Hull KR 20-28 Sheffield Eagles Women Red

By Barry Wood

Sheffield Eagles Women Red traveled to play last season’s Championship winners Hull KR Women in a rearranged fixture of a 2nd leg match postponed in March due to a waterlogged pitch. However, this was a schedule rearrangement that brought its own availability issues due to regular absences of players on vacation during what was originally a free weekend.

The Eagles first set from kick off went very well, coming out of their own line 10m from Hull KR’s line.

However, successive possessions did not go so well, with errors preventing the set from being completed, which progressively ceded territorial advantage to Hull KR, eventually leading to a goal-line surrender. Three Hull KR plays got them within 5m of the Eagles’ try line and the fourth saw powerful free forward Brewster force a drive from 10m, spinning out of the tackle on the line to score in the 10.^th minute 5m to the left of the posts, converted by Thomas for a 6-0 lead.

The next Eagles possession went much better with a last tackle forcing a Hull KR tackle by the right wing just in front of their try line, hand to the Eagles left 10m out 20m from touch. Although the next four plays failed to get over the line, they compressed the Hull KR defense down the Eagles’ left. In the fifth play, half Carlton went straight and forward which created a 5v3 down the right. There was no need, Hull KR’s left back overread the play, leaving a gap for second rower Bosworth to head into the tackle in the 17th.^th minutes 10m to the right of the pillars. Converted by Brennan to level the scores at 6-6.

However, after being awarded a high contact penalty, returning the kick-off, making an easy exit from their own half, the Eagles immediately squandered it by not making contact on the penalty kick. In the return Hull KR set up a poor kick from the last tackle which allowed the Eagles to advance 1m from the Hull KR try line, fake half Carlton stopped at the fifth tackle. With a 6v3 overload down the right, a try beckoned, but a terrible pass from play – the ball wasted the chance, compounded further by a desperate rebound that landed in the hands of the offside.

The Eagles’ next possession was lost midway on a subtle 3-ball break in the tackle, but it was not called by the referee. A dropped catch on the last gave Hull KR another set, this time 18m from the Eagles line. Hull KR laid siege from the scrum, but luckily the last tackle was caught safely this time. However, once again, after being awarded a penalty for offside 40 yards out, the Eagles put in another kick that failed to find the touch – Hull KR back on the attack from their own 30 yard line. On play five, the Eagles received a high contact penalty 20 yards from their line and the pressure told. Slow line speed brought Hull KR even closer and for the second try in three games, substitute striker Lawson forced and curled a pass from close range on the right in the 31st.^St minute. Missed conversion, score 10-6. The rest of the half was played with the Eagles unable to complete their sets but managing to withstand another Hull KR breakthrough.

Half time: Hull KR Women 10 – 6 Sheffield Eagles Women

Another Eagles took the field in the second half, challenging a stout defense and offense. A high contact penalty brought the Eagles 10m from the Hull KR line on the right. Brennan took the restart pass and turned left instead of driving the ball straight up, ending up behind the posts in the 43rd.^st minute, converted by Thomas for a 10-12 Eagles lead.

However, on the ensuing kickoff, the Eagles once again went into self-destruction, not punting the ball before going into touch. On the second play from the hand-off 20 yards out in midfield, Hull KR’s prop Smalley drew the attention of too many defenders and was able to lay off the half-back. A pass across goal and Hull KR’s imposing left centre, Thomas, went wide for a corner in the 46th.^th minute, then converted the try for 16-12.

This time it was Hull KR who made an error, conceding a kick-off on their second play from the kick-off. From the ice, 30 yards from the Hull KR try line, free forward Brennan received the ball in the center right, then sprinted a long arc around the defense, eventually landing in the 51.^St minute 15m to the right of the posts, converted by Thomas for 16-18.

However, the Eagles’ dismay came again when the kick-off restart was allowed to bounce overhead into touch on the other side of the field compared to last time. In the ensuing Hull KR set, the Eagles managed to wrest the ball from Brewster’s hands as he crossed the try line, who resumed the tackle count. Another drive from Brewster was just held up, but the next play brought a reprieve when Hull KR cleared while moving the ball down the right. This time the Eagles put in a full set to move the ball 80m in reverse. Then indiscipline struck. On the fourth tackle of Hull KR’s return game, a needless push by the tackler regaining his feet saw a six called again. A hand, then a forearm to the throat forced a defender up, which also led to high contact, but the referee went down on the striker’s side and another set for Hull KR. Possibly a little upset by this, the Eagles upped their defensive intensity and Hull KR’s next attempt to score left center was met with aggressive defending that put the game in touch.

Four plays brought the Eagles to their own 40-yard line, then a shift to the left sent fullback Scullion down the sideline. Perhaps a step inside the fullback would have been wiser in the fifth, but at least play was advanced 15m from the Hull KR line. After a long injury break, the Eagles then awarded a penalty for out-of-square markings, then another penalty for overturning in the tackle, bringing Hull KR to 30m. However, respite was awarded again when Hull KR entered the Eagles’ possession on game two, 12 m. Then came the most remarkable comeback.

After a long injury stoppage, the game resumed with center field with zero tackles. In game two the pass went out left to Brennan who then powered down the touchline for a 75m try 10m to the left of the posts in the 65.^th minute. Converted by Thomas extending the Eagles lead to 16-24.

However, after the successful restart this time, the Eagles soon invited Hull KR back into the game with a counter-tempo which saw both sides lose a player following a yellow card and a penalty for Hull KR. To add insult to injury, another 20m penalty was awarded for high contact. Two plays later, left center, Thomas rumbled near the flag in the 70^th minute but could not convert the try on this occasion, score 20-24.

Continuing in that vein, the Eagles gave up the last tackle of the restart set, but Hull KR then had too many recovery footballers offload, causing a kick and a scrum in Eagles midfield. on their 30m line. Strong drives and wide play brought the Eagles within 2m of the Hull KR line, 10m left of the posts. In the fifth, a Taylor pirouette completely missed the Hull KR defence, opening up space for an arcing run down the left to break through and score in the 76th.^th minutes 15m posts, conversion missed for 20-28.

From the restart the Eagles made another foray deep into Hull KR territory but were content to concede their sixth tackle 1m from the Hull KR line. A Hull KR challenge led to a Brennan free kick which almost brought the Eagles another try. Unfortunately, Brennan’s subsequent chase and desperate dive could only ground the ball just as it reached the dead ball line. Two games from tap 20 restart and it’s game over.

Full Time: Hull KR Women 20 – 28 Sheffield Eagles Women

Eagles tries: Bosworth, Brennan (3), Taylor

Goals: Thomas (4/5)

Hull KR tries: Lawson, Brewster, Thomas (2)

Goals: Thomas (2/4)

All in all, a seventh straight win for the Eagles and every opposing team in the league has now played once. However, it was again a more difficult win to come by with more fouls and penalties being awarded. On the one hand, any underestimation of the Eagles by those teams is now in the trash, but on the other hand their vulnerabilities have been exposed. Therefore, to continue the momentum, the Eagles need to fix these issues and improve their completion rates.

In the end, the Coaches’ Player of the Match went to Gold Team substitute Chris Scullion for an excellent performance on the wing in attack and defence, and the captain’s choice went to Hailey Swann for her formidable leadership and organization on the pitch.