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.
Saracens Women scored eight tries as they stormed to a convincing 52 – 18 victory away at Trailfinders Women in the Allianz PWR.
Back-to-back bonus point victories for Saracens put them top of the Premiership, while Trailfinders winless in the league, despite another encouraging performance.
Saracens flew out of the blocks in the London derby, with World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year Marlie Packer burst through the Trailfinders defence, before scrum-half Ella Wyrwas sniped over for the first points of the game.
Ellie Green added two penalties of her own in the opening exchanges, but Trailfinders found it difficult to cope with the furious pace with which Saracens started the match.
Packer was again in the thick of the action in the 12th minute, bursting over the Trailfinders gain-line and releasing winger May Campbell for their second try.
Sarries harried Trailfinders at the breakdown throughout the 80 minutes, with Zoe Harrison the next to touch down after a quick counter-attack.
After already being heavily involved in two earlier tries, Packer scored Sarries’ bonus-point try in the 27th minute, breaking off the side of a driving maul to make it 26-6.
A positive note of the first half was the Trailfinders set-piece, with the home side’s pack impressing at scrum-time.
The second-half started in similar vain to the first however, with Saracens adding another two tries in the first eight minutes after the break.
Sophie Bridger glided through the Trailfinders defence to add their fifth try, which was swiftly followed by a Jess Breach wonder try. After gathering the ball in her own 22, she went on a mazy run all the way to the Trailfinders tryline to go 40 – 6 up.
Trailfinders had more attacking threat in the second half, and were rewarded through Abby Dow’s try after a deft Ella Amory chip into the corner.
Saracens replied in almost identical fashion on the hour mark, as Sydney Gregson latched on to a superb cross field kick to extend their lead to 45 – 11.
Dow added her second of the afternoon three minutes later, striding away from Sarries defenders in a 50m race to the line, after a delightful Julia Schell offload.
But Saracens finished the afternoon off in style with their seventh try, Sophie de Goede taking the visiting side past the half-century mark.
Ealing Trailfinders continued their unbeaten start to their Championship campaign with a resounding 31-13 victory at home to Coventry.
Tries from Tom Collins, Richard Hardwick (2) and Reuben Bird-Tulloch secured all five points in a dominant Trailfinders performance at TFSC.
Trailfinders set the tone early on, dominating at the scrum, and they made their early pressure count. Tom Collins opened the scoring, diving over the whitewash in the corner after some swift build up play down the blind side. Craig Willis converted the extra points to give Ealing a 7-0 lead.
Coventry answered back almost immediately. Fly half Pat Pelligrini kicked the ball crossfield inside the Trailfinders 22, which looked to be going out. James Martin had other ideas however, racing in behind and tapping the ball down in the nick of time to make the score 7-5.
The away side took the lead just before half time, as Pellegrini scored a penalty after sustained pressure in the Trailfinders half, leaving the score 7-8 at the half.
The home side began to assert their dominance in the second half, taking back the lead with two quickfire tries. Richard Hardwick scored the first, bundling over the try line after repeated Coventry penalties at the scrum.
Reuben Bird-Tulloch then extended the lead after some brilliant play by Biyi Alo, driving over the line in the corner to make the score 21-8. Willis remained perfect from the tee, converting both scores with ease.
Willis added to his excellent performance with another three points, after yet another impressive scrum by the home side resulting in a penalty.
Ealing capped off a good day at the office with a scintillating try. Richard Hardwick scored again after a bursting run from Cian Kelleher, who was stopped just short of the try line by an excellent tackle. Hardwick was on hand however to finish off the move and make the lead 31-8.
Coventry reduced the deficit with a late consolation try from Will Rigg, but it was too little too late. The game finished 31-13, with Trailfinders continuing their strong unbeaten start to the season.
Trailfinders Women narrowly lost the opening game of their inaugural Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign, losing 17-22 to Harlequins Women at the TFSC.
Tries from Liz Musgrove and Ella Amory were not enough for Trailfinders, who played with 14 for most of the game following Shannon Ikahihifo’s red card.
It was an impressive performance nevertheless, which kept them within reach throughout and secured an all-important bonus point.
