Saracens 28 Ladies 29
By Frank Stormont
January 24 2007
Albion leave it late to retake the lead, the match and their first try bonus point of the season.
Saracens II 28 Albion Ladies 29
The ladies are back to winning ways after they take on 3rd placed Saracens on their own ground. With two early tries and a late penalty try Albion do enough to move them up the table.
Coach and players alike were over the moon on the way home from London and when asked to describe the match Tristan Forster could only say it was fantastic! After the result last week when they went down to top placed and unbeaten Clifton they had gone looking for a win and were over joyed when their hard work paid off.
Saracens started the game on top for the first 5 minutes but were not able to put any points on the board before Albion took their opportunities and scored two tries in the 8th and 10th minutes. The first came to Jenny March and the second to Olivier Thomas both tries were assisted by Nancy Stone but neither were converted.
Saracens came back quickly from the restart when their right wing scored out wide and when converted brought them to within 3 points (7 - 10). Albion took control of the game and held Saracens in their own half for most of the rest of the half.
Saracens did not make it easy for the visitors, Albion had to wait until there was just 1 minute left of the half, a tap penalty set up a rolling maul for Anna Shepard to take the ball over the line to bring the score to 7 - 15.
As would have been expected the hosts came out hard after the change around and in 15 minutes reduced the deficit when their outside centre ran through the first line of defence before side stepping others to touch down. The try was converted to bring the scores to 14 - 15.
Just 8 minutes latter Nancy Stone saw the opportunity and chipped the ball over Saracens' heads for Tally Francis to sprint onto the ball and around the winger to score and when Tracy Corby added the extras Albion were up 14 - 22.
Two quick converted tries by Saracens gave them the lead for the first time in the match and only 10 minutes to play. Albion have already showed a number of times this season that they play until the last whistle and they did that again today.
There was a bad injury to one of the Saracens players which gave a five minute stoppage and Albion used the time to regroup. On the last play of the game Albion were attacking the hosts line but the maul was pulled down and the penalty reset. The second time the maul was pulled down the referee went straight to the posts and awarded a penalty try.
Albion were now one point behind and needed the pressure conversion for the result. With coach, Tristan, unable to watch Tracy Corby stepped up to the mark and like a true pro slotted the ball between the posts before the last whistle of the match was blown.
Saracens were heard during the match to say "we cannot loose to this lot, we cannot loose to this lot" unfortunately for them they did.
Five tries in a match gives Albion their first try bonus point of the season and with Clifton beating Waterloo 58 - 0 and Richmond beating Wasps 29 -8 Albion move to 5th place in the league.
Jenny March was awarded the player's player who scored her first try for Albion.
Albion Ladies have a development match next Sunday afternoon against Exeter Saracens at Brickfields and a match against Redruth away the following week.
Their next league match is at home against Old Albanian Saints on the 18th February KO 2pm and lunch will be available from the sports bar at a cost of £6 before the match.
Team: Tracy Corby, Sonia Clatworthy, Anna Shepard, Jodie Wrey, Verity Waters, Nancy Stone, Rachel Chidgey, Jenny Dyer, Claire Steer, Vee Thompson, Sam Bunyan, Jenny March, Terri Cormack, Rachel Tucker, Olivier Thomas Replacements: Jo Holden(used), Tracy Surruys, Melanie Box, Camilla Smallwood, Barbara Jensen, Tally Francis(used), Hayley Wilson
Scorers :- Tries Anna Shepard, Jenny March, Olivier Thomas, Tally Francis, Penalty Try Conversions 2x Tracy Corby