An exciting opening match of the Allianz Premier 15s saw Sale Sharks Women narrowly fall to defeat against Worcester Warriors at Heywood Road this afternoon.
Both teams were eager to show how their squad had developed over the summer, with a number of new signings starring for the Sharks.
Warriors took the initiative early, piling on the pressure, Sharks did well to only concede a penalty in the opening fracas.
The Sale response was immediate though, a blistering take from the kick-off seeing Sharks penetrate deep into Worcester territory and clinch 3 points of their own.
This back-and-forth characterised a first half that was strewn with errors from both sides as the ladies blew away the Premier 15s cobwebs. But, it was Sharks who ultimately took advantage, tries from Jodie Ounsley and Hollie Bawden giving Sharks a narrow 17-15 lead at half-time.
A missed tackle at the start to the second half saw Sharks concede early and the game soon descended into an arm-wrestle, Worcester oft times camped in our 22.
But the girls dug deep and diligently kept the Warrior horde at bay right up until the final 10 minutes.
A converted Worcester try put victory out of reach, but that didn’t stop the Sharks from mounting one last charge. In the final play of the game, Vicky E Irwin burst under the posts to give Sharks a score deserving of their undeniable defensive effort.
Not the result the girls wanted, but exciting to see the Sharks back to scoring ways. Follow us next week as we visit fellow Premier 15s newbies Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.
BOL Foods Player of the Match: Vicky E Irwin
Sale Sharks Women Starting XV
- Vicky Irwin, 14. Lisa Neumann, 13. Hollie Bawden, 12. Laura Perrin, 11. Jodie Ounsley, 10. Katy Daley-Mclean, 9. Mhairi Grieve (VC); 1. Gwen Pyrs, 2. Scarlett Fielding, 3. Katie Houghton, 4. Molly Morrisey, 5. Teleri Wyn Davis, 6. Vicky E Irwin, 7. Lucy Winter, 8. Beth Stafford (C)
Replacements:
- Molly Kelly, 17. Aisha A Marzouq, 18. Hannah Davis, 19. Georgie Perris-Redding, 20. Marion Ridgway, 21. Jess Roberts, 22. Lizzie Duffy, 23. Jess Kavanagh
