Trailfinders Women vs Leicester Tigers

Match Report

Trailfinders Women put in a brilliant performance in their return to action as they beat Leicester Tigers Women 54-5 in their Allianz Cup clash at TFSC.

A hat-trick of tries from Abi Burton and scores from Lindelwa Gwala, Shya Pinnock, Rosie Inman, Liz Musgrove and Emma Swords secured a finish of at least 8th in the competition.

Trailfinders started the game off strongly and got on the scoreboard eight minutes in through Gwala, as she crashed over the whitewash off the rolling maul. Ellie Green’s conversion was good.

Pinnock was next to get on the scoresheet as she powered her way over the line, after a brilliant kick in behind by Green into Liz Musgrove put Trailfinders in great attacking territory. Green added the extras.

Tigers then answered back with 25 minutes on the clock through Zoë Evans as she burst down the left wing to score following some swift hands in the midfield. The conversion was unsuccessful.

Whilst Trailfinders were the better side throughout, it was not until the second half that they showed how good a team they are, running in six tries.

Burton scored the first of her hattrick of tries three minutes into the second half, as she drove her way over from five metres out after Pinnock had made a brilliant breakaway through the Tigers defence. Green’s conversion was successful.

The rampant Trailfinders scored again seven minutes later via a brilliant solo try from Inman, who ran coast to coast to dot down after some slick hands left her in space on the right wing. Green’s conversion clattered back off the post.

The tries kept coming as Green continued to use her boot to exploit the space in behind the Tigers defence, setting up Musgrove for an easy score in the corner only three minutes later. Green’s conversion was successful.

Swords added her name to the scoresheet after sustained pressure left Trailfinders just outside the Tigers try line, which she took full advantage of with a brilliant snipe finish under the posts. The conversion was good.

The Team GB 7’s star Burton finished the game off with two tries in quick succession to complete her hat-trick.

With just under ten minutes to go, Burton burst through the Tigers defence on the halfway line and could not be stopped, cruising her way through to score the home side’s seventh try. Green nailed the conversion.

Not content with two tries, Burton broke through the Tigers defence again after a great run from player of the match Megan Barwick, who popped the ball up for Burton to score. Green’s seventh conversion from eight left the final score 54-5.