The game was closely fought, with Orkney battling their way back to 36–36 with around 15 minutes remaining. Unfortunately, in the closing stages some strong individual runners from the opposition managed to break through and score the tries that eventually gave Lochaber the win.
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The final result didn't really tell the whole story, though. Orkney produced a strong team performance and showed that once the full squad is available, there is plenty to be excited about for the season ahead.

There were good performances throughout the team. Orla kept the lasses going and chased everything, while Pamela put in some excellent tackles before sadly having to leave the game through injury. Lucy carried strongly and supported well, and Amber showed real grit and determination.

Robyn settled into the side really nicely and scored Orkney's first try, showing that with more game time she could become a real asset to the team. Kiera was having a very strong game before unfortunately getting injured and was a big loss around the rucks.

Freya produced some good runs and grew stronger as the game went on, while Maddie had an excellent game at 10 and became increasingly influential as the match progressed.

In her first proper game, Gracie showed plenty of potential with some good runs and, if she keeps working at her game, looks capable of developing into a very good player. Leah also deserves credit in her first opportunity captaining the side, working hard to keep the lasses' heads up throughout.

Morven clearly enjoyed making the step up from the U14s and was delighted to show the damage she can do with some strong tries, while Ada contributed with some good support play and tackles.

Although Orkney didn't get the result, it was a very encouraging team performance with plenty to build on. Just as importantly, the girls represented Orkney brilliantly both on and off the pitch, and the coaches were incredibly proud of the whole squad.

Kevin Pepper

​On Saturday 15th August, our Ladies team, The Dragons, will face an Invitational North District Select side before the main event sees the Orkney 1st XV take on Penguins International.