Trailfinders Women capped off 2023 with a brilliant 24-22 victory over Sale Sharks Women at TFSC.

Tries from Kate Zackary, a penalty try, Abby Dow and Julia Schell made all the difference in an incredibly tight contest.

Trailfinders started the stronger side, and they made their early pressure count. Zackary opened the scoring, picking up the ball off the back of the scrum and crashing over in the corner. Ellie Green missed the conversion.

The home sides dominance at the scrum was clear from minute one, and they used it full well to their advantage. After repeated Sale penalties at the scrum inside their 5-metre line, the referee awarded a penalty try. As per regulations, no conversion was necessary.

Sale Sharks hit back with a try of their own against the run of play. Georgie Perris-Reading burst round the Trailfinders line with a terrific turn of speed to score under the posts. Vicky A Irwin added the extras to reduce the deficit to 12-7.

Sale were reduced to 14 players after a deliberate knock on from Irwin, and despite some costly errors Trailfinders were able to take advantage with a wonder try from Abby Dow.

From a Sale scrum inside our 22, the pack were once again dominant, winning the ball back and quickly getting the ball out to Dow. In a ridiculous turn of pace, she simply breezed past her opposing player and charged down the touchline from our own 22 to score without doubt PWR try of the week. Green was unable to convert.

To cap off an action-packed half, Sale hit back again after a sensational 50-22 kick from Sian Jones got them to Trailfinders’ 5-metre line. The Sharks then bundled over the whitewash after successive phases. The conversion was missed to leave the score 17-12 at half time.

Sale started off the second half the stronger side and evened the scoring on 50 minutes. Two successive penalties had left Sale with a lineout on Trailfinders 5-metre line, and after a smooth blind side one-two, Niamh Swailes crashed over in the corner. The conversion was missed.

Trailfinders took back the lead with eight minutes to go via a fantastic try from Julia Schell. The home side put together a lovely move down the right side, and Schell beat the last player with an excellent burst of speed to score under the sticks. Green added the extras to make it 24-17.

Sale took it down to the wire with a late try in the corner, after Rowena Burnfield was sent to the sin bin for repeated penalties. However, the conversion was missed and Trailfinders were able to close out an emphatic win.

Trailfinders Women emerged victorious for the first time ever as an elite outfit in their inaugural season, beating fellow PWR newcomers Leicester Tigers Women 36-7 at TFSC.

Trailfinders ran in six tries in windy conditions, with scores from Liz Crake (2), Vicky Laflin, Megan Barwick, Abby Dow and Kate Zackary securing a well-deserved victory.

The home side took full advantage of having the wind behind them in the first half, as Crake opened the scoring in the second minute, bundling over the whitewash after sustained pressure in the Leicester half. Ellie Green converted the extra points.

Trailfinders then added to their lead with a great finish from Laflin, who was fed in by a brilliant offload from Rosie Inman down the wing to score the second try of the day. Green missed the conversion.

Tigers hit back with a try of their own not long after, as Elis Martin scored off the rolling maul to put the away side on the board. Meg Jones nailed the conversion to make the score 12-7.

Trailfinders answered strongly to conceding, as Crake scored her second try of the day to swing the momentum back in their favour. Similar to her first, she crashed over the tryline after successive carries in the redzone to extend the lead. Green was unable to convert in tough conditions.

What came next was absolutely bizarre. Trailfinders’ Julia Schell drilled the ball downfield, and with the wind behind it, the ball bounced over the try-line and kindly in the favour of Barwick, who gratefully dived on the ball to score. Green converted excellently, and the sides went into halftime with the score 24-7.

The second half was a more fluid affair, and with a solid score advantage, Trailfinders began to put on a show for their spectators with some brilliant rugby.

Abby Dow further extended the lead for Trailfinders, with a try that began on their own 5 metre line. With offloads galore, Dow found herself bursting down the wing to finish excellently. Green was unable to convert.

Zackary capped off a brilliant day for Trailfinders Women in the last play of the game. Once again the rugby was excellent, with Elisa Riffonneau slicing through the Tigers defence, and Zackary was able to effectively walk it over the try-line. Green nailed the conversion to end the game 36-7.