Match Report | Bradford Bulls 10-46 Sheffield Eagles Women Red
22/07/2024
By Barry Wood
The Sheffield Eagles Women Red team played Bradford Bulls Women in this scheduled round 13 away fixture at Odsal Stadium, having defeated their opponents at home 38-0 three months earlier in April.
Things did not start well again for the Eagles when a promising attack was intercepted by Bulls half back Grady, who sped 64m to score under the Eagles posts in the 4th minute, converting it also for an early 6-0 lead to the Bulls.
Three minutes later the Eagles responded with a long range try of their own when Judd, having received the ball from a scrum centre field 25m inside the Eagles half, went left and outpaced the Bulls back line to score 5m in from the left corner. The conversion hit the far post and bounced out, score 6-4.
The next fifteen minutes saw the Eagles mostly territorially dominant but unable to convert that into points. Eventually a strong burst from England took play up to the Bradford line. A wide shift left was blocked, but up popped Wood (also back from a long injury) at dummy half to dive over in the left corner in the 23rd minute. Conversion missed, score 6-8. Three minutes later Wood was in again, this time from the middle 55m out. A show and go and a race produced a try under the posts, easily converted by Thomas for 6-14.
After continuing to shut the Bulls out, the Eagles got themselves inside the Bulls 20m zone in the 34th minute. As is sometimes the case with passes that hit the floor, a defence hesitates. In this case a drop off from Price, who had come in-field, didn’t go to hand. However Green recovered the ball and sped back left, around and through the wrong-footed defence to score near the posts. Thomas converted again for a 6-20 Eagles half-time lead.
Half-time: Bradford Bulls Women 6 – 20 Sheffield Eagles Women
The Eagles continued to dominate much of this half. In the 44nd minute Clarke scored an outstanding try. Taking the ball from Wood on half way Clarke shot through the line and managed to shrug off multiple chasers to dive over under the posts. Thomas converted for 6-26.
A brief Bulls riposte brought a try on their right edge when the Eagles left edge didn’t respond quickly enough to a switch back in play, winger Wright going over in the corner in the 48th minute for their last score to make it 10-26.
After that the Eagles went over at regular intervals to post four more tries. After a Bulls mix-up at the back of a scrum surrendered the ball back to the Eagles, Frederick-Maynard made a barnstorming charge from 10m out to go over in the 56th minute at the left side of the posts. Thomas converted for 10-32. This duo combination was repeated in the 62nd minute to move the score out to 10-38.
Camped in the middle 18m out from the Bulls try line, the ball was swung left across the line to centre Thomas, who held off two defenders to cross close to the flag in the 65th minute but was unable to convert the try. Score 10-42.
The next ten minutes saw the Eagles keep the Bulls out and occasionally themselves out too. Things were finally settled in the 79th minute from a play the ball 5m out just to the right of the posts. The Eagles swept the ball left, Judd putting Price away into the corner with a superb cutout pass. Conversion unsuccessful, but job done at 10-46 and the final whistle.
Full-time: Bradford Bulls Women 10 – 46 Sheffield Eagles Women
Eagles Tries: Judd, Wood(2), Green, Clarke, Frederick-Maynard(2), Thomas, Price
Goals: Thomas (5/9)
Bulls Tries: Grady, Wright
Goals: Grady (1/2)
In conclusion after addressing some of the issues identified from the previous weekend’s match, the Eagles produced a noticeably more effective and hard hitting defensive display, which laid the groundwork for the attack to flourish, and ultimately a convincing victory.
The coaches’ award went to Chevelle Clarke who put in some storming runs on return from a long injury lay-off. The captain’s choice went to second rower Lauren Exley for yet another very robust performance.
