Ormskirk Ladies   46
Fleetwood            19
Tries : E Gander (4), A O’Malley (2), G Kendall, R Cowan
Conversion : J Leitch (3)
Back in October the Ladies went to Fleetwood and, for the first time in years, beat them. The confidence that one victory brought set the Ladies on course for an all conquering season, unbeaten in the League, that climaxed on Sunday when they comprehensively walloped Fleetwood by 9 tries to 3 to win the title.
With Ormskirk and Fleetwood both vying for the Championship it was winner take all. Fleetwood had the edge - a draw would have been enough - but the Ladies had home advantage.
They also had Emma Gander at centre. Gander, whose hobbies are cage fighting and knitting with razor wire, is a fearsome prospect for defenders. Not for nothing has she been christened Doombringer. Within 5 minutes she had powered her way through the middle of the Fleetwood defence to give the Ladies the lead.
But big match nerves were jangling and Fleetwood took a 7 - 5 lead when the Ladies failed to deal with a downfield kick. Fleetwood made it 12 - 5 when Ormskirk reacted to a penalty on their own 22 with all the urgency of dozing sheep.
Despite these reverses the Ladies were moving the ball well and the pressure was building on the visitors. Fleetwood’s backs were brave and quick but they simply didn’t have the power to deal with Gander coming at them like a foam flecked berserker. She grabbed two more first half tries before flanker Gail Kendall made it 20 - 12 at half time.
It should have been more but fly half Jenny Leitch, whose conversions have been so assured this season, was kicking like a man in skis.
The first try in the second half was bound to set the tenor for the game and, luckily, it fell to the Ladies. Scrum half Anna O’Malley has been a dynamo this season and she notched her 19th try of the campaign to effectively put the game out of Fleetwood’s reach.
With uncontested scrums and Kendall having a superb day in the lineout … and a bit of a rest elsewhere …. Ormskirk had a plentiful supply of ball. Girl of the Game Gander battered her way to a 5 try haul and leggy lock Cath Nixon set up full back Cara Pendleton for a try that was a just reward for both youngsters’ efforts.
O’Malley sneaked in for another to become the Ladies’ top try scorer of the season for the third time. Leich notched her third conversion and at 46 - 12 the game was won. A disappointingly sparse crowd applauded Ormskirk RUFC’s most successful senior side of season 2006/7 to victory. But then we all know womens’ rugby doesn’t matter, don’t we?
The referee offered Fleetwood the chance to concede the game. But they proudly refused and doggedly drove Ormskirk back until they claimed a final converted score.
Match report by Sam Botfield.
