A HIGHLY impressive visiting Medway Ladies outfit left CoinShares Park with the spoils, defeating the short-handed Jersey RFC Women 5-17.
Despite back-to-back defeats following an incredible opening two games, where the Islanders heavily beat Pulborough Women and Tonbridge Juddian Ladies, without conceding a single point, there were plenty of positives taken from Gareth Davies and his side.
The head coach, who assumed the role ahead of this season from Simon Le Moignan, was bursting with pride for his squad.
“They’ve really stuck together over the past couple of weeks,” he said.
“For me, that’s everything. We knew entering this season that there would be some really tough games and that we were unlikely to win every game.
“But we need to be playing the best rugby we can, and look after each other regardless of the situation.
“Rugby is a unique sport where individuals are never more important than the collective team, and these girls have really embraced being a unit.
“Of course we have some standout players and some real superstars, but there are also players who do all the dog for us too. That gritty work that tends to go unnoticed at times.
“I saw that in abundance this game. Regardless of the scoreline, or the time on the clock, there was 100% effort and fight, from start to finish.
“For someone in my position, you cannot ask for more. I’m so proud of every single one of them.”
Much like the away fixture against Horsham, players in red were required to assume alien roles, to cover for the shortage of backs.
Abbie Syvret was once again asked to slot into centre, but the experienced forward was forced off through injury in the opening exchanges.
The team from Kent were organised and disciplined from the off, with a healthy balance of strong carrying from the forwards, ably supplemented with slick hands across the backs to create space.
It took just four minutes for Medway to cross the whitewash, with a strong run from the 22 from flanker Caroline Jordan, which was brilliantly converted from an acute angle
It was then the turn of the bruising forwards, who ate up the ground with a flurry of energy sapping drives.
On ten minutes, the ball was picked out of a ruck and fanned right to centre Alisha Coulson, who burst through and scored on the stretch.
What was of far greater concern than a defeat to a stout outfit, was the exit of experienced captain Katie De La Cloche, who was carried off and away to hospital with a nasty-looking ankle injury, in the dying embers of the first half.
Trailing 0-12 at the break and with their leader facing a long stint on the sidelines, it was a moment of sink or swim for the hosts, and they showed the latter in abundance.
Seren Coombs once again showed why she’s so highly touted by those at Jersey RFC.
The teenager continues to go from strength to strength in red and was faultless from start to finish, both in attack an defence.
The way she reads the game is incredibly impressive for someone still finding her feet in adult rugby.
Fittingly it was the young flanker who grabbed Jersey’s lone try on the day, with a trademark burst from the middle of the park beyond the Medway defence to touch down in the corner.
The visitors would add a try of their own, but given the circumstances, to tie the second-half, highlighted the grit in this team.
Coombs said: “We were fully prepared for the fact this year will be a big step up for us.
“We are adjusting and improving as the weeks go on and also mixing in some new faces, who are being exposed to competitive rugby for the first time.
“We have players out of position and I think I played in about three different roles during the 80 minutes.
“Whatever has been thrown at us, everyone has embraced the role that’s asked of them.
“Rugby is all about adjustment and being able to cope with those changes on the fly.
“We know we are going to come across these bigger and more physical teams this year and that presents its own challenge, but one that all the girls are happy to step up to.
“I don’t think the scoreline reflected how close the game was.
“They got a couple early tries, but after the first ten minutes or so, it was a great fight.
“It’s not the result that define you as players, or as a team.
“It’s how you get back up and go again. We will work on the aspects that perhaps didn’t go so well and prepare to win the next game.
“With our new players, they are only going to grow in confidence the more game time they get.
“So that’s really exciting to see how they’ll develop as the games go on.”
Jersey RFC Women 5
Tries: Coombs
Medway Ladies 17
Tries: Jordan; Coulson (2)Conv: FullerHT: 0-12JEP Player of the game: Seren Coombs
Jersey RFC Women [15-9, 1-8]: Kim Hacquoil, Rebekah Troy, Georgina Ruellan, Abi Syvret, Tina Davies, Laura Turpin, Bethan Hughes, Nicole Rodrigues Magalhaes, Beth Rosser, Holly Bertram, Ella Vieira, Emily Langlands, Lucy Hart, Katie De La Cloche, Seren Coombs. Replacements: Kirsten Slatter, Morgan Carter, Kim Vallance, Megan McCabe.
Medway Ladies [15-9, 1-8]: Tierney Wootton, Sydnee Cowell, Rosie Ryan, Alisha Coulson, Sian Fullarton, Lauren Fuller, Laura Charter, Stephanie Green, Stephanie Rukin, Hannah Lee, Alexandra Davis, Eirlys Withers, Keturah Watts, Caroline Jordan, Abbie Marriott. Replacements: Michelle Darby, Gemma Duncan, Leanne Ogston, Amy Coates, Ellie Warran, Bethany Kealey.
