Biggleswade RUFC

Harpenden Ladies 39-0 Biggleswade Ladies

Biggleswade Ladies, hoping to follow up their big away win against Hitchin a fortnight ago, were instead on the other end of a similar scoreline, losing heavily to a well-drilled and in-form Harpenden side.

Harpenden started strongly, piling the pressure on, and narrowly missing a penalty against the wind, giving Biggy a warning of the skills of their kicker.

Ellie Reeve made the first of several big tackles to break down attacks, and full back Tash Cooper brought down a Harpenden attacker heading for the line at pace.

Bev Horsefield showed strong counter-rucking skills, but Biggy just couldn’t gain enough possession, and Harpenden, working the ball out and exploiting overlaps, started to dial up points on the scoreboard with some clinical tries.

The first half ended with Biggleswade making ground and getting into the home side’s territory, thanks to a couple of good breaks from Katie Smith. Biggy centre Bex Young’s long crossfield kick forced Harpenden to clear a line out from 5m out. 

Cooper made an excellent sprint along the touchline which needed a try-saving tackle from the opposition to prevent a score.

Sarah Bartram had a solid game at prop, making herself available for reliably strong carries. Winger Becca Maxwell showed real speed and side-stepping skills on the few occasions she got the chance to stretch her legs.

Injuries throughout the game proved disruptive to Biggleswade’s cohesion on an afternoon when they were already struggling to show enough urgency and organisation in their defensive line. Handling errors exacerbated their problems.

There was no doubt that Harpenden were orchestrating play, pulling Biggy players to one side before whipping the ball back out to the other. Biggleswade just weren’t quick enough to react, and Harpenden’s quick and accurate passing game meant their strong finishers were able to notch up more points. 

To their credit, Biggleswade showed huge resolve in a difficult and energy-sapping match, never letting their heads drop and performing a Herculean tackle count. They can be proud of their efforts.

Forward of the Match: Katie Smith

Back of the Match: Becca Maxwell