Sale Sharks v Trailfinders Women

Match Report

Trailfinders women won 33- 20 to Sale Sharks in an impressive bonus point win away at Heywood Road. 

Tries from Julia Schell, Kate Zackary, Grace White, and Abi Burton, gave Trailfinders five points from their trip north. 

The result means Trailfinders are 7th behind Loughborough Lightning, with only two points between them and a game in hand. 

Trailfinders came out the blocks with aggressive defence, but it was ultimately Sale Sharks who were on the board first, with Vicky Irwin taking a penalty. 

Trailfinders retaliated through a series of pick-and-go’s, sending the ball out to Julia Schell, who cut back in to dot the ball over and convert her own try, bringing the score to 7-3. 

Schell’s efforts were then followed by captain Zackary flying over the try line through an impressive offload game from the visitors. 

Sale worked tirelessly to get on the board and hit up the midfield with strong forward carries. Capitalising on Trailfinders’ tiredness in defence, Olivia Ortiz spotted a gap at the breakdown and took it all the way to the tryline, making the score 14- 8 with 31 minutes gone. 

Trailfinders looked to counter by coming back into the home side’s half, spending the remaining 10 minutes camped there. Their eagerness to score and relentless Sale defence led to a held-up try and a goal-line dropout. 

Sale’s kick was smoothly caught by Zackary, offloaded to Crake, passing to Tuffnail, who carried deep into Sale’s 22. 

The flowing move gave White got the visitors back on the board in the final minute of the half. 

Half time: Sale Sharks 08-19 Trailfinders Women

Trailfinders began the second half with energetic defence.

However, eagerness off the line meant they were called for an offside penalty, with Sale taking the line out in their half. 

A now composed Trailfinders side managed to keep Sale in their 22, and unforgiving defence forced a Sale knock-on. 

Trailfinders took the scrum, and after a brilliant carry from Vicky Laflin forced Sale onto their 10, Trailfinders won a penalty for off feet in the ruck. Trailfinders took the lineout. 

Sale’s strong defence halted the driving Trailfinder’s maul, but the ball fell to Schell, who fended two Sale defenders rumbling over the try line in midfield.

She then converted her own try and brought the score to 26-8. 

Sale scored next from a rolling maul, putting them on the board for the first time in the half, and adding the extras, bringing the score to 26-15. 

With 10 minutes to go, the home side looked to close the gap, winning a scrum in their 22. However, relentless defence from Trailfinders forced a Sale handling error and kept them in. 

Trailfinders capitalised on this, sending Abi Burton soaring over and Schell adding the 2 points through the posts. 

Sale looked to come back through a fastball to the edge; however, a flat ball led to Grace White making the intercept, regaining possession. 

Sale regathered, however, and moved the ball to the edge, where they dotted it down in the corner, bringing the game to 20-33 with one minute to go. 

Full time: Sale Sharks 20-33 Trailfinders Women

Tries 

Sale Sharks: 

Ortiz (31) Wright(54) Jarrell (78)

Trailfinders:

Schell (18,46) Zackary (24) White (37) Burton(73)

Conversions 

Sale Sharks:

Wilkins (31,54)

Trailfinders:

Schell (18,46,24,73)

Penalties 

Wilkins (8)