Bracknell Ladies VS Cannock Ladies 17/02/2019

On the 17th February it was time for Bracknell Ladies to face one of their most important games so far - the quarter finals of the Junior Cup against Cannock Ladies. It was clear from the look in their eyes that they were up for the challenge of making it to the semi-finals of the cup, and knew that they had to play their best game of rugby yet!

The first whistle blew and although Bracknell put Cannock under immense pressure, it was clear that Bracknell’s nerves were getting the better of them. The ladies were making small but integral mistakes that enabled Cannock’s winger to get hold of the ball and sprint into the whitewash, making it 7-0 in the first couple minutes. Nevertheless, this didn’t get the better of Bracknell as huge hits came from Mealsy Whitbread and Zara King in the pack, including great scrums from Bracknell’s forwards. A great kicking game from Shiv Jameson allowed Bracknell to get up the pitch and carry on pressuring the opposition. Soon, a free kick came in Bracknell’s favour, which allowed Tash King and Shiv Jameson to use their great strength and quick hands to gain yards on the opposition. Regardless of Bracknell’s hard work and solid defence, Cannock managed to get over the whitewash two more times in the next 10 minutes making the score 19-0.

This didn’t force Bracknell’s heads to drop as they showed true determination and team spirit through the disappointment of conceding tries, of which Bracknell are not used to! Steph Sillilo had a great game on her debut for Bracknell, making huge tackles and nippy runs through the opposition. Big carries came from Amber Clark at 8 from the back of the scrum, making it difficult for Cannock to defend. Fierce line speed from Amber Ledger, Leanne Smith, Rachel Rickett and Kirsty Robeson in the back line was great to watch and it was clear that Cannock were beginning to feel the pressure. Joy Chapman had a solid game at fullback, making vital tackles and hitting some strong lines for Bracknell to play with. Despite a huge defensive input from Bracknell and great tackles from Alice Whitbread and Zoe Young in the middle of the park, another try for Cannock was put on the scoreboard, making the score 31-0 to Cannock at half time.

Half time score Bracknell 0-31 Cannock

After some motivational wisdom from the coaches during the half time break, it was clear that the girls were determined to get a try on the Cannock side. The second half was a pleasure to watch as Bracknell put their hearts into every tackle - they were playing this game for each other and that was obvious! A line out for Bracknell at the half way mark was a great opportunity to show off their back line. Great hands were shown from Steph Sillilo and Joy Chapman, getting the ball out to Rachel Rickett showing great pace and quick feet but unfortunately getting tackled into touch! Cannock’s fantastic structure and quick wingers allowed them to get two more tries on the scoreboard making the score 45-0 half way through the second half.

Despite this heart wrenching score, Bracknell put their bodies on the line to defend solidly. In the last 20 minutes of the game, most of the rugby was played by Bracknell in Cannock’s half, with great play from Zara King who picks the ball from the back of a maul and uses her power to gain territory. The ball was turned over but with a huge hit from Tash King, Bracknell we’re in possession of the ball again. With fantastic team work and quick hands from the sister duo, Zara King and Zoe Young, Zoe offloads to Joy Chapman, who with her great pace, dives into the corner of the dead ball area and getting Bracknell’s first try of the game making the score 5-45! With not long to go, it was clear that Bracknell were the better team towards the end and proved that with hard work, grit and determination, they can put points on a team who are top of the league above!

Final score Bracknell Ladies 5-45 Cannock Ladies

A few words from our captain, Hannah Taylor; “It was a tough game today and not the result we wanted but we have done so well to get as far as we have in the cup and you should all be really proud of yourselves. Now we can reset and focus on our next game against Abbey 2s this Sunday.”

Forward of the Match: Alice Whitbread for massive hits, great runs into space and peeling off the scrum quickly.

Back of the Match: Amber Ledger for stepping up into the number 10 position, leading both the forwards and the back and great game play.

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