By James Logan
Visitors Leicester Tigers Women come out on top in a very stop-start East Midlands Derby at the Cinch Stadium at Franklins Gardens. A first-half scuppered by storm conditions saw both teams taken off after 25 minutes with Loughborough Lightning ahead.
Tigers would respond on the edge of half-time before two tries in the second half won it for the visitors. That wasn’t before multiple stops for HIA assessments with no pitch-side doctor available in tough conditions in NN5.
Derby day in Northampton had promised to be a thunderous occasion and this time was no different as the skies opened early on with heavy rain and lightning.
Although the hosts took the early initiative despite the visitors holding firm, scrum-half Megan Davey took the ball off the back of the ruck to dive between the defenders and over the line, Lia Green made no mistake from the tee.
Lightning nearly doubled their lead on the 21st-minute mark as the Tigers gave away yet another penalty on their 5-metre line but before they could take the penalty both sets of players would be taken off due to worsened weather conditions.
Following a short time off due to a storm, neither side was able to get hold of the ball with the wet surface playing a large part, multiple knock-ons and penalties turning the remainder of the first 40 into a game for territory.
On the stroke of the half-time whistle Tigers centre Evie Wills anticipated a Loughborough Lightning pass to perfection as she intercepted and ran the length of the Lightning half to score, Natasha Jones would add the extras.
A first half interrupted by storm conditions would see the two sides go in level at the break with a single score going either way, Davey for the hosts and Wills for the visitors in a tight affair.
The Tigers came out with intent in the second-40 coming close on several occasions to taking the lead although the strong Lightning defence kept the visitors out from 5 metres out.
There would be another stop in play just 15 minutes into the second half as both pitch-side doctors would be absent to deal with an HIA collision on either side meaning the game to be stopped yet again.
Tigers would take the lead on the 56th-minute mark, a brilliant cross-field kick landing in the hands of Charlotte Daley who beat three defenders before diving over the line in front of the Cinch stand, the conversion would be missed.
Loughborough would have the best of chances a breakaway from the home side not enough as the ball was knocked on in the 22’.
Tigers would complete the win with a late try, much like the first half an interception, Elin Beaver finding the gap and outbeating the defenders to score under the post, and replacement Emmy Mundy would add the two to give the visitors a 19-7 lead.
Mundy would fail to extend the Tigers lead at the death after she dragged her late penalty kick wide of the left-hand post.
Loughborough Lightning:
TRIES: (Davey 17’)
CONVERSIONS: (Green 17’)
PENALTIES: 0
DROP GOALS: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 0
RED CARDS: 0
15. Freya MacColl 14. Evelyn Clarke 13. Ellen Scantlebury (49’) 12. Carmela Morrall 11. Freya Greensmith 10. Lia Green 9: Megan Davey 1. Isla Curphey 2. Lucy Calladine 3. Laura Keates (47’) 4. Keevy Fitzpatrick 5. Issy Winter 6. Lucy Finch 7. Kendall Waudby 8. Daisy Hibbert-Jones ©
Replacements
16. Katherine Baverstock 17. Amelia Williams (47’) 18. Tiwaah Adjei-Ansere 19. Becky Boyd 20. Ellie Roberts 21. Lucy Weaver 22. Molly Luthayi 23. Amelie Anstead (49’)
Leicester Tigers Women:
TRIES: (Wills 40’, Daley 57’ Beaver (74’)
CONVERSIONS: (Jones 40’ Mundy (74’)
PENALTIES: 0
DROP GOALS: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 0
RED CARDS: 0
15. Amanda Swartz 14. Charlotte Daley 13. Evie Wills (65’) 12. Katie Childs 11. Elin Beaver 10. Natasha Jones 9. Amy Relf 1. Zainab Alema (54’) 2. Alana Bainbridge (42’) 3. Jade Jones 4. Leah Heath 5. Charlotte Frey (61’) 6. Jordan Russell 7. Morgan Richardson 8. Roisin McBrien ©
16. Nikki Simpson (42’) 17. Ellie Smith (54’) 18. Nadine Vincent 19. Eeva Pohjanheimo (61’) 20. Tiana Gordon 21. Jenny Maxwell 22. Sarah Nicholas (65’) 23. Emma Mundy
