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Ladies Match ReportsOlney Ladies v Shelford Sunday 26 April Olney WON 21-12
In the blistering heat, the tension was high as Olney knew this was a must-win game. The home side, with plenty of vocal supporters, made a nervous start which gave Shelford the opportunity to bed in. The tables soon turned however, as Olney got into their stride and number 8 Sarah Allen led the offensive with some excellent break through running. Centre Kath Hardwick and flanker Helen Hacker both added weight to Olney’s attack with strong running powering the team forwards – but there seemed no way through Shelford’s rock solid defensive line. Scrums were excellent and the Shelford pack had no answer to Olney’s superior power, as hooker Clair Swallow led the charge stealing ball against the head. Short bursts from the breakdown area kept Olney’s momentum going but it seemed the referee was intent on preventing a flowing game, as the whistle was heard every few minutes in the first half for infringements and penalties. The first score for Olney came from a period of loose play where the home side kept going forward until centre and captain Maddy Bowley made a swerving run to slice the defence apart. Olney seemed to be on the up and soon after it was number 8, Sarah Larner who spotted the gap and picked up from a ruck to burst through for the line with typical pace and power. However Shelford’s heads didn’t go down and their fly half orchestrated a move up the pitch with her excellent kicking. Olney were soon in a desperate situation on the line and Shelford managed to spot the gap out wide and take advantage to go over. From the restart, Olney seemed to lose shape and once again the home team were in their own 22. A penalty against Olney was taken quickly and Shelford managed to close the gap, leaving the score at 14-12 to Olney going into the break. The second half was messier play from both sides as once again the referee insisted on blowing up at every opportunity. Shelford did well to abate the flow of Olney shirts, as the home side tried to get back into form. Lizzi Leech at second row made some excellent breaks and winger Mary Hardwick cleaned up opposition kicks to keep Olney on the move. Eventually it was Maddy Bowley who went through again to score and convert her second try – giving Olney some valuable breathing space. Shelford kept up their ambition to topple Olney with absolutely excellent defence, but as the final whistle blew it was still the home side going forward.
Tries: Maddy Bowley (2) Sarah Allen (1) Conversions Maddy Bowley (3)
High resolution pictures of the game
available: http://www.flickr.com/photos/olneyrfc/sets/72157617270842261/
Olney Ladies v Stoneygate Won 10-0 Sunday 29 March
Taking on the league leaders, Stoneygate were keen to do their best against Olney and certainly made a good start by pushing Olney back into their own 22 within minutes of kick off. Some good defence from Olney prevented any early damage however, and it wasn’t long before centre Helen Hacker and number 8 Sarah Allen starting making ground with their trademark strong running. Olney did well in pushing forward but often Stoneygate managed to overturn possession with some good steals at the breakdown. Olney were on their line more than once but managed to keep out the offensive and overturn possession. A good break from Kath Hardwick took Olney up the pitch and support was there from Sarah Allen. Olney looked good in the scrums and once again kept momentum going until the line was in sight. A clever piece of set play saw scrum half Kirsty Duncan dummy her way through to touch down.
Olney were struggling to bed in and the game ebbed and flowed with both teams tackling ferociously and making good in roads. Stoneygate’s back row were very strong but good work from Alison Taylor kept the challenge at bay. Stoneygate punished Olney with the boot and kicked penalties far down the pitch – Olney were letting them in by their mistakes. A series of errors saw Olney defending on the line again but good work from Amanda Clarke, returning from injury, kept the sheet clean. A good kick from Helen Hacker took Olney back into the right side of the pitch and it was Hacker who then chipped over and collected to keep momentum going. Some fumbling saw the ball turnover again, much to Olney’s frustration, and once again Stoneygate kicked to clear.
Full back Kerry James made some good incisions from deep after clearing up the opposition kicks and this led to the next try, with Helen Hacker bursting through to score. Olney then had 2 players sin binned which meant it was all hands to the pumps for last-gasp tackling. Thankfully, Stoneygate were kept at bay and Olney won through in this very hard fought game.
