BEAN FINDS COMFORT IN THE BOTTLE
Ladies’ Coach Sean ‘Bean’ Fogarty must be tearing his hair out. He took over a team that had Gander and O’Malley; two of the County team’s brightest stars. He took over a team that had Kenny and Schofield; massively experienced. He took over a team that had Prescott; who’d gnarled her way from NW3 to the Premiership and back again. He took over a team that had McDonnell, Mousse, Pendleton and Williams; all rich in promise. He took over a team that could call on Walker and Johnson; before they decided to throw in their lot with Waterloo.
With eleven players like that you’ld only need to add four crash test dummies and you would have a team capable of winning this Division.
But on Sunday his team took on the League leaders without any of them.
Instead he had a mixed bag of raw beginners, half blooded students and the remnants of the Old Guard. Oh, yes … and a crash test dummy.
From the kick off the game was only going to go one way. Sheffield’s. They were individually competent, collectively organised and thoroughly determined. The Ladies were occasionally competent, collectively confused and utterly courageous.
To the Ladies’ supporters it was both disappointing and encouraging. As a team the Ladies had no right to be on the same pitch as Sheffield. But, individually, they battled with such heart that it practically brought tears to your eyes. No one shirked a tackle, no one stopped running and no one failed to applaud or encourage their team mates. It was rugby as it should be played … with lots of bottle.
If inexperienced players needed examples to follow, they needed to look no further than centre Louise Robinson and fly half Jenny Leitch. Neither gave an inch in defence or wasted a ball in attack. And neither had a breath left to spare when the final whistle was blown. With inspirational players like these, and the obvious commitment of his new recruits, Coach Bean has plenty to build on.
Sheffield led 12 – 0 at the half way mark. It should have been more but bad hands let them down … as often as not because an Ormskirk Lady was there or thereabouts, busting a gut to get a tackle in as the final pass was thrown. But after the break Sheffield eased away with four more tries as the Ladies tired, got injured or went off for a fag.
Wing Rachel Birrell won Back of the Day for two startling breaks that almost brought scores. Cath Nixon won Forward of the Day for a tackle count that went into double figures and Girl of the Game went to Heidi Green. Green, having her first ever game of rugby, was encouragingly eager to smack people all over the place. Hopefully she will retain her enthusiasm when they smack her back.
