Women’s Championship
Hallam University Sports Park, Bawtry Road, Sheffield
Sunday 14 July 2014 (noon)
Sheffield Eagles 6-30 Leigh Leopards
Leopards continued their winning ways in the Championship and came through arguably their stiffest test of the season so far with a five-try victory at second placed Eagles.
Birthday girl Kate Howard set Leopards on the way with a second minute try and there were first tries in a Leopards shirt for Grace Hill and Keira McCosh.
Storm Cobain and Mollie Young were the other try-scorers and Charlotte Melvin kicked superbly to land five from five.
The home side had lost only once this season, against Leopards at Twist Lane, and in what was a potential decider for the league leader’s spot showed why they are producing consistent results.
But Leopards defended superbly when they had to and showed their firepower in attack to run out decisive winners.
Leopards made another fast start and Howard capitalised on smart go-forward by the pack to nip over from dummy half for her 13th try of an increasingly productive season.
Eagles then threw everything at the visitors’ line in an intense ten-minute spell, but the Leopards defence held firm.
McCosh added a second try when Leopards broke away, running a perfect line from Mairead Quinn’s pass.
When Cobain finished off impressive approach play by Becky Greenfield and Melvin to score her 12th try of the campaign Leopards had established a decisive 18-0 lead inside the opening quarter.
Eagles broke through on the stroke of half time when Capucine Auger burst over from close range and Victoria Thomas added the conversion.
If Eagles had scored next Leopards would have faced a difficult test as the drizzle came down and made handling difficult.
They responded impressively, dominating the second half territorially and allowing Eagles only brief glimpses of their line.
Hill, outstanding again down the middle, powered over for a deciding try, her first in Leigh colours. She’s now only 49 short of equalling the tally of her dad David for the club.
Young, switched back to centre after playing impressively on the wing last week, stretched her scoring sequence to 12 tries in her last five games and 15 for the season with an incisive finish in the dying seconds.
Leopards travel to Dewsbury Moor next Sunday for their third away game in successive weeks (2pm).
Eagles
Sian Judd; Ellie Tiffin, Phoebe Evans, Victoria Thomas, Brooke Price; Lisa Parker, Sarah Palmer; Capucine Auger, Charli Carlton, T’leesha Frederick-Maynard, Hailey Swann, Simone Saunders, Claire Fisher
Bench:
Katie England, Rebecca Bosworth, Jo Clark, Maddison Rainey
Try: Auger (40)
Goal: Thomas 1/ 1
Leopards
Hattie Dogus; Becky Greenfield, Charlotte Melvin, Mollie Young, Freya Turner; Rhianna Burke, Leah Morris; Mairead Quinn (capt), Kate Howard, Keira McCosh, Keli Morris, Storm Cobain, Grace Hill
Bench:
Claire Collins, Claire Mullaney, Georgia Mole, Abi Gordon
Tries:
Howard (2), McCosh (14), Cobain (19), Hill (65), Young (80)
Goals: Melvin 5/ 5
Scoring sequence: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 6-18 (ht) 6-24, 6-30
Penalty count: 5-1