Olney now look set to win the league, with only one fixture left against Shelford on Sunday 26 April. Olney Ladies v Old Leams Ladies Sunday 1 March Olney won 53-0
Sunday saw a return to form for Olney Ladies who dominated this game from the off. On previous meetings against Old Leams, Olney had struggled to get off the starting blocks and score but Sunday’s game broke the mould and the home side touched down just a few minutes in, thanks to winger Mary Hardwick. Olney continued in the same vein for the next quarter, running in some textbook tries thanks to clinical finishes from winger Maddy Bowley, fly half Lizzy Holborn and number 8 Sarah Allen.
Old Leams defended ferociously but Olney seemed to overpower the visitors, even in the scrummage which has always been a strong area for Old Leams. Olney’s front row of Clair Swallow, Lindsay Johnson and Claire Batty won ball against the head almost at every opportunity, and the platform this gave the back line was immense. Quick hands and good support play kept the tries coming for Olney, with Helen Hacker going over after a blazing break, followed by fly half Lizzy Holborn securing a brace.
Olney’s weakness seemed to be the breakdown area and Old Leams were very quick to rip out the ball and regain possession. Time after time, continuity was lost as both teams consistently lost possession. Old Leam’s fly half opted to use her kicking skills to gain ground and move the visitors forward, but full back Kerry James was on form and ready to clear up and counter attack at every opportunity. Olney kept their heads and played with fluency and composure. Forwards Helen Hacker and Lizzi Leech proved valuable in support play, often keeping momentum going from incisive breaks.
The second half saw more of the same – Olney dominating in set piece and attack, although Old Leams picked up their defence and managed to quell the home side to an extent. There was still opportunity for more tries however, with Claire Batty running in one, Sarah Allen adding her second and Mary Hardwick blazing over again. Two conversions from Kerry James, and another from Maddy Bowley, took the final score to 53-nil.
This was possibly the best display from Olney Ladies yet this season, who now lie at the top of the Midlands 2 league table and have a chance of promotion... Olney Ladies v Lakenham Hewitt Won 10-nil Sunday 25 January
Everyone in the Olney team was looking forward to an improved game from last week’s fixture, and the home side started well with some good passages of play which drove Lakenham backwards. Rachel Hemsley impressed with a series of bursts from the base of the ruck, ably supported by flanker Helen Hacker. Lakenham absorbed the pressure well, and tackled like their lives depended on it. It wasn’t long before their counter rucking yielded results and a swift set of backs looked to threaten for the line. A great try-saving tackle by Olney prevented a score but the tables were turned and now it was Lakenham on the offensive. The visitors were unlucky not to score as Olney conceded penalties which took them right to the line. Eventually the ball was won back and a series of moves took it out to winger Carice Allen, who zipped round the opposition to run in a try from her own 22.
Leading up to half time, Olney were looking in good shape with balls stolen in the scrum and some good work from the pack. However there was no advantage taken of space out wide, as Olney persisted to run the ball in, leading to missed opportunities and a half time score of 5-0.
Lakenham came back into the game strongly after the break and again Olney responded with ill discipline. A series of silly penalties gave the visitors the upper hand and their backs had a break through runner, only prevented from scoring by Kirsty Duncan’s try saving tackle. It was hard work in heavy mud and eventually Olney regained possession, working the ball back up the pitch with short runs from the forwards. 10 yards out, a score was coming, and it was Lizzy Holborn at full back who sliced through to touch down.
Again Lakenham responded well, with their centre partnership proving particularly testing. Centre Lou Osborne for Olney made a series of impressive tackles to see off the challenge and Sarah Allen at number 8 had a great game in the loose, counter rucking and stealing balls throughout the whole match. Second row Tanya Cartmell showed her mettle with some excellent ball gathering and driving skills, enjoying the conditions and the physicality of this game.
With an exhausting 80 minutes, the final whistle was welcomed on this good natured and well balanced game. Olney v Lichfield II, Sunday 18 January, lost 43-17
What promised to be one of the best games of the season for both teams descended into a disappointingly fraught affair on Sunday. Lichfield started the game well with a converted penalty followed swiftly by a classy try, illustrating their ambition to overthrow Olney as league leaders. With no first team game, the second team was on good form but Olney managed to drive them back up the pitch thanks to hard graft from the pack. Rachel Hemsley made a welcome return from injury with excellent support running and eventually it was Sarah Allen who burrowed over from 5 yards out to open Olney’s account.
