FOLKESTONE
RFC
Fillies Match Report
Aylesford/Tonbridge Juddians 5 Fillies 22
By Megan West
(Reporter with broken leg)
Folkestone Fillies travelled up to Tonbridge to
play a combined Aylesford & Tonbridge Juddians’s
side, feeling slightly nervous due to a lack of
team members through injury
and holidays; regardless of this the Fillies had found enough players to
compete, and managed really well. Having lost two friendly matches to their
nearest rivals already this season they were in a positive mood; this was a
league game and a win would lift the girls higher up the table.
AJs (as Aylesford and TJs are known) kicked off aiming for Rose Atkins who
unfortunately missed but Hayley Morgan reacted quickly,
grabbing the ball but knocking on in the process to give AJs
an early scrum. Folkestone’s forwards; Rachel Davies, Hayley
Morgan, Hannah Batt, Amiee
Riley, Eve Davies and Lauren Price - stepping up to fill the temporary vacancy
at hooker - then gave a powerful push to win Stone’s the ball. A quick pass to Rachel
Davies, who made a powerful run, was eventually stopped by a tackle very close
to the try line. AJs kicked the ball out of defence but
Hannah Daw was quick to respond and picked up and
made a run to make up for the yardage which Folkestone had lost. Ten minutes
into the game AJs suffered a slight injury during
which the Fillies had time to reflect back on what they had been doing wrong. They
came back with greater ambition and shortly after their first try was scored by Rachel Davies, converted by Eve Davies to give
Stones a lead with a score of 7-0. AJs restarted
which Hannah Batt received and passed out to Abi Howland who made a powerful run, the ball was passed to
Price but then lost to Aylesford. Despite a good tackle by Howland it was not
enough to stop AJs moving the ball out to the wing
and scoring in the corner for an unconverted try – still 7-5. Parker gave an
intense run and moved through many opposing players but was then tackled and knocked
forward, giving an Aylesford scrum. Folkestone’s forwards were using intense
power in the scrums and winning most of them, the ball was taken by Rose Atkins
and passed to Hayley Morgan who sprinted along the touch
line, handing off several players, before eventually being forced out close to
the try line for an AJs line
out. Eve Davies caught the throw and the forwards mauling was brilliant, passing
out to Daw and then Atkins. Again AJs
took the ball and were making some good runs, but then the Fillies’ secret
weapon, young Kerri Morgan, got in a great tackle just before half time.
The Fillies continued their form into the second
half where from Parker’s kick, Howland was straight
there giving an intense tackle. Morgan picked up and made good ground passing
out to Rose Atkins and then to Hannah Daw who took
the ball on a fair distance before passing to the younger Morgan who made a
powerful run before unfortunately being forced out to give AJs
a line out. Winning their own line out untidily gave the Fillies the chance to
grab the ball and force another line out for themselves. A good throw was
caught by Eve Davies, passed to Digby who made a very
good run which was then passed to Hayley Morgan who
scored just by the posts. The try was not converted but was a well earned, team
try. Now with the Fillies leading 12 -5 AJs started
to panic and by becoming angry lost discipline, but Folkestone never gave up.
Jules Martin (replacement for the injured Kerri Morgan) made a powerful run before
offloading to Atkins who scored an unconverted try to extend the Fillies’ lead
to 17-5. An amazing run by Martin nearly set up a try before being taken back
but Daw didn’t let that try scoring opportunity get
lost and made an aggressive run and scored giving a final score of 22 - 5 Late
in the game AJ’s bought on substitute and regional
player Iona Todd in the centre. The next line out, won by Aylesford, brought a big tackle by Morgan and one hundred percent support
from the forwards. The game ended with a huge tackle by Howland on Todd; just
two of the regional players on duty for their respective sides in this match,
with Abi’s tackle a good welcome home present for
Well done to Folkestone Fillies.
Hannah with Kerri in
support
Forget it girl, nothing
stops HAYLEYPOWER
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