Match Report | Sheffield Eagles Women Red 24-6 Dewsbury Moor
09/09/2024
By Barry Wood
The Sheffield Eagles Women Red team played Dewsbury Moor Ladies in this round 18 final fixture of the Championship League programme, having defeated their opponents away 20-30 in June, and much like that game this one was expected to be a hard fought encounter.
As has happened so much in the past the Eagles put themselves under pressure from the kick-off, knocking-on 12m out from their own line. From the scrum Dewsbury exerted prolonged attack, forcing a repeat set from a kick, then given a penalty for the Eagles being offside at the ruck trying to slow things down. However the Eagles kept up a good level of line speed and defensive organisation which eventually forced an error.
The sides traded sets and errors for a bit which kept both sides away from their opponent’s lines until a Dewsbury set was stifled on the Eagles 42m. Five plays which included an offload that produced a line break down the right flank brought the Eagles to 4m out from the Dewsbury line 10m to the right of the posts with Dewsbury’s defence concentrated on that side of the field. The last tackle play went out the back to scrum-half Pommier who chipped the ball left across field. Eagles fullback Clarke won the challenge for the ball, then spun and quickly shipped the ball out to left centre Fisher, who cantered over in the 11th minute 11m in from touch. Thomas just managed to squeeze the conversion over for an early Eagles lead of 6-0.
The Eagles should have increased their lead four minutes later from Swann’s excellent last tackle cross-field kick from 38m out which found barely defended space out left. The ball bounced kindly into attacking hands with a 3v1 in front, but poor decision making by the ball carrier squandered what should have been a certain try.
For the next fifteen minutes the Eagles defence and attacking play achieved territorial advantage with Dewsbury only once managing to progress beyond the Eagles 40m line. An Eagles try should have come in the 29th minute with a 3v1 on the left but the essential pass wasn’t made. However the next play brought the tackle to 1m out 5m in from the left flag. Finally brute strength and power did the trick when prop Frederick-Maynard took the next play at first receiver and twisted free of a defender’s grip to plant the ball down 10m in from the flag. The conversion was unsuccessful, score 10-0.
From the restart the Eagles fans were then treated to another demonstration of one of Frederick-Maynard’s seen before talents. Pommier fielded the kick restart 10m out from the Eagles line and passed the ball to advancing prop Frederick-Maynard. Moving rapidly Frederick-Maynard braced to repel successfully one defender on one side then fend off another on the other side to emerge into free air. What followed was a full-on 70m foot race ending in a safe dive over for a sensational try under the posts in the 32nd minute, the chasing defence never able to get close. An easy conversion followed from Thomas to widen the score out to 16-0. However after that neither side was able to translate any territorial advantage into points for the remainder of the half.
Half-Time: Sheffield Eagles Women 16 – 0 Dewsbury Moor Ladies
The first eight minutes of the second half saw a fierce tussle with both sides getting close but defences holding out. Eventually Dewsbury mounted an attack down their left that came close, then they moved the ball to centre-field with their attack lined up on the right for the next play. Unfortunately as has happened in the past the Eagles defence had clocked off on the side opposite to where it looked like the ball was going to go. Dewsbury spotted this and instead turned the ball back inside, enabling Dewsbury loose forward Wambalu to run in and dive over unchallenged in the 50th minute 2m to the left of the posts. Marsh converted to narrow the score to 16-6.
Seven minutes later the Eagles should have restored advantage in the left corner from a centre-field scrum 10m out from the Dewsbury line. However with the line at mercy the Eagles winger didn’t go low to dive in but remained too upright, which in turn enabled two covering defenders to get hands on, the referee appearing to rule subsequently a lost ball in contact and award a scrum to Dewsbury 10m out. Minutes later another chance materialised after Pommier’s last tackle kick forced an error from the Dewsbury winger, resulting in a handover to the Eagles centre-field 10m out from the Dewsbury line. First a settler play on the right, then a Frederick-Maynard offload found a 4v1 on the left. However execution let things down again when incorrect running lines enabled the cover defence to get across, which in turn forced a rushed final pass that went forward.
The battle then continued for quite a while with neither side achieving a breakthrough until the Eagles managed to bring play to 1m from the Dewsbury posts after an earlier favourable penalty decision. This time the ball went right through several hands to fullback Clarke who dived over in the 75th minute 4m in from the flag. Conversion unsuccessful, score 20-6.
Dewsbury then put the kick restart into touch on the full, a penalty to the Eagles. Unfortunately the Eagles fluffed the attack 10m out enabling Dewsbury to start an exit set. That didn’t get far when scrum-half Pommier defending on the Eagles left intercepted a Dewsbury pass. Pommier in turn collected minor high contact from a player chasing back but punished it with a penalty touch kick that advanced the Eagles to 15m out. A long injury stoppage delayed things for a while but when play resumed Pommier executed another well-judged cross-field kick, this time to the right. Fullback Clarke pouched the ball, spun and released it to right centre Evans who in turn shipped it on to winger Price to dive in low in the right corner in the last minute of the game. The difficult conversion was unsuccessful, but the final whistle went for a 24-6 Eagles victory.
Full-Time: Sheffield Eagles Women 24 – 6 Dewsbury Moor Ladies
Eagles Tries: Fisher, Frederick-Maynard(2), Clarke, Price
Goals: Thomas (2/5)
Oulton Tries: Wambalu
Goals: Marsh
In conclusion. in spite of a late withdrawal through injury forcing another last minute team sheet upheaval, the Eagles fought hard for each other to tough out another victory with some impressive defence and good go-forward. Yes, there are always things to work on, but with second place in the Championship table already confirmed before kick-off, the match was good preparation for the coming semi-final play-off at home on Sunday 15th September.
Without doubt the influential play of Pommier and Taylor added the organisation that has been needed after the recent disappointment away to Salford. Consequently the coaches’ player of the match had to go to one of them and that was Georgia Taylor. The captain’s award went to Claire Fisher for stepping up again to play in various positions.
