Sharks vs Bristol
4/10/09
After making a promising start to their premiership campaign against Worcester in September, the Sharks now hosted Bristol for what was the first ever premiership match to be played at Mowden Park. Time to make history.
The warm-up was traditionally quiet with most players looking pensive and nervous at best. Depending on who you asked, the Mowden camp had been hit by a swine flu outbreak.....or just a few sniffles. In addition to the viral onslaught, the “centre Rosie’s” had each suffered an injury in the week prior, probably contributing to the nerves of the team.
First whistle and after an initial shaky start, the nerves quickly began to settle as some strong early possession and attacking play saw Katy Mclean calmly kick a penalty from the 22 to give the sharks the first points.
The backs began to find their stride and really started asking questions of the Bristol defence with a number of players looking dangerous outside. The first to strike however was full back Ashley Wright who cut a sweet line off an out ball to penetrate the Bristol line at pace and score under the posts. Mclean converted. 10-0.
Over the next quarter the Sharks really began to increase the pressure as the backs made good ground in attack and the forwards provided excellent support and platforms to work from. However Bristol weren’t about to lay down and countered aggressively, but a couple of handling errors stagnated their efforts.
Midway through the first half the Sharks lost a key decision maker and formidable force in the form of fly half Katy Mclean, to a knee injury. As a result everyone had to step up a level to bridge the gap. Although Katy’s injury was a huge blow to the sharks it seemed to unify their efforts. Following a period of frantic play a sort of calm ensued and despite players being drafted in to unfamiliar territory, everyone continued to do their job. Scrum half Emma Lloyd worked hard to link the forward and back unit groups and George Roberts had a huge pair of boots to fill at the primary play-maker roll.
A fantastic team effort resulted in the next try for whippet winger Jen Edwards as she rounded the corner of a disorganised Bristol defence following multiple phases of hard yards earned by the forwards. Sam Jameison-Wilkinson converted.
It was Bristol however, that had the final say before half time as some good consistent pressure resulted in the opposition scoring out wide. The try was not converted.
Following the break, Bristol returned with a renewed determination, creating some decent opportunities through interlinking play between the forwards and backs. The Sharks hit back with some powerful crashes through the middle from back-row come centre Juliet Short, who proved forwards really can be evasive!
It was an exciting match for the spectators, with real end to end action as the two teams traded territory and the upper hand. Just when it seemed the opposition were beginning to dominate, a half missed tackle in midfield allowed George Roberts to spin out of contact and race around the fullback to score under the posts. Nikki O’Donnell converted.
A scramble defensive battle followed with tries from both teams, including another for Jen Edwards following a quick lineout from the Bristol fullback that was turned over and efficiently countered by the Sharks.
Impressively the Sharks held their shape well in attack and continued to work very hard in defence. The team strengthened by the return of Canadian import Roo, it was full back Ashley Wright that claimed the final points with an 80m dash upfield to score following a quality interception. The final score was an impressive 36-17 victory.
Sharks head coach, Jo Hull said of the match.... “I’m really pleased with the massive team effort in the game, the players stepped up really well. We are looking forward to the challenge ahead of us with the next three games being very physical.”
Gaining a first win in this league is obviously a fantastic morale boost for the squad, but to do so with a bonus point and with such conviction has really elevated confidence. The team are now very focused in what they need to do in order to perform optimally in each game. Next stop, London, where Saracens await.