Bracknell U18s Girls v Newbury & Didcot

Bracknell U18s Girls got their season off to a fantastic start with a 17pts to 5pts victory over the newly clustered Newbury & Didcot U18s.
The warm up began in bright sunshine and 30 degree heat. The game kicked off with cooling temperatures and rain making conditions difficult from the off.

The girls started the game on the front foot probing the N&D defensive line with strong carries by both Maddison Cole and Izzy Millard be rewarded with gain line success. The Bracknell scrum provided a solid platform for clean ball much to the delight of scrum-half Lily Dondi who ably distributed well to Beth Green making her official debut for the club at Fly-Half. Also on Official Debut were Becky Turpin, Katie Sollitt and Jasmine Harris.

Bracknell's 1st try came from No.8 Charlie Duncombe powering over from close range near to the posts. Conversion by Green. (7-0)
Newbury and Didcot came back strongly from the Kick off and built some lovely phases of play up towards the Bracknell 22m. Some quick distribution saw their pacey full back round the defence and cross the line for a well deserved try. Conversion missed.(7-5)

Well into the last period of play, both sides were keenly matched although the Bracknell scrum had started to become dominant and began to take ball against the head. Front rowers Charlotte Ellis, Fia Gale and Lucy Waldron had become a formidable force, secured together by Turpin and Sollitt in the 2nd row. Forays by Full back Freya Bunyan and debutant Jasmine Harris had gone unrewarded. Presented with a centrally located scrum just outside the N&D 22m line - the Bracknell backs overloaded the left hand side. From the scrum, Malene Bowden-Evans, now at No.8, picked and when right supported by Dondi. With the N&D defence now scrambling across, Maddison Cole received the resulting off load and drove hard for the line supported by Millard for the Bracknell 2nd try out wide. Conversion missed. (12-5)

With only three minutes left on the clock, Bracknell gathered the kick off and strung together 7 phases to find themselves just inside the N&D half. Some quick hands from the base saw Millard put Bowden-Evans though a gap. With much to do and defenders to beat, she was brought down 10 metres short of the line only to have the quickness of thought to release and regather to drive through and across the try line for the last try of the game. Conversion missed. (17-5). The final whistle came 2 minutes later with Bracknell threatening again.

A great start to the season by the U18s and many more challenges ahead. Many of the players had not played together since the U13s age group due to the way the Girls game was restructured by RFU. Plenty for us to work on at training and we also look forward to meeting Newbury and Didcot later in the season at their place.