Tavistock U15s 7
Welwyn U15s 31
THIS match was not the one-sided affair suggested by the score. Two soft tries and a change of pitch due to an injury gave the away team a flattering score-line.
Welwyn are a hard tackling well organised outfit and they hit hard in the first few minutes, which took the wind out of Tavistock.
A try from a badly taken Tavistock penalty gave Welwyn the initiative and the lead within five minutes. The Tavistock girls were the faster all-round team but the bigger heavier Welwyn pack delivered the ball well to their threes and with much more ball gained territory throughout the match.
Tavistock broke through several times and with better luck could have scored. On one occasion, there was a race to follow a kick ahead and Tavistock's Lauren Dawe was unlucky not to get the bounce, while another effort was adjudged to be a forward pass.
However the home side were rewarded from a break by Ali Huntley, who off-loaded before it went through four pairs of hands to Toni Hoare to streak through and score under the posts. Fiona McCall slotted the conversion.
Katie Cowie and Amy Neave showed strength and speed for Tavistock in breaking through the lines and Bronwyn Rundle again showed her potential in this difficult match
This was a game, which was determined by the sheer strength of the Welwyn forwards, with the Tavistock girls' taking a battering. The second row of Rosie Tidball and Alice Upcott struggled against good technique and power from Welwyn. In the set pieces, Erin Midson-Holmes struck several times against the head. Battling against the adverse conditions and lady luck, the Tavistock team never allowing their heads to drop.
This match may indicate the standards to be attained on tour at the end of the season at the Worthing Rugby Festival.