Match Report | Sheffield Eagles Women Red 32-0 Castleford Tigers
24/06/2024
By Barry Wood | Photo by Jodie Hutchinson
Sheffield Eagles Women Red were at home on Sunday 23rd June 2024 at Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park, welcoming Castleford Tigers Women on this round 10 weekend of the Championship.
The Tigers are a young and an inexperienced side in the process of rebuilding, and they had suffered some heavy defeats in recent matches to teams that the Eagles have recently beaten. The Eagles were without two influential spine players, regular acting half back Agnes Wood and full back Sian Judd. Whatever the reasons this proved to be a far from easy game for the Eagles, the Tigers putting up a consistent challenge from start to finish in spite of being short on substitutes and suffering frequent injuries throughout against a physically imposing Eagles side. The number of injury stoppages coupled with the need for frequent water supplies in the 26C heat naturally had an impact on the flow of the game. On top of that, things were made worse by multiple unforced errors from both sides that made for a disjointed game that struggled to flow throughout.
Nonetheless once things did get going, it became a tough encounter for both sides.
Such was the Tigers’ resistance, it wasn’t until the 8th minute that the Eagles managed to get across the line, with Hailey Swann forcing a way over to the right of the posts after the ball had been at last shifted across the park, Tori Thomas converting for a 6-0 lead.
In the 27th minute the Eagles mounted an attack down their left bringing the ball to within 7m of the Tigers try line. A quick play and a drive back to the centre came within 1m keeping most of the Tigers defence condensed on the Eagles left. However the next play was slow which allowed some of the Tigers to reorganise on their left to face the Eagles right attack. With the Eagles attack line not being deep enough, Swann fired out a kick to the right corner enabling Ellie Tiffin just to walk on to the bouncing ball and stroll over to score 5m in from the flag. Conversion unsuccessful, score 10-0.
From the restart the Eagles then compounded the punishment with a most remarkable try. The kick was fielded on the Eagles left middle by Sarah Palmer, who passed inside an approaching defender to substitute forward Teleesha Frederick-Maynard. Frederick-Maynard firstly swerved to the right through a gap in the Tigers chase, then swerved left around the fullback, and finally arced back for an 85m try behind the posts. An easy conversion for Thomas, score 16-0.
Unfortunately in the last ten minutes of the half, the Eagles propensity for committing unforced errors returned, granting repeated possession to the Tigers and much time spent on defence.
Half-time: Sheffield Eagles Women Red 16-0 Castleford Tigers Women
Could the second half be better. In the 44th minute the Eagles should have scored in the right corner, but poor finishing saw the ball lost in the tackle over the line. Stalemate then followed for the next twenty minutes with neither side able to finish off an attack with a score, until a another Eagles long range try appeared out of the blue.
From a play-the-ball on the Eagles 40m line, Palmer made a drop off play to Capucine Auger running centre field. Auger fended off a defender to break through the Tigers line, side-stepped the fullback and out-paced the chase to score behind the left post. Converted by Thomas to extend the lead to 22-0.
Minutes later on play four from the restart, Auger repeated the medicine dose. Receiving the ball at the 44m mark, Auger again charged at the Tigers middle to find the defence wanting. A swerve left and a right hand fend saw off the fullback, and pace did the rest to deliver a try between the posts. Again converted by Thomas, score 28-0.
Stalemate then followed for the next few minutes until Frederick-Maynard with a 20m weaving run got the Eagles to within 1m of the Tigers line, pulling in multiple defenders to bring her down. A 3v2 out left beckoned, and halfback Palmer duly delivered an overhead cutout pass into the hands of winger Rebecca Dex, who dived over in the corner in the 73rd minute. The difficult conversion was missed however, score 32-0.
Four minutes later the Eagles should have posted another score with a 4v0 advantage on the right, but a vital pass catch slipped out of hands in the heat, and the last chance of another score was lost.
Full-time: Sheffield Eagles Women Red 32-0 Castleford Tigers Women
Eagles Tries: Swann, Tiffin, Frederick-Maynard, Auger (2), Dex
Goals: Thomas (4/6)
In conclusion, a game that seemed to take forever due to the multiple injury and error stoppages in an unaccustomed 26C heat. Whilst the Eagles line speed and first up tackling was much improved, unfortunately one cannot say same the same about other aspects of play, which seemed to have regressed to the habits of former days. Credit must also be given to a plucky Tigers squad, who kept a full team on the field throughout despite the injuries sustained and their lack of substitutes, and who kept on competing to the very end despite the odds against them.
The captain’s player of the match award went to Tori Thomas, and the coaches’ award to Rebecca Dex.
