. Scrum half Atkins’ quick hands got the ball out to
Digby at stand off and then on to Parker at inside centre who made the ball
available for the captain Howland, who crashed over for the Fillies first try
which unfortunately was unconverted.
The Fillies then commenced a period of forward
dominance with great scrummaging from Paice, Batt, Morgan, Price, West and
Riley. The Fillies pack was too strong for the home team and had the rules for
all youth rugby been different they could probably have pushed the home team
down the length of the pitch.
H3 replied with a long period of sustained play
pinning the Fillies in their own half. Good strong tackling by Kerry Morgan on
the wing kept the home team at bay for a short period however the ball was
eventually recycled by H3 and shipped out to their backs who scored in the
corner, but failed with the conversion. H3 then added a further converted try
taking the score to 19-5. Just before half time, with the Fillies having most
of the possession, tight head Morgan made good yardage, breaking tackles and
forced the girls to the half way line. The ball was recycled and Parker ran a
full 50 meters breaking the defence’s line and scored under the posts. Digby
converted to make the half time score 19-12 to the home team.
From the second half restart the Fillies looked
to be up for a game. The new girls, Eve Davies, Lauren West, Jules Martin and
Chloe Digby started to believe in themselves and grow in confidence. The
Fillies forwards’ applied pressure to H3 who then knocked the ball on in their
own twenty two. With Folkestone dominating the scrums the ball was hooked back
by Paice to the rear of the pack. Scrum half Atkins collected the ball and made
a break down the blind side to score an unconverted try in the corner.
From the restart the Fillies charged down the
pitch and caught H3 in possession who were then penalised for playing the ball
on the floor. A crash ball was called and Morgan made a good 15 meters before
popping the ball to Paice and then on to Howland. Howland made good ground but was felled by two H3 players.
Parker was in support, took the pop ball and went over to make it 22-19 to the
Fillies. H3 replied with a well worked try from the backs giving them back the
lead at 24-22. The Fillies answered with the motivated forwards ripping the
ball from H3 and using the backs, getting the ball out to full back Hannah Daw,
who ran a good 60 meters to score under the posts. Digby added the two points.
The Fillies were now leading 29-24 with ten minutes to go. H3, last year’s
league winners were not going to lay down and surrender and again replied with
an unconverted try, 29-29 with 4 minutes to go. From the kick off H3 applied
pressure and sent the ball back into the Fillies half. Stand off Digby
collected the ball cleanly and sent it back with interest. H3 showing their
match experience had the energy for one last attempt at the Fillies which
resulted in an unconverted try taking the score to 34-29 to the home team. With
seconds to go the Fillies made ground and reached H3’s 22 with a good run from
Katie Martin. Martin was forced into touch only a couple of meters from the try
line. There wasn’t time to take the line out as the full time whistle sounded
leaving H3 the winners by 34 points to 29.
A draw would probably have been a fair result but
the team with match experience just managed to come through in the end. At the
end of the game two of the home side approached several Stones players to
congratulate them on their play and stated that they felt it was the best game
of rugby they had ever played in; a remark that would be endorsed by the large
number of spectators who were very impressed by the standard of play in this
match, which for several of the players was their first ever competitive game.
The Fillies now look forward tot their first home league match against London
Irish on the 28th.
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