Lichfield replied in good fashion with their back row making a great impact. Although Olney were strong in set piece, the defence around the fringes was lacking and Lichfield took full advantage to score when ever the opportunity arose. Their backs were fast and strong and although Maddy Bowley and Lou Osborne both made excellent last gasp tackles, the support was there and Lichfield managed to ebb in front as half time loomed.
The second half saw a better surge from Olney as Helen Hacker at centre began to find gaps, ably supported by Tanya Cartmell and Lindsay Johnson who continued momentum. Eventually it was number 10 Lizzy Holborn who managed to sneak over for Olney. The match then began to take a turn for the worse however, as the 15-year-old referee gradually lost control of the game, especially at the breakdown. A number of baffling infringements from both sides were completely missed, which incensed both supporters and players. With Lichfield quicker on the uptake, the game slipped away from Olney as the home side managed to creep offside, slow the ball down and create tries from knock-ons. Discipline waned as both teams got increasingly frustrated and this came to a head when an Olney player was sin-binned.
With 15 minutes left, the game was tense and Lichfield started running in tries. Helen Hacker managed to reply with a great incursion resulting in a try, which she duly converted. With the atmosphere the most tense in any rugby game Olney have played, the final whistle was welcomed. Shelford 7 - Olney 15
Stoneygate Ladies 5 – Olney Ladies 27 The Pink Ladies returned to form, and the top of the league table, this weekend with a spirited performance against Stoneygate. On what was probably the windiest day of the year, Olney were keen to wipe away the memory of the defeat against Lakenham in the previous match. A strong start saw Olney almost score within the first 3 minutes of the game. There was obvious improvement in the organisation of the defence and the forwards worked the ball up the pitch time and again, denying Stoneygate almost any chance to even get out of their own half for the first 20 minutes. By that time, the hosts were already two tries down. The first try came from winger Mary Hardwick after the ball was spun wide from a breakdown in the middle of the pitch. She received the ball from her sister Kath Hardwick and outsprinted the Stoneygate defence. The second try, also scored by Mary Hardwick, was created in much the same way, once again with a cunning pass creating an overlap on the wing that Hardwick eagerly exploited. The strong wind meant play was kept compact and passes were short. Olney were solid in defence and fast in attack. The second half continued as the first had ended: Olney having most of the ball. Stoneygate were better organised in the second half and threatened to score a few times but once again it was via the wings that Olney scored two tries. This time they both came from Carice Allen on the blind side. This first after a miss-pass and sprint from just inside the Stonegate half. After a 5 metre scrum right in front of the posts, Number 8 Sarah Allen took the ball and spun it out to Carice Allen to touch down for her second try of the day. Olney lost concentration after that and let Stoneygate score after a series of missed tackles. The ladies did not give up and eventually they got their bonus point when Sarah Allen scored try number 5. With a conversion from Kerry James, the final score was Stoneygate 5 – Olney Ladies 27.
Lakenham Ladies 12 – Olney Ladies 10
Olney Ladies suffer first loss of the season Olney Ladies dropped their first points in the title race for Midlands Championship 2 in a hard match against Lakenham Ladies. Lakenham started the match with overwhelming pressure on the Olney defence from the first kick. The first 15 minutes, Onley were unable to even get out of their own 22. The Lakenham scrum was powerful and Olney had no answer to the pressure from the forwards. The rucks were messy, not helped by Lakenham killing the ball on the floor without being penalised. Olney were clearly put off their game and it was no surprise that Lakenham drew first blood after 10 minutes with a try and a conversion after several attempts being held up by the Olney defence. The re-start saw Olney enter Lakenham territory for the first time but despite a few good phases of play, they were unable to stamp their authority on the match. In times of pressure, a moment of individual brilliance can be just what helps a team back in the game and Carice Allen provided just such an effort. She judged her defensive position perfectly and intercepted a Lakenham pass on the wing. She barged through and sprinted from the halfway line to score her 4th try of the season. Olney played more as team after that score but Lakenham kept the pressure up and they scored their second try on the stroke of half time to take the score to 12-5. The second half started brightly for Olney with a more spirited display and better teamwork. Olney realised that they were outgunned in midfield and started to play a more expansive game. The result was a wonderful try from Mary Hardwick after the ball was spun wide. Shortly after, Olney lost two of the front row players to injury and went down to 13 players for the last 20 minutes of the match. Despite pushing hard for a result, Olney found themselves frustrated by the lack of advantage play and delaying tactics from the opposition. In the end, the score remained 12-10 for the home team. Overall, Olney produced a spirited display, especially in the second half when they managed to keep the opposition from scoring, despite having lost 2 forwards.
