Watsonians Ladies Trim Barb From The ‘Rose

Not only does Kath Vass provide a match report but she also manages to push the double entendre boundaries to a new level. Obviously, the Ed. had no choice but to use the title verbatim:Not only does Kath Vass provide a match report but she also manages to push the double entendre boundaries to a new level. Obviously, the Ed. had no choice but to use the title verbatim: Watsonians Ladies trim barb from the ‘Rose Firstly apologies for the delay in this match report as your reporter had a little too much fun on the bus on the way home and forgot she??™d have a horror of a week running up to the International this weekend. Anyway, here goes: Melrose WRFC v Watsonians FC, played on the Abbey Road pitch at Melrose. Melrose??™s inability to field a full side once more, meant the official result of this game was never in doubt – a win for Watsonians. But, wanting a game, and a chance to stretch legs not used in combat for a while, meant Watsonians travelled to Melrose to play an attenuated game of 12s. A beautiful day guided the girls down to the Borders. A waft of creosote welcomed the team from the new car park at the Melrose training pitch at Abbey Road, after their short trudge across the fields from the main club. Luckily the bitumen was put to rest as the team prepared. Within two minutes of kick-off this game had most of the elements of a typical rugby match; running, kicking, tackling, scrums and lineouts. Some of the Sonians Development Squad players, freshly released from their weekend training camp looked surprised by the Melrose vehemence but soon adjusted. Until they did the opposition managed to sneak close in to the 22 but good defence staved off any early embarrassment. A fumble by Rose (the first of many) in to touch gave a lineout ball that quickly swung wide to Clare Dickie Murray, Emma Evans and then to the speedster Gemma Ryde. 7 minutes in and the first score, 0-5 to Sonians. A well-placed deep restart was the only pressure Rose could bring to bear, as a sneak scoop of the ball by Captain Pratt giving a well-set ruck and allowing the unleashing of Kesh who??™s fabulous cut through the centre made plenty of space for a swift pass to Dickie (revelling in her travelling support) and another score for Ryde. 9 mins 0-10. We only had to wait three minutes for the next score as some excellent clearing gave Evans a clear run down the right wing over the line: 0-15. The first serious call for water came at this point, described as ???Gemma mouthing off at the crowd again??? by Miss Ryde??™s own travelling support and fellow Sonians try-scorer. Shortly before twenty minutes saw the next score as the retake by Joyce Marooooon! Shute was popped to Sarah Jones and then taken on again by Kesh to a ruck near the line. Louise Beenie Fraser took the ball and went on the drive, swift hands and then out finding its way to Ryde on the wing, score 0-20. Changes occurred at twenty minutes as two players left the field injured Keri The Hammer Holdsworth with an elbow injury and Joyce, with Evans off for a respite. Coming on were Suzi, Nat and Sophie all ably stepping in. The tackle of the game was made by Sarah Jones. A superb side-launch at a Melrose winger. Although Watsonians had the lineout, a not straight call from the Ref gave the scrum to Rose. What could have been a serious left-wing run by Rose was scuppered by a serendipitous knock-on giving Sonians an attacking scrum ten metres in the opposition half. Pratt powered through and under posts, converted by Beenie the score was now 0-27. Melrose made a brief attack shortly after an injury stoppage, showing some great handling only for the ball to be lost forward. Sonians took the advantage with a slick dummy switch ending in a ruck and the ball going to Cookie, the Player of the Match, Steph Garnett, and made an absolute corker of a hand-off! Advantage then started to leach away as a penalty for hands in the ruck gave Rose a kick at touch. But Sonians were redeemed by winning the lineout , and then by Rose committing the same foul themselves. (Evans came on for Ryde ” the old war wound playing up again.) A good line let Kesh free to run down the line and a fresh-legged Evans to storm over at the thirty minute mark, 0-32. Another Beenie conversion 0-34. Thats only half time! Youll be glad to know a much quieter second half ensued and Captain Pratt making way for Sarah Mckeown. Three minutes in to the half and a penalty for Sonians taken quickly and run wide only for Emma Jones to score on the 5 m line – a true pink short moment. The error was saved only for the ball to be stolen, after aggressive defence by Rose at a ruck and for them to run free and score at six minutes, 5 – 34. A tighter game meant the next score wasnt until 15 minutes with a fantastically run line by S. Jones to score in the left corner. 5 – 39. At 24 minutes came the try of the day as a superb sequence through the hands, the ball laid off expertly by Mckeown to Pratt who loped up the right wing, a quick dodge in the try area and a score under the posts! 5 – 46, with the conversion by Evans. Just before the final whistle a moment of distraction allowed in a consolation score for Rose. Still a very good result: Final Score 10 – 46. Pink shorts went to Jonny Sandlan for delaying the bus by 20 minutes. Well, what a week it has been since that game with a number of Sonians involved in the women??™s game against Italy. We had one player on the field in the triumphant trouncing of Italy, Sarah-Louise Walker. But the day could not have functioned without the huge input of Riet Garsed, Lynne Galloway, Nat Nicholls and Sarah Mckeown of whom the Club can be proud. Thanks Girls. KV watsoniansrugby.com Published: 28/2/07