Ipswich Womens XV
Matches
Sun 19 Sep 2021
Haverhill and District
14
42
Ipswich RFC
Ipswich Womens XV
Scorpions run in the tries at Haverhill

Scorpions run in the tries at Haverhill

Henry Gaskin19 Sep 2021 - 19:36
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Building to the start of league action next week

Under a dark brooding sky and with one week until their league season kicks off, Ipswich Scorpions travelled to Haverhill for their 2nd friendly of the season but only their 1st game with contested scrums.

From the outset the larger Haverhill pack looked like they may have the edge but as Ipswich settled in to their bindings and with solid hooking from Hannah Jordan the visitors were able to repeatedly drive the opposition off their own ball and with new player Sarah Bones getting a taste for the dark arts, Ipswich secured their own put ins with ease. However, a lack of forward movement from Ipswich’s backs lost the hard-fought ground and Haverhill were able to steal back the 1.5 metres the scrum had won.

With Haverhill running straight and hard the Scorpions found themselves firmly on the back foot for the 1st 10minutes and Haverhill recycled several balls for their 10 and 12 to finally break the gain line and score a converted try.

From the resulting kick off, quick line speed led by Kirsty Brierley forced the home side to rally within their own half and with confusion reigning, Haverhill’s backs were no match for the pace of ball as Bella Inglis at 10 looped the ball around the centres to the wing for Ipswich to break away and score a converted try.

With the taste of their 1st score and the eager for more, Scorpions power house Joanna Driver, playing her 1st full game post ACL surgery took the ball to and through the home team putting the Scorpions firmly on the front foot for clean ball presentation for Ipswich to run in their 2nd of 6 converted tries from the boot of Lauren Howard. These constantly punishing runs and no-nonsense tackling saw Driver awarded forward of the match.

With Haverhill now playing their ball close to the breakdowns several times Ipswich were sucked in to the fringes, unaware of the space along the side lines which the hosts used to their advantage several times before finally being rewarded by crossing the whitewash for their last try.

But their last try did not mean the end of the game. With the hosts making several breaks, scything runs and smooth offloads kept the visitors 2nd rows Lucinda Fendley and Michaela Reddington busy in defence. But with a more organised defence structure there was no longer a way around the Scorpions fringes and now the battle was fought at the breakdown.

With Ipswich growing in determination and tenaciousness taking the ball in to contact and contesting the breakdowns, the tiring defenders were punished by Georgia Clements, replacing Micheala Taylor at 9 who moved to the number 2 role, as she gathered a clean ball and slipped through the remaining defence showing a clean set of heels to the home side and getting on the score sheet alongside Kerr, Inglis and Howard.

With Haverhills forwards tiring and Taylor now at 12 forcing the home side to defend to defend the 10/12 channel, number 8 Howard was free to move around the park and was able to twist and turn her way up the pitch to convert her own breakaway try. A following fast paced link up between Brierley and Rebecca Broughton had Haverhill scrambling to the edge of the pitch for Ipswich to swing the ball away from them for another try under the posts.

As the heavens opened at the end of the game the Scorpions have much to reflect on but this game was very much a solid block on which to build.

Match details

Match date

Sun 19 Sep 2021

Kickoff

14:00
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