BRAMPTON WOMEN TROUNCE TORONTO LIONS IN SECOND GEAR     16th June2008
 by K. Wilkinson and Photographs by Tom Kirby

 

Brampton Senior Women's team was just too powerful and too skilled for a brave Toronto Lions side on Monday 16th June 2008, and they won the match 32 - 5. However, this was definitely a game of two halves: After establishing a 27 - 0 lead in the first half, Brampton couldn't shift out of second gear in the second. 

 

 

The match started poorly for Brampton, as Chaylia Porter knocked the kick-off forward into touch. A few minutes later, the forwards showed their strength in a surging defensive scrum, but the Lions scrum half still cleared the ball to the fly half who arced around the blind side. Paige Gregson missed the tackle and the wing had to make the stop. However, as the rust wore off, the Brampton backs showed that they could move the ball wide and set up a series of phases in attack.

 

From one such series, Darlene Downey made a good break with forwards in close support. But, as a try looked imminent, Brampton gave up a penalty on the Lions' 5 metre line. Fortunately, the Lions were not good at kicking out of hand, and Brampton stayed firmly entrenched in the Lions' half for the first 12 minutes of the game. Unfortunately, attack after attack was thwarted by the Lions, as Brampton refused to pass until the tackle had been made.

 

Most progress was made by bullocking runs by the Brampton forwards, and Andrea Breuer, Chaylia Porter and Sara Myton all came close, but Brampton was penalized for pulling down the maul. Finally, Chaylia did manage to barge over at the 15 minute mark, and the Beavers went ahead 5-0.

 

 

The restart was again knocked on, this time by Sara Myton.  The Lions seemed to have little to offer other than a dogged and determined defence, but Brampton squandered good ball from the line outs and scrums, by kicking the ball aimlessly into touch, or stepping into contact in the mid-field backs. There were poor angles of running that led to little penetration, and the backs seemed content just to seek space on overlaps.

Heather McRobb provided a consistent service to the backs and short passes to the trailing forwards. There were some moves made in the backs, but these rarely seemed to be used to take advantage of the opposition's defence. For example, in defence, the Lions' inside centre was pinching in and coming up ahead of the line. Having said this, Brampton';s next score was a good intervention by Sarah Jess into the line from full-back to take the score to 12 - o at 20 minutes, when Paige made the conversion.

 

On the restart, Andrea caught the kick, and with good support from Jane Kirby and Number 8 Jenna Livinsgston, they launched a good attack. However, most of the play for the next 10 minutes was in centre field, with neither side making much headway and lay being spoiled by a series of handling errors and poor decisions like ignoring overlaps. One highlight though, was the consistently good "jackaling" by Sara Myton as she stole ball after ball at the tackle.  

 

At the end of 30 minutes, Brampton won a scrum on the Lions' 5 metre line. The ball moved to Vanessa on the right wing and she made good progress, From the ruck, Bru charged on well and Cee took the ball in for her second score. 17 - 0.

 

 

Paige made a good catch and drive from the restart, and the backs moved the ball wide where the ball was well kicked for a chase by the Brampton left wing, who did well to tackle the ball catcher. When the rucked ball moved wide, Sarah Jess came into the line well for her second tally of the day 22-0 at 34 minutes.

 

Brampton was not yet done. The ball was dropped on the restart and the Lions won possession. Paige stopped an attack by the full back in her tracks, and Brampton launched a series of attacks which were stymied by the referee's perception of a forward pass and coming off the feet in a ruck. A further series of good phase play could not keep Brampton out, and Paige eventually crossed for the score 27-0 at 42 minutes.

 

 

In the second half, Brampton seemed poised for doing what good teams do - take ruthless control and score points. This was not the case and the second half was tied by the ions at 5 points apiece.

 

Brampton kicked off, and with Jane Kirby replacing an injured Sara Myton at prop, and Jules McGann coming into the centre, Brampton went straight on to the attack. However, the Lions started to creep around the edges of the rucks and mauls ands steal good attacking ball. Before log, Brampton was hemmed in on their own 22m line. Fortunately, Brampton continued to win almost every lineout ball, while their scrum was strong especially i the use fo the defensive wheel, but less dominant than in the first half..

 

After a free kick against the Lions at a short lineout after 13 minutes, Brampton set up a good attack and Julie McGann sliced through the defence, but there was no support. Unfortunately, the Lions won the ball back and after Brampton were penalized and slow to react , the Lions crossed the line for a consolation try at 15 minutes 27 - 5.

 

For the next 10 minute period, poor handling and errors provided the Lions with what little ball they could win. Fortunately, some thunderous tackles from Paige prevented much danger. Finally, the Brampton forwards did take matters into their own hands again and scored a close quarters forwards try at 30 minutes. 32-5.

 

 

From the restart the Lions kicked too far and Brampton had scrum at centre, from which they launched a good attack. Unfortunately, wayward kicks into touch negated the advantage, as did a series of penalties against the home team for entering the ruck and maul from the side. The match wound down to a chilly end, as the sun set, and Brampton left the field with a good win.

 

This was a good win, and fun to watch, but neither coaches nor players will feel happy at the poor second half showing. If the team has aspirations to return to the level of play in OWL, they will need more consistency, better lines of running, better kicking and catching at restarts, better defence in open field play (other than Paige) and a better ability to finish plays clinically.