Match Report | Bradford Bulls 10-46 Sheffield Eagles Female Red

By Barry Wood

Sheffield Eagles Women Red team played Bradford Bulls Women in this scheduled round 13 away match at Odsal Stadium after beating their opponents 38-0 at home three months earlier in April.

Things didn’t get off to a good start again for the Eagles when a promising drive was intercepted by Bulls halfback Grady who raced 64 yards to score under the Eagles posts in the 4th.^th minute, converting it as well for an early 6-0 lead for the Bulls.

Three minutes later the Eagles responded with a long-range try when Judd, after receiving the ball from a center scrum field 25m inside the Eagles half, went left and beat the back line of Bulls to score 5m from left corner. The conversion hit the far post and bounced out, 6-4.

The next fifteen minutes saw the Eagles dominate territory but unable to convert this into points. Finally a strong burst from England took the game to the Bradford line. A wide switch to the left was blocked, but up came Wood (also back from a long injury) at idle-half to dive into the left-hand corner in the 23rd.^st minute. Missed conversion, score 6-8. Three minutes later Wood was in again, this time from the middle 55m out. A show and go and run produced a try under the posts, easily converted by Thomas for 6-14.

After continuing to punt the Bulls, the Eagles drove into the Bulls 20m at the 34.^th minute. As sometimes happens with passes hitting the floor, a defense hesitates. In this case, a drop off from Price, who had come down the field, did not go to hand. However, Green recovered the ball and raced back left, around and through the wrong-footed defense to score near the posts. Thomas converted again for a 6-20 Eagles lead at halftime.

Half time: Bradford Bulls – Women 6 – 20 Sheffield Eagles – Women

The Eagles continued to dominate much of this half. In 44^when minutes Clarke scored an outstanding try. Taking the ball from Wood on the halfway line, Clarke shot through the line and managed to shrug off several pursuers to dive under the posts. Thomas converted for 6-26.

A short Bulls fightback brought a try down the right wing when the Eagles’ left wing failed to respond quickly enough to a change in play again, with winger Wright heading over the corner in the 48th.^th minute for their final score to make it 10-26.

After that, the Eagles went on at regular intervals to post four more tries. After a Bulls mix-up at the back of a scrum handed the ball back to the Eagles, Frederick-Maynard made a barnstorming charge from 10m out to go over in the 56th.^th minute to the left of the pillars. Thomas converted for 10-32. This duo combination was repeated in 62^when minute to move the score to 10-38.

Camped in the middle, 18m from the Bulls’ tryline, the ball was flicked left over the line to center Thomas, who held off two defenders to get close to the flag in the 65th.^th minute but could not convert the try. Score 10-42.

The next ten minutes saw the Eagles contain the Bulls and occasionally themselves. Things finally settled down in ’79^th minute of a game the ball 5m just to the right of the posts. The Eagles swept the ball to the left, Judd dropped Price in the corner with a superb pass. The conversion failed, but the job done at 10-46 and the final whistle.

Full-time: Bradford Bulls Women 10 – 46 Sheffield Eagles Women

Eagles tries: Judd, Wood (2), Green, Clarke, Frederick-Maynard (2), Thomas, Price

Goals: Thomas (5/9)

Bulls try: Grady, Wright

Goals: Grady (1/2)

All in all, after addressing some of the issues identified from the previous weekend’s game, the Eagles produced a noticeably more effective and strong defensive display that set the stage for the attack to flourish and ultimately a convincing win.

The Trainers’ Award went to Chevelle Clarke, who produced some blistering runs on his return from a long injury lay-off. The captain’s choice went to second rower Lauren Exley for another very robust performance.