PHOTO:
Natalie Walsh drives over, assisted by Lowri Morgan                                                                            
Courtesy of Riley Sports Photography

Women’s Premiership League:

 

Whitland 30 - Pontyclun 7

 
Whitland Ladies’ good run of form continued with a convincing win over Pontyclun which saw the Borderettes  securing a bonus point win on the way.
 
Whitland started the game with a bang and their first attack which was 25 to 30 phases long ending with player of the match Natalie Walsh crashing through three defenders to score out wide for probably the best team try of the season.
 
Shortly after Beca Norris was on the score sheet, converting a long range penalty after Pontyclun had infringed at the ruck.
 

Ponty power through but Whitland get back on top

 
Pontyclun were next to score; a good scrum ball was moved right to Welsh 7s star Raffiki Taylor who bamboozled the Whitland defence and sprinted away to score under the posts before she also added the extras.
 
Whitland re organised their defence and nullified any further threat from the speedster and the Borderettes added two further scores before the break, both very similar efforts. Alice James, normally the provider, powered over from short range after some great driving play from Sara Davies and the rest of her hard working pack, whilst Natalie Walsh crossed wide out, benefitting from a sublime offload from No8 Angharad Williams.
 
The Borderettes could have scored another brace before half time as Mari Griffiths came close twice having side stepped her way through the Ponty defence but on both occasions she was cut down inches from the try line.
 

Great defensive work by the Borderettes

 
Pontyclun strengthened their team in the second half by introducing Irish International  scrum half Larissa Muldoon and the vastly experienced No8 Siwian Lillycrap, both on loan from Skewen. This seemed to galvanise the Pontyclun team and for thirty minutes they attacked Whitland.
 
But the Borderettes defence held firm, repelling attack after attack and with ten minutes to go the green and whites broke up field. From a scrum in the Pontyclun 22 some good driving play got them to the try line. Lowri Morgan, driven by Walsh, got within inches of the line and from the ruck the ever-alert Williams picked up and touched down.
 
From the kick off the Borderettes went straight onto the attack and with the ref shouting final play, Alice James popped off a pass to Walsh, who side stepped full back Taylor and scored her third under the posts. Norris added the extras and the ref blew the final whistle to end a highly entertaining encounter.