WRU Ladies Plate Final 2023:

 



 

Burry Port 34 - Whitland 38

 
Underdogs Whitland broke the hearts of the Burry Port Ladies in the last minute of play to take the silverware home as reward for a fantastic team effort that just about saw them win a real thriller a thriller where the teams shared 12 tries but The Borderettes just sealed the conversion kicks contest with four to their opponents’ two.
 
Burry Port thought they had snatched victory in the closing moments when outside half Rachel Wasserman looped around skipper Keeley Evans to score an unconverted try in the corner at the start of  injury time, But the officials deemed there was still time on the clock, Port tried to move the ball wide from the kick off and knocked on - and from the ensuing scrum the Whitland backs  moved the ball wide to Danielle Lawrence 40 metres out, who managed to get outside her opposite number and despite the valiant efforts Welsh squad member Jenna de Vera managed to touch down in the corner.
 
In what turned out to be a cracker of a game Whitland were first out of the blocks and the outstanding No 8 Nat Walsh powered over from close range – and she was also involved a few minutes later when she broke through two defenders and off-loaded to the excellent Marged Williams, who stepped through two defenders to score under the sticks, with  both scores converted by Macey Bowen.
 
Whitland had Cath Morley yellow-carded for what was thought to be a high tackle which seemed to wake up the Burry Port girls. With the one player advantage they took the lead scoring three quick tries through the ubiquitous Finley Jones, Carla Giannini and De Vera; hooker Amy Uddin converting one.
 
On the stroke of half time Whitland took the lead again when quick thinking from Macey Bowen caught the Port defence sleeping from a quick tap penalty and she crashed over from close range before full back Mari Griffiths slotted the conversion
 

Half Time score Burry Port 17 Whitland 21

 
Port were first on the score board in the second half when veteran scrum half Keeley Evans sniped over on the blind side and De Vera converted from wide out.
 
Back came Whitland, from a scrum 5 metres out, Walsh again picked up and took on three defenders and off-loaded to fellow back rower and New Zealand triathlon squad member Rebecca Swainson, who dropped over the white wash.
 
Next up was the try of the game as Williams intercepted on the half way and sped away to the 22, off loaded to Griffiths, took the return pass, off loaded to Sally Windsor who in turn slipped a pass to Player of the Match Cadi Williams, who outstripped the cover defence to score under the sticks; Bowen again converted.
 
Then came the crazy last few minutes with tries from Alana George and Vasserman only for Lawrence to score that last minute try so with Haverfordwest winning the previous final it was a good day for the West Walians.
 
The trophy was presented to co-coaches Natalie Walsh and Sally Windsor , both of whom had featured in what was very much a squad effort and a victory that, although narrow, was deserved in a final that was a credit to Ladies’ Rugby.
 
Whitland Ladies: Mari Griffiths: Daniel Lawrence; Marged Williams; Cath Morley; Leah Coombs: Ceulyn Davies; Cadi Williams: Llinos Ford; Amy Morgan; Nicole Davies: Macey Bowen; Lewsi Ebsworth: Bex Swainson; Sally Windsor (Co Capt); Natalie Walsh (Co-Capt). Replacements: Bethany Williams; Katie James; Jazmine Jones; Hannah Parry; Holly Rowsell; Kelsey Haycocks; Hawys Davies; Megan Lloyd Davies.


Coaches:  Darren Rees; Dafydd Cox & Ceirion Evans.





 

Whitland RFC Snippets:

**As well as the players, coaches and supporters it was also a very special day for team manager Sue Davies because she was the founder of ladies’ rugby in Whitland and now, 18 years on, is still as passionate about promoting it as ever. She is also a great ambassador for local rugby ‘up the line’ and when we chatted to her after the game she was so thrilled she could hardly speak.

**Someone else who has been involved for 18 years is Natalie Walsh, who was co-captain and grabbed the vital opening try. Nat has decided it is time to stand down and has already told the coaches and players of her decision. We wish her well in whatever new challenges she takes on – but we hope that one of them will be to pass on her vast knowledge the game by coaching youngsters who would benefit from her expertise!

**Congratulations to Cadi Williams on winning the ‘Player of the Match’ award and the scrum half, one of the smallest players on the field, was involved in all Whitland Ladies did well! Well done also to co-captain Sally Windsor for her full role in the success.

**It was good to see that the Men’s team postponed their fixture because a number of them wanted to cheer the girls on – and I bet they enjoyed their day out.

*Another great helper who was delighted to be there was Huw Williams, who hails from Newport and his daughter Marged was one of The Borderettes’ try scorers. Huw regularly helps with the water bottles and runs the line for league matches – so it was nice that he had a close-up view too!

**The celebrations after were great and most of them went back to the clubhouse to enjoy themselves before trotting off elsewhere – and it must have been good because I’m reliably informed that one of them texted everyone ‘Good Night’ which was very sweet – but at 8 o’clock in the morning!

**My co-reporter of this article was Paul Walsh, whose daughter Nat was heavily involved – and it was great that with wife Min watching over him he took plenty of notes about scorers’ names because there were 12 in all. He also used the word ‘ubiquitous’ which really impressed me because he not only knew what it meant but spelt it too. He’s obviously been studying a dictionary when he’s out shrimping or catching lobsters!