There was definitely a good vibe amongst the Scorpions going into their first contest of the NC 2 Midlands (East) campaign, despite late injuries and availability meaning our bench was reduced to one.

Woodbridge came out strong with formidable runs from their forwards but our Women's XV were up for the challenge and pressured their attacks, winning key balls and turning the tables in the early stages.

Within six minutes Player of the Match Ellie O’Keefe finished a lightning-quick counter attack with the first of her seven tries on the day.

The Ipswich pressure and new defensive structure saw turnovers quickly materialise into points, despite the Amazons seeing their fair share of the ball.

O’Keefe scored four tries before half-time along with centre April Harrild lodging a fantastic individual effort after bursting through the Woodbridge defence 40 yards from their tryline.

We went into the break 29-0 up after constant pressure forced Woodbridge to work hard for any continuity.

With a changed attack structure in the second half, new signing Steph Durrant at fly-half quickly found a hole in the overworked Amazons defence to claim the first of her second-half trio of tries.

Vice captain Lauren Howard led the charge upfront with captain Georgia Clements feeding quick ball for the backs to constantly attack a stubborn Woodbridge team. We continued to build attacks by drawing in defenders and releasing players into gaps, but all credit to Woodbridge's continued aggression at the ruck as they fought hard throughout the entire 80 minutes.

The final score of 77-0 didn't reflect the resilience of Woodbridge, who strung some excellent play together and will no doubt gain positive results as the season progresses.

Speaking after the game, Women’s Head Coach and Club Director of Rugby Drew Fautley said:

“Sunday was a great performance from both teams with a lot of effort put in on both sides of the ball. Our focus on defence and creating gaps offensively, combined with a full team performance, was definitely a good start for our squad.

“We are very much looking forward to the challenge of next Sunday's big clash away at Southwold and fully aware of how potent a team they are."

Player of the Match: Ellie O'Keefe
Captain's Player: Abi Kegge
Women's main sponsor: Generate Leads Online (GLO)
POTM voucher sponsor: The Lord Nelson