Lichfield put the heat on Olney Olney 31 - Lichfield 15 Sunday 12 October On what must surely be the hottest day in October in a long time, Olney Ladies took on Lichfield II. Knowing Lichfield II would provide a bigger challenge than any opposition so far this season, the ladies planned to come out all guns blazing from the start. The visitors were unable to bring a full team, managing to field only 12 players.
But it was Lichfield II that made the stronger impression in the first 10 minutes. As so often with a team that cannot field a full team, the visitors were motivated and well organised. Olney frequently committed too many people to break downs, resulting in difficulty to get the ball out wide to the overlaps.
After 5 minutes, scrum half Kirsty Duncan made a break on the right-side of the field, setting up winger Carice Allen for a certain score. Unfortunately, Allen’s speed meant she had no support behind her when she was brought down and in the end, Olney gave away a penalty instead of scoring a try. Nevertheless it was Olney who got the first score on the board after 12 minutes. After a passage of good solid forward play, prop Amanda Clarke, back after a calf injury, broke with the ball on the right side and touched down.
A few minutes later, the second try came from outside centre Kath Hardwick who broke through after Olney turned the ball over in a scrum. Captain Maddy Bowley duly converted the opportunity right in front of the posts.
Lichfield did not look like only having 12 players on the pitch. They were well organised and more than once managed to deny Olney progress. Especially in the middle of the field, space was at a premium. After a period of good work from the forwards, winger Mary Hardwick took advantage with a break on the left side of the pitch, avoiding a few tackles with good speed. Captain Maddy Bowley side-stepped her way to the fourth try underneath the posts.
The final word of the first half was for Lichfield however. An assault on the Olney line lasted for several minutes with 4 penalties in a row proving too much for the home defence and Lichfield bundled their way over the line for a try seconds before half time. The second half did not start much better with Lichfield scoring within 5 minutes of the re-start. Once again, the try came after Olney gave away a series of penalties. Things got worse when Olney saw Hooker PC sin binned for the longest 10 minutes in rugby history for stamping.
Upon her return to the pitch, the first thing Olney did was steal the ball against the head in a scrum on Lichfield’s 5 metre line. Strong pressure pushed the visitors back all the way to their own line and Number 8 Sarah Allen grabbed the ball to dive over.
The heat was clearly taking its toll on Olney and even though the visitors were short of players, they were certainly the fitter side towards the end of the match. The final word came from Lichfield after a sustained period of defence from a tired Olney. After 3 defensive scrums, Olney won the ball back, only to then get a penalty for apparently wheeling their own scrum. Lichfield did not waste any time and the Number 8 took the quick tap penalty and drove over the line for a try.
The final score was 31 – 15 but seldom has a win been greeted with less enthusiasm by Olney. With no match this coming weekend, the players and coaches have plenty to work on in the coming week. Forward of the match went to Helen Hacker, back of the match went to Kath Hardwick. Olney Ladies sink Old Leamingtonians Ladies 39 - 0 Sunday 5 October Olney Ladies started the season with a flurry of tries last Sunday against old Leamingtonians, crossing the line 7 times after a difficult start. If ever the expression ‘a game of two halves’ applied to a game of rugby, it was this one. The first half is best forgotten as soon as possible as Olney spent most of the time defending, crossing in to Old Leams territory only on a handful of occasions.
