Rugby - Biggleswade & Royston Ladies: Ladies regain focus to finish strongly

St Neots Ladies 38 - 17 Biggleswade & Royston Ladies

Biggleswade & Royston Ladies faced a tough test away against St Neots on Sunday, starting and finishing strongly, but losing the game in 20 minute period when they lost their shape and focus.

This was Big/Roy’s fourth ever match as a joint team - the third on consecutive Sundays - and with several players out through injury it was a mental and physical challenge to get the new, new combinations of players working as a unit.

They started well, with decent structure and big work rate. The first time the backs got some good clean ball they confidently launched into a training ground move with some slick handling.

Ten minutes in, Big/Roy opened the scoring with a breakaway 25m run from No 10 Jaz Devereux, with supporting players Beth Hicks and Chloe Pearce tearing after her. Devereux popped the ball up to Pearce who scored her first ever senior try.

St Neots’ more experienced forwards were rucking and jackalling hard, but Big/Roy’s defensive line was holding strong, and the play was mostly confined to the middle of the pitch, with neither side able to advance into their opponents’ 22.



But as the half neared its end, the home side piled on the pressure. Hicks made a fantastic try-saving tackle to stop a flying St Neots winger, and Amy Fox and Dorota Dongiewicz-O’Sullivan made strong defensive carries, building phases to get the ball out of the red zone. Fox was in proper bulldozing form all afternoon.



Despite an heroic defensive tackle count, St Neots finally broke over the line just before half time, with the conversion putting them 7-5 up.

The second half saw a real dip in Big/Roy’s concentration and shape and a resurgent St Neots took full advantage (despite a fumbled touchdown). Drawing Big/Roy in and exploiting gaps, they ran in five tries, with their kicker adding points. The visitors were ruthlessly punished for missing tackles they had earlier been smashing and the team could easily have dropped their heads.

It’s to Big/Roy’s huge credit that they rallied, with captain Teri Taylor firing up the troops. St Neots believed they were going to easily pile on more points, but none came, and for the last third of the game they were under the cosh, as Big/Roy rediscovered their mojo and drove their way forward.

Big carries, line breaks and strong pod work saw Big/Roy camped in St Neots’ 22, allowing Devereux to make an interception at pace and sprint over, converting her own try. Devereux topped this with a second try after brilliant forward work led to quick backs ball, and she brushed past a hand-off, spinning and stepping past three more defenders to score her second.



Now Big Roy have to work on playing a full match like they started and finished this one.

PHOTO: Sarah Riley