England Women crowned European Champions by Julia Hutton
May 24th, 2008
England 12 Wales 6
England were crowned European Champions after a hard fought 12-6 victory against Wales in the European Championship final in Amsterdam on Saturday.
The win hands England another trophy to add to their already bulging silverware cabinet which includes the RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam crown which they have now won three years on the bounce.
England Head Coach Gary Street, whose side also beat Sweden (80-3) and Ireland (22-11) on route to the final, said: “We are delighted with this victory. We have not won the elite European Championships since 1997. A lot of very good English sides have failed in this tournament but finally we have won it. It’s also great to be crowned Six Nations and European Champions in the same season. Not many sides can say they have done that.
“This was a tough game, but in the end we dominated the second-half and were in control. Wales gave us a very good test though, our first real test since the Rugby World Cup Final in 2006. You need tight games like this though and we proved today that we can come from behind and win.”
England indeed had to come from behind to steal the win after going 6-0 down at the break. Wales took advantage of having the strong wind behind them while England suffered in the blustery conditions.
First Wales’ Non Evans stroked over a 15th minute penalty after England were penalised for holding on and then she matched her efforts on 17 minutes when England didn’t roll away at the breakdown.
England and Wales also lost a player each to the sin-bin in the first-half with England losing Saracen hooker Amy Garnett.
After the restart England made the most of the wind and also started to dominate territory as well as possession. Darlington Mowden Park fly-half Katy McLean broke England’s duck with a 53rd minute penalty.
England then lost influential flanker Maggie Alphonsi to the sin-bin but England didn’t suffer with the likes of Rosemarie Crowley, Vicky Massarella and Sarah Beale being rolled on for some fresh legs.
On 67 minutes McLean added a second penalty to draw the scores level at 6-6 before adding a further two successful kicks at goal to clinch the 12-6 victory and the European Championship title.
England
1 Rochelle Clark (Henley), 2 Amy Garnett (Saracens), 3 Sophie Hemming (Clifton), 4 Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 5 Joanna McGilchrist (Wasps), 6 Sarah Hunter (Lichfield), 7 Margaret Alphonsi (Saracens), 8 Catherine Spencer (C) (Worcester), 9 Amy Turner (Richmond), 10 Katy McLean (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 11 Fiona Pocock (Richmond), 12 Rachael Burford (VC) (Saracens), 13 Michaela Staniford (Wasps), 14 Katherine Merchant (Worcester), 15 Charlotte Barras (Saracens). Replacements: 16 Samantha Dale (Worcester), 17 Rosemarie Crowley (Lichfield), 18 Sarah Beale (Leos), 19 Karen Jones (Richmond), 20 Georgina Rozario (Plymouth Albion), 21 Kimberley Oliver (Clifton), 22 Vicky Massarella (Saracens)
Tries:
Conversions:
Penalties: McLean (4)
Substitutions: Oliver for Merchant (43), Crowley for Hemming, Massarella for Staniford, Beale for McGilchrist (all 61), Rozario for Turner (73), Dale for Garnett, Jones for Hunter (all 75).
England Women through to European Championship semi-finals
by Julia Hutton
May 17th, 2008
England 80 Sweden 3
England Women booked their place in the semi-finals of the European Championships on Saturday with an impressive 80-3 victory over emerging rugby nation Sweden.
The reigning RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam champions obliterated their opposition despite having five new caps make their debuts today. In total they ran in a massive 80 points grabbing 14 tries along the way.
England will now either play Ireland or Spain on Tuesday May 20th at 7pm BST in Amsterdam for a place in Saturday European Championship final.
Worcester wing Kat Merchant kicked off England’s cricket score win with the first of the 14 tries after just four minutes when a good ball from a 15 metre scrum saw the ball recycled into the midfield. Merchant then pounced on the ball to break through and score. Match day captain Katy McLean added the conversion.
Leos lock Sarah Beale added a converted try just three minutes later to hand England a 14-0 lead before Sweden’s fly-half claimed their only score of the match with a 12th minute penalty.
Lichfield centre Vicki Jackson, making her debut for England, claimed the first of her three tries on 25 minutes when a turn-over ball saw Jackson attack and score in the corner. McLean this time missed the conversion. Jackson then claimed her brace on 35 minutes to hand England a 19-3 lead at half-time.
During the break Head Coach Gary Street made two changes with Richmond’s Amy Turner replacing Clifton’s Kim Oliver and Sarah Hunter making way for Tamara Taylor.
Richmond’s experienced forward and England’s vice captain Karen Jones handed England a 26 point cushion on 42 minutes when she pushed her way over the line, before Fran Matthews claimed her first try for England on her debut. The Richmond wing was set-up by the experience Turner after a turn-over ball.
Merchant claimed her brace of tries on 55 minutes, before a raft of changes for England made matters even worse for Sweden. The likes of England captain Catherine Spencer, Maggie Alphonsi, Rochelle Clark coming off the bench certainly had an impact with England adding another seven tries in the space of 24 minutes.
