4th VII v Rugby

Date: Tuesday 2nd March

Venue: Home.

Won 15-13

Team:

H Burn
H Merritt
A Cartlidge
S Davies     
A Etherington
S Griffiths
G Fletcher

Result:

Won 15-13

Match Report:

Rather like a river finding its deliverance in the sea, all the 4ths' potential, hard work and focus came to fruition in this gripping game.

Every player gave their all, and played to the very best of their ability. Sophie Griffiths and Georgia Fletcher, shooting with metronomic accuracy and converting from distances from which they had no right to score, even against a very tall GK, kept the scoreboard ticking over; their work as a unit, stretching the Rugby defence around the Circle, and winning more than their fair share of 50-50 balls, was a key factor in Repton's lead, established at 5-2 in the first quarter, never being surrendered. The team-talk at that stage, naturally enough, focused mainly on Aristotle, while Aeschylus' Oresteia might have been more apposite; the 4ths could never be accused of being hybristic, but, excited by the unaccustomed experience of being in front, they did try to force the game, losing possession too often with hail-Mary passes, or simply trying to pass through defenders; at the end of the first half, the score was 6-5.

In recent weeks, however, this squad has shown real steel, and no team with the driving, fist-pumping heartbeat of a midfield engine-room consisting of Sophie Davies and Alex Cartlidge was ever going to give up without a fight. Sophie, hunting, as is her wont, in a pair with Amelia Etherington, with effects not dissimilar to those of Lillee and Thompson, seemed to be in every area of her two thirds at the same time, stifling attack after attack with an admirable, no pasaran attitude, and distributing with judicious incision and no little vision. This triumvirate has injected some very welcome urgency to the team in recent weeks, and they move with hypnotic pace and variety across the court, never letting the defence settle, and pulling the WD, C and GD and hither and thither. Amelia, in particular, is becoming very accomplished indeed at finding and creating space before the defence can see the move.

In defence, Hannah Burn and Hannah Merritt had their best game so far; Hannah B's vigorous screening consistently broke up Rugby attacks, and, at GK, Hannah M's reach was comfortably good enough to frustrate the Rugby GS and GA. What was perhaps most pleasing was their ability to win rebounds; quick, focused and urgent, they were first to most balls, and Hannah M launched continuous counter-attacks with such fluency and speed that Rugby soon found themselves back in their own Circle.

The girls deserved all of their success - they've come a very long way in a few weeks, and it was excellent to see them recognise, and take pride in their success at the end of the game.