Olney were clearly not switched on for the first 40 minutes as passes went missing and sloppy play saw Old Leamingtonians come close to scoring a few times. At half time, Olney clearly get their heads together and the second half showed why the ladies came close to winning the league last season.
The first try came a few minutes in to the second half after some good work at a breakdown on Olney’s own half. Alison Taylor, back after missing last season due to injury, got her hands on the ball and broke on the blind side. Winger Carice Allen got the ball just before the halfway line and sprinted all the way to touch down for the first of her two tries of the day.
With the deadlock broken, Olney seemed to find their form again and they started to outdo Old Leamingtonians on all fronts. With tighter play around the breakdowns, the ladies worked their way up the pitch where prop Claire Batty pushed through the last line of defence for a try under the posts.
Olney dominated the scrums and it wasn’t long until a third and forth try were on the board, courtesy of Captain Maddy Bowley and Kath Hardwick. After this, Old Leamingtonians lost some of their spirit and in the end, further tries from Lizzi Holbourn, Claire Batty and Carice Allen took the final score to 39 – 0 to Olney.
Player of the Match was prop Lindsey Johnson who, with her strong and decisive breaks, was instrumental in securing possession for Olney. In the end, this was an easy victory for Olney but hopefully next week, away against Lichfield II, they will remember to turn up for both halves of the game! Olney Ladies v British Army Trials Team Sunday 28 September WON 22-15 Yesterday brought a result for Olney Ladies that not many expected, as they saw off the challenge of playing the British Army trials team with a hard fought win. The game began on good form with Olney making an immediate impression thanks to strong running from back row players Helen Hacker and Sarah Larner. A superb maul led Olney way up the pitch and after some hard running from the back line, centre Kath Hardwick broke through to open the scoring.
Olney’s power in the pack became evident as hooker Clair Swallow won ball against the head and scrum half Kirsty Duncan did a great job at turning defence into attack. Some quick hands and excellent support play led to a period of the game where Olney were in the ascendant, and a wonderful finish to the move came from winger Carice Allen who used her pace to outwit the Army defence out wide. 10 points down, it was now that the Army triallists regrouped and began to dictate the second quarter. Some excellent moves from the breakdown led them back up the pitch and eventually Olney’s defence was outfoxed, despite some strong tackling from Maddy Bowley and Lou Osborne. The overlap emerged and the Army did not let it go to waste, going wide to touch down.
Olney lost their focus slightly, allowing the Army Ladies to continue the offensive and take the game to them. With good handling and pace, the Army were quick to capitalise with another score, taking the teams into an even balance sheet as half time approached.
The second half brought renewed vigour as Olney were determined to recapture their early form. Some more positive running was dictated by fly half April Duncan and Helen Hacker, who continued to rampage through the gain line in her usual fashion. Good support work from Claire Batty and Lizzi Leetch ensured the game flowed and Olney were soon in a scoring position. From the scrum, the ball went wide and centre Kath Hardwick snuck through to claim her second try, which was converted by captain Maddy Bowley. Olney were now settled and more powerful running from the restart led them back up the pitch. Mary Hardwick did well to keep the ball in play and eventually it was Helen Hacker who used her strength to twist through a tackle to touch down.
The Army replied in good fashion, however, with some fresh legs providing added impetous. A breakthrough in the centre, with a certain score on the cards, was snuffed out by cover tackling from Carice Allen and Lou Osborne. The pressure was maintained and soon Olney were defending on the line, managing to hold up two attempts to score. The pack did a superb job of disrupting the breakdown and stealing ball and eventually Claire Batty emerged with possession to give Olney a breather. A good kick from Hacker cleared the lines and kept the Army at bay. There was short relief, however as soon enough the visitors were piling on pressure again and eventually Olney bowed, giving them a try. No conversion left the score at 22-15 with 3 minutes to go. At the restart, Olney managed to turn over possession and secure the ball long enough to hear the final whistle go on a testing and exhausting game – which leaves them in a great position to start their league campaign next week.
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