PHOTO:
Rachel Finnan on the burst

 

Welsh Women’s Rugby Division One:

 

Whitland 32 Gwernyfed 17

 
This was always going to be a tough game as Gwernyfed were the only team to have beaten the Borderettes this season – but the Whitland Ladies raised the tempo of their own play to run out worthy winners by 15 points.
 
The match was supposed to have been a home game for Whitland but due to the pitch being unplayable the fixture was moved to Ammanford RFC. The Borderettes played with the ever- increasing wind in the first half and were soon on the score board, after some good interplay between backs and forwards  Whitland were just held up and awarded an attacking scrum, where the front row of Ceris Moyle, Sara Davies and Amy Jones took control and shunted the Gwernyfed pack back at a rate of knots, making for an easy score for No8 Beca Norris.
 

Tries come at regular intervals

 
The next score came shortly afterwards, aa a penalty kicked to the corner resulted in clean lineout ball which was punched up in mid field by back of the match Rachel Finnan. The play was cleverly switched back by scrum half Emma Summons and quick hands released pacy winger Hannah Richards to score in the corner.
 
The Borderettes continued to try and play their normal expansive rugby but the conditions did not really suit, and spilled Whitland ball in their own half allowed Gwernyfed to mount their first attack and quick ball moved wide resulted in a try in the corner.
 
The final score of the half came from another powerful scrum with Moyle, Davies and Jones well assisted by Hannah Samson and Ali Griffiths, again shunting the opposition backwards and again allowing Norris the easiest of touch downs.
 

Tighter game in strong winds

 
Playing into the now gale-force wind in the second half the Borderettes decided to play a tighter game and forward of the match, flanker Nat Walsh, was a constant threat carrying hard into the heart of the opposition defence, ably assisted by centre Helen Price and winger Abi May William. After several  drives No 9  Summons spotted the gap and popped over from close range.
 
Gwernyfed were still not done and after an offence at ruck time the Whitland defence was caught napping and the opposing scrum half scampered over untouched. Shortly after the kick off a loose pass in the Borderettes mid field resulted in a kick and chase which caused Abi May to make an early tackle .The referee rightly awarded a penalty try which was converted and showed the Whitland winger the dreaded Yellow Card.  
 

Great finish for Borderettes

 
With the Borderettes front row now totally dominating, even though they were down to 14 players, the final ten minutes belonged to the green and whites. An attacking five metre scrum resulted in a try for hard grafting flanker Lowri Morgan and with the last play of the game the hard working forwards put together a series of drives and after 10 phases the splintered Gwernyfed defence could not stop the powerful Caryl Lloyd ploughing over from close range before she also converted her own try.

This excellent win now puts Whitland top of the table by four points, with one game away to Croesyceiliog, next Sunday left to play.