Substitute Fiona Pocock also had an immediate effect touching down after just four minutes of being on the pitch and on her debut, after some great handling from the forwards and backs. Turner converted to hand England a 44-3 lead.
Moments later and forward Alphonsi added a score before Pocock claimed her brace of tries.
A great individual effort from Jackson saw the England debutant grab her hat-trick, of which she converted before also adding conversions on tries by Merchant and Alphonsi.
England captain Spencer then added the final try on 80 minutes with a well worked push over try to hand England the 80-3 victory.
England Head Coach Street said: “This was a good first game for the start of the tournament. Sweden were a very spirited side, but in the end we proved we were in a class above.
“We made some unforced errors to start with and there were some nerves, but that is understandable with so many new caps in this game. In the end we steadied the game and the new caps stepped up to the plate. We are now looking forward to the semi-finals.”
The European Championships sees 14 teams from across Europe compete for the coveted crown, including all the Home Nations teams as well as France, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden.
If England win the semi-finals on May 20th, they will compete in the final on May 24th.
England
1 Claire Purdy (Wasps), 2 Samantha Dale (Worcester), 3 Rosemarie Crowley (Lichfield), 4 Sarah Beale ( Leos), 5 Joanna McGilchrist (Wasps), 6 Sarah Hunter (Lichfield), 7 Marlie Packer (Bath), 8 Karen Jones (Richmond), 9 Georgina Rozario (Plymouth Albion), 10 Katy McLean (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks) (C), 11 Francesca Matthews (Richmond), 12 Kimberley Oliver (Clifton), 13 Vicki Jackson (Lichfield), 14 Katherine Merchant (Worcester), 15 Vicky Massarella (Saracens). Replacements: 16 Amy Garnett (Saracens), 17 Rochelle Clark (Henley), 18 Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), 19 Margaret Alphonsi (Saracens), 20 Catherine Spencer (Worcester), 21 Amy Turner (Richmond), 22 Fiona Pocock (Richmond).
Head Coach Gary Street, Assistant Coach Graham Smith
Tries: Merchant (3), Beale, Jackson (3), Jones, Matthews, Pocock (2), Alphonsi (2), Spencer.
Conversions: McLean (2), Turner (3)
Substitutions: Turner for Oliver (40), Taylor for Hunter (40), Garnett for Dale, Clark for Purdy, Pocock for McLean, Alphonsi for Packer, Spencer for Bealer (all 56 mins).
England Women’s team to take on Sweden in European Championship opener
by Julia Hutton
May 14th, 2008
Four players will make their international debuts on Saturday when England take on Sweden in Amsterdam in the European Championship curtain raiser, kick-off 430pm BST.
Lichfield duo Rosemarie Crowley and Vicki Jackson, Bath’s Marlie Packer and Richmond’s Francesca Matthews have all be named in England Head Coach Gary Street’s starting line-up. A fifth player, Fiona Pocock from Richmond RFC, could also make her debut if she is called off the bench for the Swedish clash.
The team also includes some very experienced players, including a bench that can boast nearly 200 caps between them and the current England captain Catherine Spencer.
England Head Coach Street, who guided England to a third and unprecedented RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam in March, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the five uncapped players to show what they can do at this level. I am keen to blood these players so they can get settled early on in the tournament. This is still a strong starting line-up with a formidable bench to back them up.
“Sweden have progressed a lot over the last couple of years and have a new coaching team in place that I know are doing lots of good things. I have been over to see them and I know they also have some very good individual players. This is also their first European Championships so I’m sure they’ll be looking to make an impression. For us, we need to make a strong start as this is a knock out tournament from the first game.”
The European Championships will see 14 teams from across Europe compete for the coveted crown, including all the Home Nations teams as well as France, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden.
If England, who are seeded in Group A, defeat Sweden they will compete in the semi-finals on May 20th. The final takes place on May 24th.
England Team
1 Claire Purdy Wasps
2 Samantha Dale Worcester
3 Rosemarie Crowley Lichfield
4 Sarah Beale Leos
5 Joanna McGilchrist Wasps
6 Sarah Hunter Lichfield
7 Marlie Packer Bath
8 Karen Jones Richmond
9 Georgina Rozario Plymouth Albion
10 Katy McLean Darlington Mowden Park Sharks ( C )
11 Francesca MatthewsRichmond
12 Kimberley Oliver Clifton
13 Vicki Jackson Lichfield
14 Katherine Merchant Worcester
15 Vicky Massarella Saracens
Replacements:
16 Amy Garnett Saracens
17 Rochelle Clark Henley
18 Tamara Taylor Darlington Mowden Park Sharks
19 Margaret Alphonsi Saracens
20 Catherine Spencer Worcester
21 Amy Turner Richmond
22 Fiona Pocock Richmond
Head Coach Gary Street
Assistant Coach Graham Smith