Sunday 30/11/08
Scunthorpe vs. Ormskirk Ladies
44 12
On a lovely freezing Sunday morning the ladies of Ormskirk Rugby club set off with 11 players, 1 touch judge, and a coach (trying to find something or someone to prey to for help.) on the long journey up and across to Scunthorpe rugby club. Once there the ladies found out that much to their enjoyment that the opposition would only have 15 players for the game, but as the ladies saw those 15 players were all very capable when it comes to playing the game of rugby!
For 80 minutes the Ormskirk ladies proved once more that a bit of heart and determination can prove more difficult to deal with than any well drilled side! For the 80 minutes the ladies ran, tackled (some more so than others) rucked, mauled, and even won a few scrums, thanks to a little help from the ref. even though the final score line would state a different story the Scunthorpe Ladies had to work very hard for all their 44 points, with them only dominating in the final 20 minutes of the match when they worked out they had a 5 player overlap that with simple hands they could score with ease in the corner, but even then Ormskirk players still scrambled across hold up a few tries and driving other attempts into touch.
The Ormskirk tries where both from forcing the opposition into making mistakes. The first from Helen Williams ( who claimed to be ill) from a scrum on Scunthorpe’s 22 metre line Ormskirk won the ball and passed well from Traynor to Snake Hips and then onto Helen from there the ball must of got stuck in her hands as her supporting winger was screaming for it but was only wasting her breath. Helen ran her signature arch run and managed to find a bit of space in an already overcrowded Scunthorpe back line, from here nobody was going to stop the flu ridden crazy centre as Scunthorpe players bounced off her left and right to score Ormskirk first try in 3 games.
The second was scored by the pie eater support (no taste what so ever) Claire Rylance. From another Scunthorpe attack where they panicked from the massive overlap they had on either side of the pitch, they dropped a pass for a golden chance to score, Helen scooped the ball up and went on a strange running angle of straight and forward, the Scunthorpe players hadn’t learnt their lesson and where still bouncing of Helen but one luck hand caught her ankles making Helen stumble, this motion must of caused the glue in her hands to lose her effectiveness as she passed to her supporting winger, who was also running a strange angle of forward and straight. From here Claire hit the turbo boosters and out ran the full back and winger to score in the corner, and in true winger style decided to be mean to her kicker and not bother running towards the posts to make the conversion easier. That’s just being LAZY just because they’ve ran half the pitch to score the extra 15 metres shouldn’t be much to ask for.
When faced with the challenge the ladies had during this match there isn’t much realistically that a coach can ask for apart from heart, courage and teamwork, at the end of the game the Ormskirk ladies had done this and proved that if they have the chance they will challenge any team in this league!
The Day’s Lessons
Lesson 1: Knowing you’re left from your right
Whilst lined up to have their boots checked, the ref was checking the boots of Anne Russell who moves so fast she hopes from one foot to the other before the ref has chance to blink, the ref not being that quick asked Annie to raise her right boot so Annie showed her Left.
Lesson 2: Preparation time
Helen Williams had 40 minutes to get herself ready, playing gear on, warmed up and ready for action, last minutes checks done before the girls leave the changing rooms for kick off, and just as the ref blows his whistle Helen declares she needs a wee!
Lesson 3: Putting in at the scrum
Kate Traynor after several attempts to feed the ball and still losing it went to trying to put the ball in the straight in the middle and then just hoping for the best the ref was kind enough to show Kate how it was done, and with this Ormskirk won the ball and got it to the backs cleanly.
Lesson 4: Line Outs
Jane Gaskell took up the responsibility of throwing the ball in at line outs. Now throwing to the front of the line is an easy throw to do, short distance to travel, but she failed at every attempt, however the hardest throw of all to the back of the line was perfect every time if only for Louise to get snotted by the waiting forwards.
Lesson 5: Tackling by Kath Nixon (PLEASE DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME)
When a player who is bigger and stronger than you and already has a couple of your team mates hanging off them, you should stand up straight, tackle her upper body and get bounced to your backside and ran over!