Trailfinders took the lead early on, as Ellie Green kicked a penalty after sustained pressure in the Harlequins half.
Harlequins then answered back with two quick-fire tries. Trailfinders’ lack of discipline became costly, as Izzy Mayhew and Flo Robinson crossed the whitewash for the Quins within minutes of each other.
The game then took an unfortunate turn, as Trailfinders’ flanker Ikahihifo was instantly dismissed from the field for a high tackle.
Trailfinders responded brilliantly to the red card, however. Fresh off a driving maul, the side swiftly moved the ball out to the opposite wing, and Musgrove finished off the great spell of play excellently, diving over the line in the corner.
Green slotted home the conversion with a classy kick, and the sides went into half time 10-12.
14-women Trailfinders started the second half emphatically. Annabel Meta burst through the line midway into the Quins’ half, and two passes later Ella Amory scored under the posts. Green’s conversion gave Trailfinders a 17-12 lead.
Harlequins took back the lead shortly after, as Abbie Fleming bundled the ball over the try-line after successive phases. Laigi Tuima added the extra points.
Tuima further extended Harlequins’ lead from the tee, as Trailfinders were penalised at the breakdown.
Quins’ extra player advantage eventually took its toll on the home side, who were not able to capitalise on some good field position late on in the half. Harlequins held onto possession efficiently as the clock struck 80 minutes, and the game finished 17-22.
Ealing Trailfinders piled on ten tries as they continued their unbeaten start to the season in a comprehensive 64 – 7 victory over Cambridge in West London.
Will Montgomery, Richard Hardwick and Simon Uzokwe crossed the whitewash twice as Cambridge struggled to cope with the home side’s intensity.
Trailfinders move to the top of the Championship, with all of their tries incredibly being scored by forwards.
It didn’t take long for the Trailfinders to get into their groove – Andrew Davidson starting the scoring with a punishing run after some quick Trailfinders hands.
Rayn Smid extended the lead after 14 minutes, finishing a neat move down the right-hand side after Tom Collins came off his wing with devastating pace to break the Cambridge defensive line.
It didn’t take long for Trailfinders to add their third of the afternoon, player-of-the-match Lloyd Williams releasing Will Montgomery, who crashed over to put the home side 17 – 0 up.
Richard Hardwick came off the bench in the fifth minute and showcased his international quality, latching on to a Billy Twelvetrees offload to make it 24 – 0 after 25 minutes.
Trailfinders forwards dominance continued in fine style, Matt Cornish profiting off the back of a rampaging driving maul to extend the lead to 31-0 at half-time.
Cambridge played their best rugby at the end of the first half and started the second the brighter of the two sides. Trailfinders conceded another three quick penalties, with Eli Caven latching on to a deft Jamie Benson chip for their first points of the afternoon.
Poor discipline by Trailfinders allowed Cambridge to camp themselves in the home side’s 22 for a sustained period of pressure, only for Max Bodilly to deny a second try in spectacular fashion.
Only minutes later, Caven thought he had his second, only to be penalised by the referee due to a double movement as he crossed the try line.
Simon Uzokwe instantly made his presence felt off the bench on the hour mark, reinstating Trailfinders dominance with two tries in less than five minutes to put the Trailfinders in a commanding 43 – 7 lead.
Trailfinders’ very own ‘bomb squad’ continued their forward dominance – Mike Willemse capitalising on another crunching driving maul as Trailfinders reached the half-century mark.
Second tries for Hardwick and Montgomery capped off an authoritative afternoon for Trailfinders, with Craig Willis adding his seventh conversion to complete a 64 – 7 rout.
Trailfinders Women fell to a 45-10 Allianz Cup defeat as Saracens Women piled on seven tries in a dominant display.
A frantic period of play followed a cagey first 10 minutes, with Saracens bundling over the try-line after some gritty Trailfinders defence to lead 5-0.
Jessica Cooksey instantly replied for Trailfinders after a sustained period of pressure from the home side, with a rampaging run and dummy equalling the scores.
Saracens lock Emma Taylor powered over the whitewash less than five minutes after, with a quick tap-and-go from 5m out.
