Brighton and Hove 51 Ipswich Scorpions 10

 A brand new backline spent eighty tough minutes learning to work together in the face of a rampant Hove machine in Brighton on Sunday.

In a weekend when the other match in National League One South East featured a 51-point score, this stereotypical game of two halves was simply a case of Ipswich learning to play from scratch after so many withdrawals over the past two weeks.

With four of the regular backline unavailable, including three key decision-makers, the untried combination were ruthlessly exposed in the first half hour as Ipswich were in disarray, falling behind 34-0.

New captain Mary Hickey recovered from a bad stomach bug to lead the fightback and by halftime the huge Hove pack had been matched, with the final 20 minutes a testament to Ipswich’s courageous forwards as fullback cum prop Emma Arthurs crossed the line twice, the second try following the home scrum being smashed back to the line.

Feisty player-of-the-match Pippa Marshall combined well from scrumhalf with her number eight captain and new flyhalf Jessica Fletcher was outstanding against sharp opposition, despite all three being the victims of high tackles. Hove had two players sinbinned as they became frustrated at the swing in the game’s fortunes.

Georgina Whitfield and Gudrun Wright both returned from injury to perform well on the wing and the team finished with fifteen players on the field despite the lack of substitutes, a testament to the fitness work done in training.

Down 39-0 with half an hour to go, Hickey and vice-captain Emma Johnson’s leadership behind a passionate pack saw Ipswich turn the game an hour too late but the Scorpions will look to this weekend’s final match of this year, at second-placed Lakenham Hewitt, with confidence, knowing that several key players return to action.

Manager Karen Fletcher is recovering from a shoulder injury but will return this week.

Wasps II beat Chesham 51-0 in the other league match but concerns have already been raised that a team that has lost or postponed all its matches can turn around and thrash strong sides at this level only when their Premiership first team isn’t in action. Wasps beat previously unbeaten Blackheath 25-3 the weekend before, raising eyebrows as they were at the foot of the table at that stage.

Wasps II voluntarily stepped down a league at the end of last season and will return to Premiership Two regardless of their position at the end of this campaign.

Ipswich travel to Lakenham Hewitt with flyhalf Vicky Archer, flanker Zoe March and centre Jo Calver back in action and the prospect of three experienced new players arriving, including a Welsh doctor and a Canadian prop.

Former England Students representative Emily-Jayne Stearn has pulled out of playing the rest of this season for personal reasons and plans to return to action next year

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SCRAGGED: New Ipswich flyhalf, seventeen-year-old Jessica Fletcher is tackled during the Scorpions’ 51-10 loss down in Brighton. Photo: Dave Lintott.

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