Heathfield secured a pleasing, if perhaps surprising, home bonus point win over Hackney Ladies in this RFU Championship 2 league match.
Conditions were good with a plentiful grass covering over a surface thankfully taking a stud after the recent rain. There was a firm but variable breeze down the slope – but much less than for the mens’ game the previous day.
Heathfield won the toss and skipper Carol Saunders rightly (in my view) chose to play up the slope and into the wind initially. Hackney benefitted from an early penalty and soon drove over for a short-range try in the left hand corner.
This early score could have rocked the home team who were in just their second game at this level (nationally level 3) against an opposition who had put 87 points on their opposition in the previous league round. However, as in Heathfield’s previous game in this league, this situation just brought out the best in the team and they increasingly recognised that this was a close and very winnable contest.
Once the restart had been recovered Heathfield started to press into the visitors’ half. In due course pressure on their scrum half produced turnover ball and good hands allowed Laura McGee a little space to charge through the last line of defence to level the score.
Much of the rest of the first half was a dogfight in midfield with neither side able to take control. I particularly noticed Velvet Turner with some abrasive runs and Georgia Reed-Davies (as usual!) in both attack and defence. For Hackney flanker Rey Wauer was especially effective in this period.
With hindsight Hackney will probably recognise that they should have made more use of the slope and wind in this period when they did have possession. Some observers thought that Hackney were benefitting from getting more people to the breakdown at this stage but they never completely broke through.
Hackney clearly had some momentum at this point and on one occasion their no 8 Camilla Turchetti boshed through some tackles into space but full back Britt Mole then pulled off a critical textbook tackle to snuff out the threat.
The half ended with another Hackney attack into the bottom corner but the home defence did just enough. Afterwards the Hackney coach put the final result partly down to their failure to take the opportunities available in this period.
The set piece was even with neither team dominating the scrum and wind making the lineout difficult for all. However Heathfield now had the advantage of the conditions and from the restart Megan Plane put the ball deep into the visitors’ half to exploit the circumstances.
From one viewpoint the second half belonged to one person – Abi Bandtock – as she scored three tries and could have had at least one more. However she was only able to do this because of the support of the rest of the team who provided the context for her contribution.
Early on a lineout catch and drive ended with Bandtock being held up. Then a Heathfield attacking lineout in the bottom corner was spoiled as the ball to the front was adjudged not to have gone 5m.
However with ten minutes gone a tap penalty allowed Bandtock to collect her first from short range and Plane duly converted (12-5).
Most of the game was now in the visitors’ half and approaching the end of the third quarter, pressure on a Hackney breakdown produced quick turnover possession and inevitably Bandtock was on hand to finish.
Hackney did now have a period of pressure into the top right hand corner under the clubhouse balcony. Their lineout catch and drive looked threatening but was eventually adjudged to have been held up. Notably the Heathfield drop out went long and the effective chasers meant that the visitors were again pinned back in their own half.
Another Hackney attack through broken play looked dangerous but Rachel Marchesan, on as replacement fullback, made a fine last ditch tackle.
With ten minutes left Marchesan and McGee combined to take the ball into the shadow of the posts where Bandtock inevitably arrived to complete her hat-trick. (22-5)
The day would have been perfect, from a home point of view, if birthday girl Chip Chippett had then been able to finish her fine run down the left wing but an excellent cover tackle ended that dream.
Indeed the game was ended by a Hackney try as replacement scrum half Megan Hollyman scored a fine solo try from an unpromising breakdown situation on the home 10m line. The conversion ended the game.
There was disappointment at the cancellation of the Harriers game today as the depth of available players will be important over the full league season. However it was good to see the first appearances by Georgia Gray and, off the bench, Rebecca Pascoe.
Heathfield can now feel that they belong at this level although this will soon be tested as next week they visit Battersea Ironsides who have won both games thus far. (11 Oct ko tbc)