Agnes hits Hull for six at OLP
17/07/2023
Compared to recent weeks a much stronger Sheffield Eagles Women team welcomed Hull to the OLP for the second time this year.
The first half started with an early try for the Eagles from Wood in the 4th minute on last tackle thanks to pressure on the Hull line. The trademark nip down the short side and over 3m in from the left corner flag, but unconverted for an early lead of 4-0.
However this was not to last. Hull responded from 10m out on their left edge on the last tackle with a try 1m in from the corner flag in the 9th minute to level the score at 4-4.
The next eighteen minutes ebbed and flowed in respect of territory, but occasional injuries disrupted the flow of play until the Eagles defence trapped Hull inside their own 10m zone, provoking an error that gifted the Eagles scrum possession 10m out. Drives by Thomas and Lendon brought play to within a foot of the Hull try line to the right of the posts. How could Wood resist? A dart and over again for a second try in the 27th minute, also unconverted for 8-4.
From that point onwards the Eagles enjoyed all the territorial advantage thanks to sustained attacks and ruthless defence with Hull unable to escape their own half. The pressure had to tell and it did in the 38th minute with the Lendon & Wood show again. Another drive from Lendon held up a foot short, and another invitation to Wood to snatch the try in the same place as before.
The half closed out with the Eagles having driven 70m up field from the restart, but the clock was the enemy with half time blown on the fifth tackle.
Half-time: Sheffield Eagles Women 14 – 4 Hull
Things carried on as they had left off with the Eagles enjoying sustained territorial advantage, partly helped it seemed by the fact that Hull were down to 12 on the field through injuries sustained in the first half.
It didn’t take long for the Eagles to convert that advantage into points. On the Eagles second set in possession, Wood on the third play went straight ahead from 17m out to bang the ball down in the 46th minute a couple of metres to the left of the post, making an easy conversion for Thomas to lift the score to a more comfortable 20-4.
And then the game entered a spell of unforced handling errors from both sides. Eventually after a Hull knock-on, Stevens raced 76m up field only to be caught 20m from glory. The next play brought the ball to a tackle within 3m of a Hull line undefended out wide.
A quick shift left and in, maybe? Er no! Two awful bounced passes found their way luckily to Tiffin standing 5m in from touch and 9m out but now with the whole of the Hull team in cover defence having made it across. Unfazed by the wall in front, Tiffin promptly danced a way back to the middle to ground the ball in the 52nd minute behind the left hand post. Conversion unfortunately missed. Score 24-4.
The next twenty minutes served up scrappy niggly fare, preventing both teams from mounting any pressure until the Eagles were awarded a scrum 23m out from their own line. Surges by Thomas, Arnold and Lendon took the ball up to within 12m of the Hull Line. And who should turn up again? Wood of course!
Straight running from first receiver, a dummy and a dash, and the ball was plonked down behind the posts in the 73rd minute to equal the club record of five tries in one game. Converted by Thomas for 30-4.
Errors not over yet though. One from the Eagles on the restart, another from Hull on play three gifting a handover to the Eagles 12m out from their own line.
Although up against only eleven Hull players, another Eagles mishandle limited progress to the 39m mark by the fourth tackle. But who should make a mark for the last time this day, but Wood again, on this occasion with a 62m dash starting from 1st receiver. Firstly a swerve around the other side of the ruck totally wrong footing both markers, then a burst through two tacklers, an in-out swerve of the full back, a race with chasers gaining, and finally a sudden last burst of acceleration 20m out to dive over and touch down in the 78th minute 10m to the right of the posts, thus claiming a club record of six tries in one game. Duly converted by Thomas to close out the game 36-4.
Full-time: Sheffield Eagles Women 36 – 4 Hull
Tries:- Wood (6), Tiffin
Goals: Thomas (4 conversions)
Unsurprisingly with a club record haul of six tries in one game, the sponsors’ player of the match went to Agnes Wood. The coaches’ player award went deservedly to centre Claire Fisher for her resolute defence and carries, and the captain’s vote to Tori Thomas.
By Barry Wood, photo by Mike Bayly
