Sunday 7th October 2007
Blaydon 2nds            10
Ormskirk Ladies         33
Tries : A O’Malley, C Rylance (2), E Gander, L Robinson
Conversions : J Leitch (4)
Boarding a suitably re-inforced bus Ormskirk Ladies began their new season with a bladder threatening trip to Blaydon. It would have been nice to go with a proven front row, but regular prop / hooker Lesley Kenny - who is as useful on stairs as a Dalek - pulled out after falling down yet another flight.  And without regular front row stalwart Jen Schofield it was left to Large, Little and Large (Liz Brown, Georgina Gillen and Sarah Hutt) to take on the tough Blaydon pack in the scrums.
From the moment full back Anna O’Malley skipped in under the posts it was obvious that the Ladies had the beating of Blaydon in the backs. But could the forwards win them enough ball? In the early stages the Ladies struggled in the scrums. Brown as an ex rugby league prop, is used to scrums being a bit of a cuddle. The Union scrum is a much fiercer creature where your oppenents will crush you until the wax pops out of your ears if you let them. Brown, Gillen and Hutt stuck at it and by the end of the half were winning enough ball to see the Ladies through.
A further try by debuntant winger Claire Rylance, converted by fly half Jenny Leitch gave the Ladies a 12-0 half time lead.
Rylance is not your Jonah Lomu type wing. She’s more your ‘Oh God they’re trying to kill me!’ frail blonde. But terror gave her wings and she sprinted in for another try to extend the Ladies lead to 19, Leitch converted.
THe Blaydon pack, unaware that they were dead and buried, kept coming forward like wave after wave of zombies in ‘The Night of the Living Dead’. Their unreasonable tenacity earned them a try, but only hope of victory was snuffed out when centre Emma ‘Doombringer’ Gander strode in for another score. A phantom conversion by Leitch added another two points on the referrees scorecard, if not in reality.
The Blaydon forwards kept the Ladies pinned in their own half for long periods and it was down to the honeymonsters, 2nd rows Cath Nixon and Carmel Dunkley, and the back row to keep them at bay. Indeed Charlotte Doyle, who wants to be a doctor, was vigorous enough at open side flanker to suggest that she was lining up a good store of customers for when she finally starts to practice.
The Blaydon meat grinding technique got them another try but once again the Ladies hit back. This time Page Three wing sensation Kayleigh McDonnell outstripped the defence, fell over the line and, not wishing to damage her nails by grounding the ball, popped the ball up for centre Louise Robinson to score.
We haven’t mentionned scrum half Kate Traynor as, for once, she didn’t do anything funny.
Report by Sam Botfield
Next game - Sunday 14th October away at Leeds Leos 2nds
League table : http://www.rfu.com/fixtures/MatchByDivision.aspx?DivID=9348466
