SCRFC Women's Match Report - 15th Sept 2019

Report: Charlie Byrne

Photo: Sutton's try scorers in the 83-0 win at Greyhounds , Maria Crowfoot , Alison Livermore, Vicky Sullivan, Connie Bradshaw, Roisin McBrien, Katie Gregory, Charlie Byrne and Chanelle Stankard.

On Sunday, unbeaten Sutton Coldfield Ladies maintained their winning start to the new campaign with an emphatic 83-0 win in Herefordshire scoring 13 tries in the process with Alison Livermore in sparkling form with the boot converting 9 of them.

Undoubtedly though, the star of the show was 19-year-old outside centre Connie Bradshaw who created a club try scoring record with 7 tries of her own; ironically she takes that record off watching on Ladies head coach Nathan Burchell who scored 5 in the 107-0 1st XV win at Banbury in ‘Midlands One West’ on 26th February 2011. The day had started with a setback when named 2nd row Natalie Kennett had to withdraw just before kick off when her back went allowing Mollie Campbell to step up and proving a more than capable replacement.

Despite the two-hour journey to Hereford, Sutton looked threatening from the off, with the away sides attacking back line playing in sync, outside centre Connie Bradshaw was able to capitalise using her darting line breaks to score four tries in the first half. Sutton Coldfield front row, lead by Holly Wheeldon, constantly put the home side scrum under pressure creating momentous drives on several occasions. By the later end of the half the sustained pressure and an injury to Greyhounds front row lead to the rest of the game being played with uncontested scrums. With a clear platform from which now to attack fly half Maria Crowfoot continued to threaten the defensive line, orchestrating moves which lead to Katie Gregory darting through tackles to add a further Sutton try before the break. Alison Livermore’s boot again proved an asset for the visiting side as she slotted four out of five first half conversions leading to a half time score of 33-0

The second half saw the introduction of Holly Jackson and Leonie Orr, making her 1XV debut, off the bench who between them made huge drives once again putting Sutton on the front foot early on. Fellow forward Roisin McBrien was next on the scoreboard, skipping through tackles to run in the score from the twenty two metre line. Bradshaw continued to add to her try tally, scoring a second half hat trick before making way for Elise Graham to make her first appearance of the season after recovering from injury. Graham, now playing at scrum half soon got into the action putting in front row Vicky Sullivan for her first try of the season as she crashed over the line.

After being the director of attack in the first half, Crowfoot added a try of her own in the second, skipping through a tired defensive line. Sustained pressure off the scrum by flankers Candice Greyson and Liz Fletcher saw Greyhounds attempt to gain territory up the pitch through the boot only for Charlie Byrne, now playing at fullback to gather the ball and run round the opposing wingers to add another score for Sutton. The last play of the game saw Chanelle Stankard, use her pace to score her second try of the season off the wing. Livermore added four further conversions to bring the final score to 83-0.