Ashfield Ladies' giantkilling cup run bites the dust

Despite playing some of their best rugby of the season, Ashfield went down 20-7 to the Leamington Spa outfit who play in the division above them in the National League and now progress to the quarter-finals.

The locals started the match well and were able to move the ball around to fine effect. Good rucking from Shannon Poxon and coaches’ player-of-the-match Nic Wallace disrupted the ball when Old Leams did have an opportunity to attack.

The Midlands team, who sit as high as third in the Midlands 1 division, boasted some powerful runners in both the forwards and the backs and, once they switched on, they began to distribute the ball to these players.

The Ashfield backs worked hard to tackle their bigger and stronger opponents, while both centres, Lauren Dearing and Eve Byrne, neutralised the Old Leams attack and full-back Harry Gibbs once again showed how important she is to the team with try-saving tackles when the visitors did break the line.

Ashfield even had the better of the scrums throughout the first half, with hooker Lucy Cargill winning several of the Old Leams balls, and the visitors often found themselves going backwards. In fact, the tie was evenly poised when Old Leams stretched the home defence and the referee missed a knock-on which allowed them to score.

The Leamington Spa side scored another try early in the second half, but then Ashfield, riding high in the Midlands 2 North division, started to come back.

Back-row stars Chip Harrison and Vicky Fegan, along with the joint winners of the players’ player-of-the-match award, Wallace and Byrne, were dangerous when running at Old Leams, and scrum-half Danii Booth kept them guessing as she took quick penalties which were hard to defend.

The crowd held their breath when Jes Brechany, playing her first ever game of rugby, looked like she would score down the right wing, only for her to be stopped by a high tackle.

With the last play of the match, Ashfield had a series of penalties deep in the Old Leams half, but keen for a try, they elected not to kick for the points. After the defence had been sucked in by the Ashfield forwards, the ball got out to the backs where Jess Cranmer went over for a richly deserved consolation try.

Ashfield Ladies now return to domestic action. Their next league game is not scheduled until Sunday, March 20, but in the meantime, they will be hosting a game for their development players. Anyone interested in joining the club and giving rugby a try should e-mail [email protected].