Opening defeat for U14s against visitors Mansfield
Scarborough RUFC Girls Under-14s hosted their first match of the season against a strong Mansfield RFC side.
Thevisitorsstartedstronger, passing the ball along their line, creating and finding space out wide, they also had speed and used this to score their first try. Scarborough conceded a penalty near their lineandwereunabletodefend and conceded another try.
The hosts used their power and strength to force Mansfield back with Scarborough’s first try of the season going to Naomi Cornforth.
Scarboroughhaveplentyof power and were able to dominate the scrums and push Mansfield back. But the visitorskeptmovingtheballalong their line, creating space and scoring further tries.
Strong tackling in the midfield from Anabelle Drake kept Mansfield away from the try line, but more errors came into the hosts’ game, whereas Mansfield kept to their game plan of securing ball, passing quicklyintospaceandthenusing their speed.
Then the torrential rain came, which meant handling errors for both sides. In really poor conditions both teams tried to play good quality rugby. Mansfield tried some training ground moves at set pieces but Courtney Byerley was there ready to contest Mansfield’s maul.
Scrum-halfSophieKnaggs tried to get quick ball out to the back line from the set piece but the hosts were unable to make ground.
Neve Moon tried a strong run but Mansfield’s tackling was very good and their reactions were much quicker to the loose ball. The hosts kept goinguntiltheendandnearly scored a further try but Byerleywasheldupbyanexcellent Mansfield defence.