A nice passage of play from Trailfinders backs almost resulted in another instant reply, with Courtney Pursglove’s foot just in touch down the right-hand side after a fluid move.
But it was Liz Crake who capitalised on the following overshot lineout to equal the scores again at 10-10.
Saracens finished the half on a high – Sydney Gregson first of all carving through the Trailfinders defence with a punishing line to restore Sarries’ advantage.
A length-of-the field attack from the following kick-off led to Chloe Flanagan racing through from 20m out to finish under the posts – the visitors heading into the break 24-10 up.
Heavy rain had a big role to play in the second half, with both teams struggling with the wet ball in hand and Sarries dominating at the scrum.
Saracens scored their first points of the second-half on the hour mark, with Mica Gooding touching down at the back of a marauding 30m driving maul.
The visitors added their sixth-try five minutes later – another powerful surge from close range extending their lead to 38-10.
As the final whistle neared, Sarries completed a comprehensive victory with May Campbell touching down and Jemma-Jo Linkins adding the extras.
A disappointing defeat for Trailfinders, but many positives to take after fielding a side with 12 players under the age of 22, and Liz Crake taking home the Arnold Hill Player of the March award.
The result leaves Saracens second in the table, with Trailfinders heading to Loughborough next weekend in the search for their first victory.
Trailfinders Women’s first home game of their inaugural season ended in a narrow defeat, losing 29-24 to Gloucester-Hartpury in the Allianz Cup.
In a frantic first half, the home side opened the scoring early on, Elizabeth Crake bundling over the whitewash after a brilliant lineout move.
Trailfinders set the tone early on, with complete dominance at the scrum. However, Gloucester-Hartpury were quick to reply, with captain Rachel Lund scoring from her own half after ripping the ball in contact, against the run of play.
Gloucester-Hartpury then scored twice more in quick succession, tries from Pip Hendy and Olivia Constable, putting them ahead 17-7. Trailfinders were able to finish the half on a high.
Amanda McQuade made a 25-metre breakaway off the back of the maul to score in the corner.
Rosie Inman missed the conversion, and Trailfinders went into the intermission down 17-12.
The second half continued in the same fashion as the first. Gloucester-Hartpury were quick off the mark, as Elisabeth Shermer scored from a neat offload to extend their lead.
Trailfinders were then able to notch one back. Amy Wilson-Hardy looped a cross-field kick in behind the Gloucester-Hartpury line and was able to take advantage of the awkward bounce and score.
Midway through the second half, Gloucester-Hartpury’s Cath Richards found herself in acres of space, and a cross-field kick into her led them to their 5th try of the day.
Again the home side rallied, as Annabel Meta broke through for a 50-metre run but was tackled just short.
Player of the Match McQuade was on hand to pick up the offload for her second try of the day. Rosie Inman converted the extra points, leaving Trailfinders within 5.
In a brilliant performance, McQuade again burst through the line with a powerful run. However, despite the flowing move that followed, Trailfinders were unable to find that elusive final try, and the game finished 29-24.
Trailfinders finished as 34-32 victors over Doncaster Knights after a nail-biting encounter that was decided by the last kick of the game.
Tries from Jonah Holmes, Reuben Bird-Tulloch, Dan O’Brien, Matt Cornish and Rayn Smid, and a 78th-minute penalty from Steven Shingler helped the home side secure a narrow victory.
This result leaves Trailfinders top of Pool D, with three wins from three games in the new look competition.
After a Billy McBryde penalty, Jonah Holmes crossed in the corner on 15 minutes to calm the early nerves of the TFSC faithful.
The Knights would reply quickly as Number Eight Seb Nagle-Taylor dotted down in the 21st minute to make the score 7-8.
Then Bird-Tulloch produced a bit of magic. Taking the ball on the right-hand side of the field 30m from the opposition try line, the inside centre beat three men and would not be caught as he flew over the line to score.
Yet again, Doncaster would answer quickly as ex-Trailfinder Ollie Fox broke through the line and offloaded to Flanker Archie Smeaton to dot down.
Dan O’Brien scored three minutes later, after a maul on the Doncaster 5m line, making it two from three for the Aussie who made his debut in Round One.
