York smash past Hallam to reach BUCS Cup final
Photo: Rain Astin-Chamberlain
SHEFFIELD HALLAM WOMEN’S FIRSTS 15 vs. UNIVERSITY OF YORK WOMEN’S FIRSTS 24
BUCS Cup (Rugby Union) Semi-Final, Wednesday 25th February 2009
York showed a steely determination in winning through to the BUCS Cup final with a tough victory against Sheffield Hallam on Wednesday. The knockout nature of the tournament meant the stakes were high for both teams, and York were especially keen to repay Hallam for being the only team to defeat them so far in the league.
The outcome of this earlier encounter appeared to have made Hallam cocky, as their starting fifteen was missing several of their key players, and York dominated the first-half, consistently punching holes in Hallam’s defence to score four tries.
The first try came only a few minutes into the game. After Emma Hodgson was tackled metres from the try-line, Kirsty Wheeler was quick to support, hitting Hodgson’s short pass at full speed to carry it over the whitewash. Wheeler’s conversion then gave York a seven point lead but, unfortunately, her already valuable contribution to the game was short-lived, after she went down in a tackle minutes later and had to be taken to hospital with a possible broken ankle.
Both teams tried to keep warm and focused while the play was stopped, and York made plans to reshuffle its pack, with Chelsey Sprong replacing Wheeler at tighthead prop, and Fiona Parr coming into the front row as loosehead. Even with this new line-up, York’s scrum proved a powerhouse throughout the match. Scrums were frequent, but York performed confidently, hooker Vic Cusick repeatedly pouncing on Hallam’s ball, stealing all but one of the home side’s put-ins.
York’s backs were on top form as well, exemplified when they sent the ball quickly down the line into the hands of Emma Cooper, who broke through several attempted tackles and sprinted down the right-wing to score York’s second try. Fullback Clare Beer commandeered a loose kick near midfield and dodged the Hallam defence to ground the ball several minutes later, a try which was converted by Hodgson. Cooper then pounced on a turnover to score her second try, and it looked like York might manage a fifth in the closing minutes of the half with a penalty deep in Hallam’s territory. However, the visitors were unable to make anything of it and Hodgson kicked for touch to close a successful half.
Hallam made some major changes to their line-up for the second half, bringing on their more experienced players who, until now, had been sitting on the sidelines. The consequence was a complete change in the style of the game. In the first period, Hallam had hardly been out of their own half, but now it was York who were pushed back into their own 22, doggedly defending against a concerted Sheffield attack.
Hallam’s relentless efforts led to three tries in the first twenty minutes of the half, as they employed the tactics that had proved so effective against York in the earlier league game. The Hallam forwards repeatedly picked the ball from the back of the ruck and drove forward with it, advancing inexorably up the middle of the pitch. York’s defensive line began to get ragged, despite the vocal efforts of winger Kate Fullilove to get her team mates back in line.
York saw their lead start to crumble as Hallam inched closer to drawing level, and they tightened up their defence at the ruck, determined not to throw the game away. For the last fifteen minutes of the game, they frustrated Hallam’s efforts, holding them at bay close to the York try-line. Exhausted, York began to count down the minutes to their win as Hallam kept fighting them until the final whistle, but ultimately, despite their best efforts; Hallam couldn’t make up the 24 point lead they had given York in the first-half. York will now move forward to face Liverpool University in the final of the BUCS cup. If they can repeat the sheer grit they showed against Hallam, their chances look good to take the title.
York Line-up: 1.Chelsey Sprong, 2.Vic Cusick, 3.Kirsty Wheeler, 4.Fiona Parr, 5.Sarah McLoughlin, 6.Louise Blockwell, 7.Gemma Parry, 8.Lizzie Prance, 9.Emma Hodgson, 10.Chrissie Leahy, 11.Amy Davies, 12.Aimee Miller, 13.Emma Cooper, 14.Kate Fullilove, 15.Clare Beer
Substitutes: Sabrina Ammi, Nikki Parker
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