Hamilton won the toss and chose to receive the kick with Orkney opting to play tactically with the wind and sun behind their backs. An early tackle by stalwart Lucy Flett within a minute of the game starting, panicked Hamilton which allowed outside centre Angela Drever to steal for a turnover ball. Unfortunately, Hamilton lost their scrum half after making a tackle on Orkney’s strong ball carriers and injured her ankle.
The run of play lead to a penalty in Orkney’s favour with a scrum. The forwards carried well and Orkney settled into phase play and the ball was released out wide to the backs. Hamilton’s strong defence, which was prominent throughout, meant the backs didn’t get far. Using the coast-to-coast method the ball was in the forwards hands again and Hamilton conceded a penalty. Hamilton redeemed this errorand too advantage of a bad Orkney pass to retrieve a turnover. The advantage did not last long and Hamilton knocked the ball on. The ref played goodadvantage, and inside centre Amy Walker went on her travels taking the ball wide and close to the try line but was faced with a high tackle. A penalty was awarded with Orkney using the overlap and this allowed Drever to sidestep over the try line. Converted by Aleisha Womack. At the restart, Orkney retained possession well and Captain Emma Staunton broke through the Hamilton line make good ground. From the ruck the ball was quickly shipped through the backs hands and Walker made her way under the posts. Converted by Womack. This time the restart did not go Orkney’s way with handling on the fumbling side, Hamilton gain possession with advantage of a knock on. Hamilton’s players linked up well using offloads patiently and timely working their way into the ‘22 meter area. After some good carries by Haley Mackay and Gemma Burgess, they were penalised for holding on. During this play, the legend Sandra Davey got stood on with a nasty cut on her hand (I will not go into detail but it resulted in a trip to A&E to hopefully be stitched up. Confirmation of the injury is not known at the time of writing). The penalty was taken and a clearance kick by Walker was scooped up by Hamilton’s full back, Cary Pegrum, but buttery fingertips in the ruck, Hamilton knocked it on for an Orkney scrum. Hamilton’s scrums were strong throughout and on this occasion they turned over Orkney’s advantage. With a bit of sideways play, Hamilton struggled to make any ground until the ball got to their number 12, Emma Jenkyns. However, a knock on resulted in aturnover to Orkney with advantage, an awkward kick was nicely caught by Paige Archibald out wide where she beat her opposite number 15 by the familiar feet work to score under the posts. Converted by Womack. A textbook restart followed, after just having converted the last try, Womack received Hamilton’s kick off, weaved through all the players to score a stunning try under the posts beautifully supported by Stacey Tualasea and Walker. With jelly legs, Womack converted her own try. A knock on at the restart, it was Hamilton’s scrum. They held possession well until another knock on was forced and found the hands of Walker who eventually got tackled. A solid ruck from the backs allowed the forwards to ball carry strongly. However, the theme of the day by both teams, meant a knock on by Orkney saw another scrum in Hamilton’s favour. Hamilton used their flowing offloads once again to make their way up the pitch beating Orkney’s defence. They were awarded a penalty for hands in the ruck. Hamilton’s number 2, Sarah Bennett, made some good carries disrupting the Orkney defence and they moved the ball well out wide. However, with being pushed back onto their try line, Orkney’s determination pushed the ball carrier into touch. Orkney could not keep this advantage and lost the ball in the line out. Hamilton, with the try line in sight, were patient on the ball, used their forwards well and staying low making it difficult to defend. With the ball merely centimetres from the line, it was not getting any closer and they passed the ball to the backs. Their tall 15, Pegrum, used her height well, fell forward into the tackle and stretched over the line. Kicking into the wind, Hamilton did not convert. Hamilton retained possession at the restart and Mackay broke through the Orkney defence not once but twice making excellent meters up the pitch. This enabled their backs to run the ball up even further with good joined up play. Passing the ball from one side to the other, a high tackle by Orkney awarded Hamilton with a penalty in the ’22. The play was read well by Orkney’s Drever who got a penalty for Orkney. A kick into touch was hindered by the wind, followed by a squint throw in, it was once again a penalty for Hamilton who opted to scrum. Womack was straight on their number 8, Amy McGoohan, who went to pick and go from the scrum but good tackle reaction the number 8 managed to get the pass away. Working the ball through the hands, a ‘seatbelt’ tackle by Orkney, saw a yellow card being shown to Walker. Following the penalty, Hamilton lost the ball which was stolen by Drever and Staunton. Not letting being down a player disrupt Orkney, they adhered to their structure and once the ball was in the hands of the backs, Archibald made a great run from within their defensive ‘22 to just over halfway. A great tackle by Hamilton brought Archibald down, however good supporting play by Catherine Green and Drever secured the ruck nicely. A forward pod carried the ball a bit further and with no guards set, Womack snuck between the gap, goosestepped past another player to under the posts. With tired legs, the crossbar was hit and no conversion. The restart was a messy one. Orkney had the ball, then Hamilton had the ball and it was back in Orkney’s possession. Another clearance kick was chased and pressurised by Womack and Hamilton lost possession in the ruck. Orkney used their backs well once again with Archibald and Green linking well allowing Green to break though. From