That would be the last try of the half, and following a McBryde penalty kick, Trailfinders would go in at half-time with a narrow 19-18 lead.
It was a breathless first half, where Trailfinders had to dig deep to get anything out of a physical, accurate Doncaster Knights side.
The second half would start strangely.
McBryde attempted to take a leaf out of George Ford’s book with a drop goal from the 22, but he did not move the scoreboard.
Then, in the 49th minute, Matt Cornish opened the scoring in the second half, taking his record to three tries from three games and the score to 26-18.
The away side would score next through centre loanee Joe Bedlow as the game entered the final quarter at 26-25.
They would quickly take the lead through another ex-Trailfinder. Jack Metcalf streaked away from the Trailfinders defence to leave the score 26-32.
The home side would reply quickly as Smid went over in the corner to close the gap.
The score would be 31-32 entering the last 10 minutes.
Shingler then gave the home side the lead as Trailfinders won a penalty right in front of the posts from 10m out, which he knocked over comfortably to leave the score 34-32.
The Knights would have one last chance. A penalty kick from about 45m out against the wind was the challenge for McBryde. His attempt dropped just inches short, leaving Trailfinders unbeaten in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
Trailfinders Director of Rugby Ben Ward said, “We’re delighted with the five points. It was a game that could have swung either way.
“They were probably unlucky not to get the result, but we managed to find a way.”
Full-Time – Ealing Trailfinders 34-32 Doncaster Knights
Tries – Holmes (15) Bird-Tulloch (25) Dan O’Brien (32) Cornish (49) Smid (68)
Conversions – Shingler (16,32,50)
Penalties – Shingler (78)
Trailfinders kicked-off their Premiership Rugby Cup with a 48-22 victory over the top flight side Northampton Saints.
A brace from Nathan Earle added to tries from Simon Uzokwe, Dan O’Brien, Mike Willemse, Matt Cornish, Cian Kelleher and Jonah Holmes.
The win marks the start of Trailfinders’ season and their campaign in the new-look Premiership Rugby Cup, which allows Championship sides to test themselves against top-flight opposition.
Director of Rugby Ben Ward named an experienced lineup in contrast to Northampton’s youthful team sheet.
The game did not start as Ward would have hoped as Shingler sliced a crossfield kick on his own 5-metre line, leading to a Northampton scrum which gave blindside winger Will Glister a prime opportunity to open the scoring for the away side in just the 3rd minute.
The home side would answer straight back, however, as Earle went over in the corner for his first score of the game only a minute later.
The tries would not let up any time soon as Trailfinders won a penalty inside the opposition half, which Shingler kicked to the corner. From the following line out, Simon Uzokwe crashed over the whitewash after peeling off the back of the maul.
An immense start to the game continued as Dan O’Brien latched onto Shingler’s kick in behind the Northampton line to score on his debut and bring up Trailfinders’ third try in the first fifteen minutes.
Following a James Grayson penalty to make the score 21-10, the tries would finally slow as both teams settled into the game, only for new signing Mike Willemse to follow O’Brien’s example and dot down on his first appearance in the 35th minute.
That try was quickly followed by Nathan Earle’s second as a class offload from Uzokwe would put Shingler through a hole, leading to Earle’s finish in the corner.
At 31-10 that would be the final score of a truly frantic first half which only left the TFSC faithful wanting more.
The second half would begin similarly to the first as Will Glister opened the scoring five minutes from the referee’s whistle.
Then disaster struck for the Saints as Lock Theo Vukasinovic received a yellow card for an illegal clear out, and from the resulting line out, Cornish scored on his return to TFSC.
Then Jordy Reid looked like he had also scored on his return to the club, but a TMO review showed that the ball was clearly held up. It would not take long for the home side to take the TMO out of the equation, however as Cian Kelleher would go over in the corner to make the score 41-17.
A try for the away side’s Tom Cruse would close the gap late on, only for a reply from Jonah Holmes to close out any hint of a comeback.
The final whistle went as Steven Shingler was named player of the match. Trailfinders opened their Premiership Cup Campaign with a bang, beating Northampton Saints, and look ahead to next week as they go away to another premiership side, Bristol Bears.
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