Coventry Bears: Bears' Women beat Nottingham

Bears' Women beat Nottingham

Nottingham Outlaws Women 8 – 18 Carvell Coventry Bears Women
at Moderns RFC, Nottingham 13:00 19 May

Following defeat in the corresponding fixture last season the Carvell Coventry Bears Women’s team travelled up the M1 determined to put the record straight. The Bears’ Women Class of 2007, however, are a much improved proposition to previous years as a result of experience and recruitment. This showed right from the start with some punishing defence from Ant Morgan and Sheena Sheens.

This was a good natured matched refereed well by Nick Evans (Loughborough) and both sides showed great skills. The first try of the game came from the visitors 17-year old fullback Jo Hart who took ran the ball across the defence trying to tease out a gap and when opened showed pace and balance to out run and evade the cover defence. This was unconverted 0-4.

With the game evenly balanced the ball was passed freely from hand to hand and run from one end of the pitch to the other but it was Elaine Monty the Bears’ scrum half who scored the next try to lead 0-8.

The Outlaws were almost back in the game with a break up the middle only to be stopped by fullback Hart just short. Hart then proceeded to make the next two tackles on her own line to hold out the home side. This was short-lived as just before half-time Nottingham’s Amy Dolan side-stepped a number of tiring Bears’ defenders to make it 4-8. This was followed shortly after by a second to draw level 8-8.

The second-half carried on the same vein. With the experienced Bears’ captain Debbie Drake leading from the front the visitors were constantly testing the Outlaws defence and it was only a matter of time before Ant Morgan scored her first try in Coventry colours on debut for an 8-12 lead.

In the dying minutes Jo Hart put the game beyond reach with a wonderful mazy run through the Nottingham defensive lines from 60m out to score her second under the posts, much to the delight of her watching father, coach Michelle Umaga and all the Bears supporters. To top of a Player of the Match performance Jo also converted her own try for a 18-10 lead.

On this showing both sides have improved vastly on last season and games of this quality will only seek to drive the standard even higher. Another titanic struggle is expected for the return match in Coventry on Saturday 7 July.

Coventry Scorers: Tries – Jo Hart (2), Ant Morgan, Elaine Monty; Conversions – Jo Hart

J&S Landscapers Player of the Match: Jo Hart

Carvell Coventry Bears Women: Jo Hart, Jess Cram, Tracy Lole, Ant Morgan, Jenny Cochane, Charlie Charles, Elaine Monty, Maiarid Bradley, Debbie Drake, Emma Dewick, Haty Edwards, Sheena Sheens, Stacey Tolley, Catherine Evans, Jilly Jones, Sarah Whitaker, Amanda Visiuer, Lauren L, Candice Stevens