Oxfordshire Girls U18 v Dorset & Wiltshire
Faringdon Rugby Club
Sunday 03rd April 2022 – Kick Off 15:00
What a day for Girls Rugby in Oxfordshire. We saw over 100 Girls playing at one place throughout the day. The first game saw Wallingford U15 play in the plate against Banbury & Bicester with Wallingford coming out the winners in a fiercely contested encounter. Congratulations to Wallingford on their 30 v 10 victory. The second game saw Gosford All Blacks U15 take on Chinnor in the U15 Girls Cup. Another fantastic encounter with GAB coming away as 38 v 12 winners.
Oxfordshire Girls U18 Match Day Squad
17 C Merry-Taylor (Banbury), 2 K Harrison (capt GAB), 3 A Dulson-Ormsby (Chinnor), 4 O Roberts (Chinnor), 5 L Carpenter (GAB), 6 J Mallaghan (GAB), 7 S Mulleson-Hull (GAB), 8 S Warwick (VC – GAB), 9 E Page (Banbury), 10 S Walters (GAB), 23 A Miller (Chinnor), 12 R Fincken (Chinnor), 13 P Tabuadua (GAB), 14 G Baxter (GAB), 15 H Newhouse (GAB), 16 L Olliffe (GAB), 1 A Greatbatch (Banbury), 18 F McGinlay (VC – GAB), 19 A Crindland (Bicester), 20 N Harris (Chinnor), 21 L Sammons (GAB), 22 C Kemp (Bicester), 24 I Ormrod (GAB).
Missing through illness/injury – C Cooke (GAB), A Dinsey (GAB), G Turner (Bicester), D Turner (Banbury), M Allen (GAB) and E Dwyer (Banbury)
This was a wonderful advert for Girls Rugby with fast, free flowing rugby from both sides. The game started and there were a number of huge tackles put in, with Warwick, Tabuabua and Page leading the way. Walters was controlling the game at fly half with a number of slick backs moves which almost resulted in trys, following lovely hands with Fincken at Inside Centre.
Dorset & Wiltshire then struck on approximately 15 minutes following a turnover inside the 22, this led to slick hands and them scoring a converted try under the posts. This was their first venture into the Oxfordshire half.
Oxfordshire went back to basics and started to get the upper hand in the forwards, particularly at scrum time, with captain Harrison playing at hooker taking 3 balls against the head. Merry-Taylor and Dulson-Ormsby both scrummaged particularly well.
Sammons, Olliffe and McGinlay were introduced after 20 minutes for Roberts, Mulleson-Hull and Page, and Sammons immediately made an impact, snipping from the breakdown, to sprint away and score a lovely individual try. Lots of good interplay and strong play from Harrison, McGinlay, Dulson-Ormsby and the excellent Mallaghan led to a sustained period of pressure. Great counter rucking in the Dorset & Wiltshire 22 from Carpenter and Warwick led to Olliffe pouncing on a loose ball to dive over the line.
The 1st half ended Oxfordshire 10 v Dorset & Wiltshire 7.
A few more changes were made at half time with Greatbatch coming on for Merry-Taylor, Crindland for Carpenter, Harris for Mallaghan, Taylor for Miller and Ormrod for Baxter. However the Oxfordshire dominance in the scrum continued with Greatbatch in –particular really scrummaging well against her opposite number. Olliffe was a constant threat at the breakdown, and with Warwick won several important turnovers and penalties just as Dorset & Wiltshire began to get a foothold in the game. Tabuadua was always making ground in every carry which led to Dorset & Wiltshire having to double up defensively against her. Walters and Fincken exploited this with some lovely hands and carries between them.
Oxfordshire started to make real progress down the right hand side and went through a period of 5 minutes that proved crucial with two quick scores. Firstly Ormrod received the ball in space and showed excellent pace to step and out pace the defence to score a wonderful try after great hands from Walters, Fincken and Tabuadua put her into space. Then with a huge step and run from McGinlay leading to a 40 metre sprint down the right wing. Oxfordshire continued to recycle the ball as they worked toward the Dorset & Wiltshire posts, McGinlay again with a crucial carry and amazing offload handing to Dulson-Ormsby who carried on and scored under the posts. Walters added the extra to make it 22 v 7.
In the final 15 minutes Dorset & Wiltshire came back strongly, and scored 2 well taken try’s, one of which were converted taking the score to 22 v 19. Oxfordshire had to rely on the outstanding Newhouse at Full Back to make two crucial try saving tackles in the dying minutes inside the 22 in one v one scenarios. The final whistle went with Oxfordshire just edging a fiercely contested encounter 22 v 19.
Tackle of the match
This was really close between Fincken’s outstanding tackle on the halfway line forcing the winger into touch when it looked like she was clear and Newhouse 1 v 1 tackle in the last 5 minutes. Newhouse just pipping it due to the lateness in the game.
Players of the Match
D & W Pick – Tabuadua
Oxfordshire Coaches Pick – Dulson-Ormsby
Next Match – Sunday 17th April away to Gloucestershire at Cheltenham Tigers AGP.
Shane Harrison
Wallingford RFC Director of Rugby
IRFU Irish Exiles Regional Lead
Oxfordshire RFU Girls U18 Head Coach
