What a difference a week makes!

After a severe beating the week before we needed a good performance on Sunday to regain confidence and build momentum as we head towards the end of the season. We got it...in spades!

The warm-up was all positive, the team spirit was high and the opposition, like us, had no bench.

The game started well with multiple phases from both teams across the middle third of the pitch. Both team's defensive structures and line speed halting the attacks. It took 15 minutes for Southwold to begin to push forward with intent. Our front 5 were dominating the scrums giving us clean ball and also taking a few against the head. Till finally, after a few pick and goes just outside their 22, the ball found its way in to Hollie's hands and she twisted and turned through a melee of defenders to break the deadlock and score under the posts.

The first try eased the nerves but Ipswich are a good team and we fully expected an immediate response, but our defense held strong. Our front row were on fire. Carry after carry all making good yards and each time taking at least 3 defenders to bring them down which obviously gave us space and opportunities out wide. The backs made numerous line breaks only to be thwarted by last ditch tackles and a few inaccurate or missed final passes. But then Hollie struck again, this time from out wide and from inside our own half but with enough space to run around the winger and fullback.

Our last try of the half was the pick of the crop with the ball going from one side of the park to the other from the halfway line including a sublime final offload from Liv to Hollie who run in for her hat-trick in the corner.

Our clean-sheet at halftime (15-0) is credit to a determined defense. Our back row were everywhere putting in the hits, slowing down opposition ball and generally being a real nuisance to Ipswich. If they did break through our back 3 tracked them and brought them down, so our try line was never really threatened.

Up by 3 tries and now playing with the wind - and it was quite breezy - however we knew that couldn't take our foot off the pedal! Our forwards were doing a great job at pushing us up the field and winning the set pieces, so we didn't need to use the wind and chose to predominantly keep the ball in the hands. We became increasingly confident with more powerful carries from our front row with their teammates on their shoulders.

Our line speed in defense got better as the game progressed, so much so that it was causing their backs to rush and make mistakes. Our fourth try was the result of this when Bee (Diss) hacked through a spilled pass and scooped it up over 5m out.

There was a relatively short period of sustained pressure in our 22 which ended in an attempted try judged held-up. The resulting goal line drop out was gratefully caught by their fullback and ran in to the corner for Ipswich's first and only try.

Our half-backs were in tune today and quick ball gave our centres the time to pick the gaps and consistently make breaks in the midfield but after they'd done all the hard work the ball didn't always get out wide for the run-ins.

The result went beyond doubt with two final backs tries. The first went through all the hands to find Hollie going over in the corner - but then weaving her way back infield to place under the posts! Our last try was probably the best of the day as again it went along the line with mini breaks - but this time it did get out wide thanks in the end to quick hands from Mariia for Bee to score. Both tries were converted by Ri. Job Done. Past defeats repaid. Confidence restored.

Everyone clearly enjoyed themselves and played at 110% so never easy to select the star contributors - however:

Forward of the Match was won Maddie (who also won the boat race - obvs!) for her numerous carries.
Back of the Match was Bee who is new to the team but gelled seamlessly with her team mates.
Hats-off to Michaela, now 50 something, who played the whole game and clearly asserted her experience in the pack.
Also thanks to the referee, Tim Passmore, who had also had a good game with clear and consistent comms.

Arn the Women of the Wold

ps. The girls also raised around £300 from waitressing at the Club Lunch on Saturday for their London tour in April.