RUGBY: Chipping Sodbury Ladies roar to victory over Devizes

WITH two wins under their belt from warm up fixtures, Chipping Sodbury Ladies went into the league confident they could achieve good results with the rapidly developing squad that they have. This weekend saw the first game of 2015/16 on home turf against Devizes who they closed the league against last season with a hard fought win.

Sodbury were dominant from the off this time round having won the toss to kick off with the following chase forcing the error and a scrum being awarded to the home side for the knock on. The ladies breezed the scrum and within minutes of the starting whistle the ball had found its way quickly through the hands to Katie Lane on the wing who stormed over the line for her first of a hat trick in only her third ever game, try converted by prop Michelle Deverill.

A strong defensive line held out an impending attack on the try line and amazing tackles were made all over the park but Sodbury maintained the majority of possession and were soon to score again when Captain Becky Petchey flew down the pitch hunting for the posts.

Eyeing up the last defence Petchey took a double take realising her support runner was none other than Jodie Leonard hurtling alongside her and with a slightly nervous but perfectly timed pop she charged down the wing at a pace that shocked even herself to score in the left hand corner. Using her own face to cushion the blow of the tackle as she went over, Leonard subsequently came off allowing for legend Abi Bedford to grace the pitch as we welcome her back to the team this year.
It wasn’t long for the home side to widen the lead further when Winger Katie Lane charged down the field once again seemingly unstoppable but caught at the last minute.

Luckily road runner Rebecca Parkhill back in position at Full Back was on hand in support receiving the ball and diving over the line.
Looking back on the two team’s previous relationship, discipline was paramount and the ladies did well to focus their efforts on playing their game and the result speaks for itself. Sodbury were however penalised continuously at the breakdown with Devizes being awarded a disappointing number of penalties seeing us on the retreat, but fantastic defence thwarted any real threat of a comeback and Becky Petchey was as ferocious in defence as she was in attack delivering a huge hit on their larger runner who was being used as a battering ram from the tap.

Devizes in a bid to end the first half with some points spotted an obvious overlap out wide and charged towards exposed Katie Lane on the wing but her split second decision stopped them in their tracks as she forced the pass and then charged to the last runner for a bone rattling tackle, jumping straight back onto her feet and diving over to ruck.

Rebecca Parkhill looked as though she would widen the points difference further approaching the half time whistle as she used her boot to clear the traffic and chase down her own kick. Unfortunately she came up against the last defender and the ball was spilled but Tina Best playing at Fly Half was on hand to tidy up – this would have been an impressive try had they both not gone for the ball at the same time resulting in Parkhill humping Best over the ball as she bent down to scoop it up sending her flying.

Score at half time was a not unbeatable 17-0 and the ladies were well aware that they still needed to knuckle down to secure the win.

The second half began as well as the first with Gayle receiving the kick off and gaining a good 25 yards only for the ball to be lost in a tackle, the returning kick found its way into Rebecca Parkhill’s hands who went on the charge down the wing but was taken down by a good defending hit. Whilst Kelly Anne Garland was there in support the fullback was unable to get the ball away and down to fantastic communication she instinctively dove in to ruck over instead.

Sodbury conceded yet another penalty in front of the posts allowing Devizes to kick their first points of the game but responded with a try after a kick to touch landed straight into Katie Lane’s hands for her to sprint half of the pitch, through weak tackles to score in the right hand corner with the conversion from a tricky angle just short of the posts.

The team looked to be really gelling with no differentiation between forwards and backs and support play was absolutely fantastic allowing for offloads which was to set up the next score. After an amazing team effort up the pitch, popping out of tackles Martine Richardson was able to storm over the line for her first try at CSRFC! Going over almost straight under the posts, Deverill converted easily.

Handling in the backs was superb, Tina Best out of position at 10 and Abi Bedford in 12 for the first time in years worked well together and good angles of running and simple hands set up the perfect platform for Katie Lane to ground the ball once more. Devizes responded with a good run stopped worryingly close to the try line and set up camp there.

Second Row Vicki Britton came on as a sub for Isabel Crew looking to make an impact on the game but instead not unfairly receiving a yellow card minutes after stepping on to the pitch for a shockingly high tackle. Devizes utilised the unsettled Sodbury side and after a lengthy battle pushed over for their first and last try of the match.

In no time at all Chipping Sodbury found their way back into the Devizes 22 where they had spent the majority of the game. The travelling team were awarded a scrum right on the line but with Britton still in the bin Sodbury were forced to drop a flanker and were unable to snatch possession.

Devizes’ attempt to get out of danger failed when the kick to touch went no more than a couple of meters and with the resulting line out won, a powerful forwards maul lead by Second Row Katie Brain powered back towards the whitewash. Peeling off, Brain charged towards the posts hungry for the try but ending up in another maul which ended in a penalty scrum being awarded.

The kick to touch once more went nowhere and after a continuous barrage of attack by the forwards, Number 8 Amy Brooks who’d already had some fantastic runs finally crashed over the line.
Sodbury finally showing some self-belief oozed confidence and as the final whistle approached were determined to score again before the end.

A blinding run down the wing by Katie Lane looked as though it would earn her her fourth but it was Becky Petchey to score the eighth and final try of the day after an amazing team effort saw runner after runner make their way up the pitch popping out of tackles for Petchey to sprint through and finish the job.

Final score an impressive 44-10 victory to open the league in style. Next week sees an away to trip to St Mary’s Old Boys Ladies so please come along to show your support to the ladies’ 2015/16 campaign which is off to a good start!