REPORT | Hull KR 20-28 Sheffield Eagles Women Red
01/07/2024
By Barry Wood
The Sheffield Eagles Women Red team travelled away to play last season’s Championship winners Hull KR Women in a rearranged fixture of a round 2 league match postponed in March due to a waterlogged pitch. However this was a fixture rearrangement that brought its own problems of availability due to regular player absences on holiday on what was originally a free weekend.
The Eagles first set from the kick-off went very well, exiting from their own line to 10m from Hull KR’s line.
However successive possessions did not go so well with errors preventing set completions which progressively ceded territorial advantage to Hull KR, leading eventually to a goal line dropout. Three Hull KR plays took them within 5m of the Eagles try line, and the fourth saw powerful loose forward Brewster force a way through from 10m, twisting out of the tackle on the line to score in the 10th minute 5m to the left of the posts, converted by Thomas for a 6-0 lead.
The next Eagles possession went much better with a last tackle forcing a Hull KR knock-on by their right winger just in front of their try line, scrum to the Eagles on the left 10m out 20m in from touch. Although the next four plays did not succeed in getting over the line, they did compress the Hull KR defence on the Eagles left. On the fifth play, dummy half Carlton went right and forward which created a 5v3 on the right. It wasn’t needed, Hull KR’s left side defence over-read the play leaving a gap for second rower Bosworth to charge through to dive over in the tackle in the 17th minute 10m to the right of the posts. Converted by Brennan to level the score at 6-6.
However after being granted a high contact penalty returning the kick restart making for an easy exit from their half, the Eagles immediately squandered it by not finding touch with the penalty kick. In the return Hull KR set a poor last tackle kick enabled the Eagles to progress to 1m from the Hull KR try line, dummy half Carlton stopped on the fifth tackle. With a 6v3 overload on the right a try beckoned, but a terrible pass from the play-the ball wasted the chance, compounded further by a desperate recovery kick that landed into offside hands.
The Eagles next possession was lost on half way with a subtle ball rip with 3 in the tackle but not given by the referee. A dropped catch on the last gave Hull KR another set, this time 18m out from the Eagles line. Hull KR laid siege from the scrum but fortunately the last tackle kick was caught safely this time. However yet again after being given a penalty for offside on the 40m, the Eagles put in another kick that failed to find touch – Hull KR back on the attack starting at their own 30m line. On play five the Eagles conceded a high contact penalty 20m out from their line and the pressure told. Slow line speed brought Hull KR even closer, and on the second attempt in three plays substitute forward Lawson forced and twisted a way over from close in on the right in the 31st minute. Conversion missed, score 10-6. The remainder of the half played out with the Eagles unable to complete their sets but able to resist another Hull KR breakthrough.
Half Time: Hull KR Women 10 – 6 Sheffield Eagles Women
A different Eagles took to the field in the second half, inflicting some robust defence and attack. A high contact penalty brought the Eagles to within 10m of the Hull KR line on the right. Brennan took the restart pass and swerved wide left instead of driving the ball straight up, busting through to score behind the posts in the 43rd minute, converted by Thomas for a 10-12 Eagles lead.
However from the kick restart the Eagles went into self-destruct again, not fielding the ball before it went into touch. On the second play from the handover 20m out centre field, Hull KR’s prop Smalley caught too many defenders attention and got an offload away to the half back. One pass out wide and Hull KR’s imposing left centre Thomas barged over next to the corner in the 46th minute, then converted the try for 16-12.
This time was it Hull KR’s to make an error, conceding a knock-on on their second play after the kick restart. From the scrum 30m from the Hull KR try line, loose forward Brennan received the ball at right centre, then sprinted a long arc around the defence eventually touching down in the 51st minute 15m to the right of the posts, converted by Thomas for 16-18.
However Eagles dismay occurred again when the kick restart was allowed to bounce overhead into touch on the other side of the field compared to last time. In the ensuing Hull KR set, the Eagles managed to rip the ball out of Brewster’s hands whilst over the try line which restarted the tackle count. Another drive from Brewster was just held out, but the next play brought respite when Hull KR fumbled whilst moving the ball to the right. This time the Eagles put in a completed set to move the ball 80m the other way. Then indiscipline struck. On the fourth tackle of Hull KR’s return play, a needless shove of the tackled player regaining feet incurred a six again call. A hand off then a forearm into the neck forced a defender upward which resulted in high contact too, but the referee came down on the side of the attacker and another set to Hull KR. Possibly a bit aggrieved by this the Eagles stepped up their defensive intensity and the next scoring attempt by the Hull KR left centre was met with an aggressive cover defence that bundled play into touch.
Four plays got the Eagles out to their 40m line, then a shift left put winger Scullion away down the touchline. Maybe a step inside the full back would have been wiser on the fifth, but at least play was advanced to 15m from the Hull KR line. After a long injury stoppage the Eagles then conceded a penalty for markers not square, then another penalty for tipping in the tackle bringing Hull KR within 30m. However respite was granted again when Hull KR fumbled into Eagles possession on play two 12m out. Then the most remarkable turnaround occurred.
Followed a long injury stoppage, play restarted with the zero tackle centre field. On play two the pass went out left to Brennan, who then powered down the touchline for a 75m try 10m to the left of the posts in the 65th minute. Converted by Thomas extending the Eagles lead to 16-24.
However having fielded the restart successfully this time, the Eagles soon invited Hull KR back into the game with a contretemps that resulted in both sides losing a player to a yellow card and a penalty to Hull KR. To compound the damage another penalty was gifted 20m out for high contact. Two plays later left centre Thomas rampaged over near the flag in the 70th minute but was unable to convert the try on this occasion, score 20-24.
Continuing in the same vein, the Eagles fluffed the catch of the last tackle kick of the restart set, but Hull KR then made one offload too many playing catch-up football, causing a knock-on and a scrum to the Eagles centre-field on their 30m line. Strong drives and wide play brought the Eagles to within 2m of the Hull KR line 10m left of the posts. On the fifth play a pirouette by Taylor totally wrong-footed the Hull KR defence, opening space for an arcing run to the left to burst through and score in the 76th minute 15m from the posts, conversion missed for 20-28.
From the restart the Eagles mounted another foray deep into Hull KR territory but settled for conceding the sixth tackle 1m from the Hull KR line. A Hull KR knock-on resulted in a kick through of the loose ball by Brennan which almost brought another Eagles try. Unfortunately Brennan’s subsequent chase and desperate dive could only ground the ball just as it reached the dead ball line. Two plays from the tap 20 restart and the game was done.
Full Time: Hull KR Women 20 – 28 Sheffield Eagles Women
Eagles Tries: Bosworth, Brennan(3), Taylor
Goals: Thomas (4/5)
Hull KR Tries: Lawson, Brewster, Thomas(2)
Goals: Thomas (2/4)
In conclusion a seventh successive win for the Eagles, and every opposition team in the league now played once. However it was again a win made more difficult to achieve by conceding multiple errors and penalties. On the one hand any under-estimation of the Eagles by those teams is now in the bin, but on the other hand their vulnerabilities have been exposed. Therefore in order to continue the momentum the Eagles must solve those issues and improve their completion rates.
Finally the coaches’ player of the match went to Gold team stand-in Chris Scullion for a fine performance on the wing in attack and defence, and the captain’s choice went to Hailey Swann for formidable on-field leadership and organisation.
