Match Report Women's Rugby

Pic - Karen Adams crosses the line

Charlie Byrne
SCRFC Women and Girls

Sutton Coldfield Women 70 - Shelford Women 0

Top of the table Sutton Coldfield Women maintained their 100% start to the season this afternoon at the RSG with an emphatic 70-0 win over a gallant Shelford side. After 5 rounds of matches Sutton are averaging nigh on 50 points a game having already amassed 246 with just 32 conceded giving a points difference of +214.
Sutton started on the front foot with an opening try in the first five minutes of the game, Ella Friar who impressed in the development game last week scored her first try for the club, outpacing the last defender to score in the corner. The home side proved they were too quick out wide for their opponents, smooth handling by the back line saw Kerrie-anne Melsom cross the line for Sutton's second before Jessica Nally crashed through Shelford's defence to add a third. Sutton's pack was also dominant in the set plays, the front row of Tara and Holly Wheeldon along with young prop Nafeesah Nabi turning over several of Shelford's scrums to regain possession. It was Tara herself who benefited from the possession supporting a run by outside centre Katie Gregory, the prop gathered the offload before diving over the line to add Sutton's forth try of the game. Conversion made by Kerrie-Anne Melsom.

In the second have the visitors came out fighting only for their efforts to be thwarted by crunching tackles by flankers Natalie Kennett and Liz Fletcher, who was on fine form leading Sutton's defence. The home-side soon turned over possession and it was Nally again who got on the scoreboard with a brace of tries in the second half. Natalie Hall put in an impressive performance after returning from an ankle injury, the inside centre used her slick handling skills to set up her match day partner Katie Gregory for her sixth try of the season. Captain Karen Adams also got her name on the score sheet, another impressive scrum saw an opportunity for the scrum half to dart over the line for her first Sutton try!

The second half also saw an impressive performance from new signing Kim Tsiga, the ex american footballer showed she her effective running skills skipping out of Sutton's twenty two, before offloading on the halfway line to young winger Chanelle Stankard who added further pace to score in the corner.Con Holly Wheeldon. Seventeen Stankard who returned from America in the early hours showed no signs of jet-lag as she scored her second.Quick ball from Gregory set the winger up in plenty of space to run in her second of the day. Con Wheeldon.

After setting up several tries, Tsiga capped off an impressive debut with a try of her own, displaying her powerful running the fullback beat several defenders down the wing by handing off a last ditch tackle to score.Con Melsom. Maria Crowfoot added the final Sutton try, the fly half who ha controlled the game throughout weaved through Sheflord's defence to score under the posts. Con Melsom.

Sutton's next game see's them face second pace Peterborough on Sunday 18th, in what is expected to be a thrilling encounter with the two sides the only ones still unbeaten in the league so far this season.