one side to the other a ‘bandicoot 12’ move was carried out by Hannah Cursiter who handled some grab and spin….can you call that tackling? by Hamilton, she was taken to ground. However, a knock on in the ruck, it was another scrum to Hamilton. This was the end of the first half as their break resulting in being put into touch. Going into the second half leading 33-5, Orkney were feeling confident despite being a player down, to maintain this lead. Hamilton kicked off to start with the wind and sun behind them. Orkney’s Nikita Scollie and Katie Allison carried well as Orkney fell into their familiar structure. Another break out wide by the backs was defended well by Hamiton and Orkney had to reset, however possession was lost in the ruck. Hamilton reacted quickly to this and Jenkyns was once again on the attack and Orkney was penalised. A try saving tackle by Green out wide, Hamilton quickly recycled the ball, travelled towards the posts and powered over the line only to be held up. Time was also up on the yellow card and Walker returned to the pitch. The ref called Captains aside to give both teams a warning for their tackle height. As players began to tire, the tackling was becoming a bit on the dangerous side, therefore a word was required. An Orkney scrum was an 8 pick and go by Scollie and in yo-yo fashion of the game, it was soon a turnover ball, followed by a penalty to Hamilton. With quick reaction and Orkney beginning to tire, Hamilton had the overlap outside. However, they were faced with their own handling errors and the overlap was no longer. Having to come back into the centre of the pitch a gap opened up and they were over the try line by their number 10, Cat Crichton. Try converted. Play from the restart went side to side with both teams having possession and both being pushed into touch. Orkney were forced into their own half and their defensive line become disconnected and tired legs began to show. A penalty in the ‘22 for Hamilton with a display of quick offloads and spotting the overlap scored in the corner. Try was not converted. Hamilton did not capitalise on the restart and a knock on meant and other Orkney scrum. An eight pick and go with a pop to scrum half Womack who spotted a gap and was fouled. A quick tap and pass to Staunton who tipped it to Tualasea, Orkney edged up the pitch. However, penalty to Hamilton which was taken quickly caught Orkney off guard. There steps in Flo Ungaro who had an incredibly strong game at wing then onto flank stopped Hamiton’s runner and secured a turnover ball. A clearance kick straight back into the hands of Hamilton was another phase of a yoyo as a knock on meant another Orkney scrum. Keeping the attack narrow allowed Walker and Archibald the width and a two on one scenario with Archibald finishing under the posts. Try converted by Womack. Orkney were unable to take advantage at the restart with a penalty in Hamilton’s favour. Once again the butter fingers appear for another Orkney scrum which was then returned to a Hamilton scrum in the ‘22. With play going back and forth between the teams and good advantage played by the ref, Hamilton gained another try. Try not converted. The next restart was a bit of a raffle by both teams with each getting penalties. It wasn’t long before the next Orkney try where Walker got a clean steal of a loose ball, looper her way wide to in the corner. Just a little out of reach the try was not converted. Tualasa and Scollie made some powerful breaks through the Hamilton defence cause a couple more knocks which stopped time. A few turnover balls by both teams but with slightly quicker reactions and thinking, Walker and Archibald linked up once more on the opposite wing with Archibald, on her only game this season (so far) secured her third try. Unfortunately the wind whooshed the conversion and the ball hit the posts. Scollie was once again causing the Hamilton defence issues and started the set up for the the final Orkney try. Peedie offloads between the backs released Walker once more and with jelly like legs used the inside support from Cursiter who scored under the posts. Try not convered. In the final few minutes, Hamilton pushed Orkney near their defensive line. Alanna Smith reacted well to this by gathering up a loose wall and with a sneaky dummy confusing her opposition nipped through the gap. With a quick time check, the ball was kick out and the final whistle sounded. A final result of 55 – 22 to the Orkney Dragons, the lasses were in good spirits. Despite the score looking like a convincing win, Hamilton were strong in the scrums, had good ball carriers and their offloads were seamless. Due to injury, Hamilton played with 14 players for the majority of the second half and still secured three tries. They definitely made Orkney work hard for the win and fought to the very end. To have, one – a home game and two - a home win is a great boost to the team and the club. Massive thank you to ref, Glen McLellan who controlled the game extremely well and provided clear explanations. We cannot forget our very faithful and big Dragon’s supporter and sponsor, Bryan Laughton Main Street Properties, we are very grateful for your support. The next game is on Saturday 15 March 2025 at home against Marr. Tries: Angela Drever (1), Amy Walker (2), Aleisha Womack (2), Paige Archibald (3), Hannah Cursiter (1). Conversions: Aleisha Womack (5) Players of the match: Forward – Nikita Scollie Back – Angela Drever Opposition pick – Amy Walker Photo: Top L-R: Sean ‘Tattie’ Corrigall, Donna Wilson, Nickie Milne, Kathleen Duncan (sponsor), Bryan Laughton (sponsor), Nikita Scollie, Catherine Green, Emma Staunton (c), John Cairns (coach), Stacey & Sione Tualasea. Bottom L-R: Ruby Flett, Natalie Rose, Lucy Flett, Katie Allison, Angela Drever, James Cursiter, Hannah Cursiter, Alanna Smith, Flo Ungaro, Paige Archibald, Ariana Tualasea. Front: Aleisha Womack, Amy Walker and Tuari. D.W. Comments are closed.
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