Trailfinders Women vs Gloucester-Hartpury

Match Report

 

Unbeaten Gloucester-Hartpury edged Trailfinders Women in a ten-try 33-27 thriller.

Tries from Liz Crake (2), Ella Amory, Vicky Laflin and Julia Schell were not enough against the reigning champions, who ran in five tries.

However, Trailfinders secured a crucial losing bonus point in a brave performance to keep them in 7th place in the PWR table.

Gloucester-Hartpury opened the scoring via Rachel Lund after a flowing move left a two-on-one down the left flank, and Lund was able to score with ease.

Trailfinders hit back emphatically through Crake as she bundled over the whitewash after sustained pressure within the Gloucester-Hartpury 5m line. Rosie Inman missed the extras.

Gloucester-Hartpury then scored against the run of play as Lleucu George finished off a fine move orchestrated between herself and Cath Richards between the Trailfinders lines. George then converted her try.

However, Trailfinders answered again as Crake scored her second try of the day in a similar fashion to her first, powering over the gain line and grounding the ball impressively after some brilliant team play. Inman was unable to convert.

The momentum continued to swing in opposite directions after each score as Gloucester-Hartpury took their turn to crash over the whitewash following a dominant rolling maul from the Trailfinders’ 22. George converted again.

Gloucester-Hartpury scored again just before halftime, as their dominance at the scrum paid off, and Sarah Beckett was able to drive over the line. George extended her impressive tally to leave the score 24-10 at halftime.

The start to the second half was all Trailfinders, and eventually, they made it count as Amory finished off a big turnover in the Gloucester-Hartpury 22 in slick style. Inman’s conversion crashed off the posts and missed.

Trailfinders continued in the ascendance, and a brilliant breakaway from Cristina Blanco off a scrum in Trailfinders’ half set up Laflin to cruise in and score. Inman’s conversion effort was missed.

Gloucester-Hartpury dampened a lively comeback as a looping pass allowed Natasha Hunt to score. George continued finely with yet another classy conversion.

Schell scored the all-important final try in the game’s last play, setting up a massive kick for Ellie Green to secure the losing bonus point, and she did so in fine fashion, ending the game 33-27.