Dale takes control as Hartpury make it three in a row
HARTPURY University secured their third Women’s National League title in a row with a resolute 34-22 victory against Loughborough.
Heading into the Championship final as firm favourites following a dominant league season in which they lost just twice, Hartpury were pushed all the way by a Loughborough side that were not expected to get past the semi-finals.
However, they showed their champion material, despite the absence of up to 12 players on international duty, to make the most of rare second half territory and edge past their defiant opponents and deny Loughborough a men and women’s championship double with a 34-22 victory.
Star player, Hartpury hooker Amy Dale, has played a part in each of their three Cup Final wins, and believes the unity built over an historic three years was behind their ability to dig deep in a second half where Loughborough really ought to have taken the lead.
“It’s been so special,” said Dale. “I remember my first year we were the untrue derdogs of the season, but the journey we’ve come on, the connection we have as a squad is like no other.
“It was brutal. Some parts were manic, we had to calm it down a bit, slow down the pace.”
While that may ring for the second half, it was Hartpury who came out at breakneck speed, opening the scoring through Dale herself in the ninth minute, before her blood replacement Olivia Constable followed suit seven minutes later – both off the back of driving mauls.
They extended their lead to 17-0 through Daisy Aspinall who touched down following an outrageous blind offload from her number eight Alaw Pyrs; having finished her fourth year in the England U18s setup this year, Aspinall is a real one to watch.
Hartpury then responded brilliantly to two majestic forward tries from Loughborough – No.8 Sally Williams and hooker Kendall Wardby both showed Hartpury backs clean pair of heels – with Dale assisting Clara Grizzle-Johnson to quell the first and then scoring her second to give Hartpury a 27-12 half time lead.
However, showing the resilience that saw them beat league runners up Exeter 38-34 in the semi-final, Loughborough took themselves within a score at 27-22 after prop Isla Curphey forced her way over, and substitute Freya Greensmith paced round tired legs to score.
With their backs against the wall, and at one point a player down due to Anouk Veerkamp sin bin, Hartpury were reinvigorated by a Sophie Davies try saver and finally worked their way into Loughborough territory, only for Charlie Manns to strike both posts with a penalty. Knowing it was now or never, they kept possession to run down the clock and allow Veerkamp to secure the double with a game-sealing try.
Despite scoring six tries, it was Davies’ intervention, with the help of Aspinall, that head coach Andrew Ford cited as the game winning moment.
“The defensive effort, there were girls coming into this game hobbling, one of them, Sophie Davies, her try saver was phenomenal considering she pretty much got stretchered off in our last game.
“I’m lost for words, couldn’t be prouder of the staff and the players.”