ABBEY WOMEN brought home four points from their trip to Blackheath in their first outing of 2023.
In what was Ben Radford’s first official game at the helm, a strong squad travelled to the South East London club, looking to replicate the result of their previous meeting this season, in which Abbey claimed their first win of the season.
It was a frantic start for both teams: while Abbey enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession in the opening quarter, it was Blackheath who dominated the defensive sets, shutting down Abbey’s go-forward time and time again.
Their captain Alex Zdunek marshalled her team well, and initial line breaks from winger Jess Williams and outside centre Alice Denton-Rice were thwarted.
Abbey struggled to find a footing into the game, with initial lineouts not functioning to their true potential, despite being awarded a series of penalties from repeated Blackheath infringements.
Strong carries from second-row Maggie Simpsom and captain Annabel Hawkins tested the Blackheath defence, but Blackheath managed to stop all Abbey attacks time and time again. Although Abbey were playing some good front-foot rugby, they struggled to finish off their phases of play.
In the last quarter of a scoreless first half, Blackheath’s winger Opeyemi Oluwabumuyi made an incredible break down the wing, stopped only by an immense tackle from debutant Jess Gundry, which allowed them to enter Abbey’s half for the most prolonged period of time all half.
It was now Abbey’s turn to defend; huge tackles from the entire team kept Blackheath at bay, including a double-team hit from Andi Barker and Annette Bevan, and repeated individual efforts from flanker Tori Kiff.
Blackheath were enjoying their time to attack; their dominant number eight Claudia di Marco wreaking havoc all over the pitch. It was Bevan who stole the ball at a crucial moment, allowing Alice Denton-Rice to clear Abbey’s lines and to start their attack once more.
In the second half, Abbey knew that it was time to turn the possession and territory into points. A fumble from the kick-off from Blackheath allowed Abbey to quickly regain possession and encroach into the Blackheath half once more.
The forward pack worked the ball to the right, hammering the line, until prop Jess Potter was held up by her opposite number.
From the result drop-out, Abbey attacked once more. A series of forward carries eventually allowed Ellie Denton-Rice to work the ball to Bevan, who released the ball to the centres of Hannah Skeels and Alice-Denton-Rice.
Williams was the last link in a fast-paced back line, allowing her to easily fend off her opposite number and score in the corner. Alice Denton-Rice converted – an incredible effort from the touchline – and Abbey were 0-7 up.
For the remainder of the third quarter of the match, it was all Abbey. Further penalty infringements saw Blackheath’s lineout jumper sent to the bin and Abbey capitalised on this by a successful driving maul from the resulting lineout which saw hooker Claire Stevens break off and sprint towards the try line, scoring Abbey’s second.
It had taken sixty minutes but the visitors felt they had found their stride and, buoyed by their second score, they were hungry for more.
Although that was to be the last score of the afternoon, the final quarter of the match was not without excitement. Blackheath enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession and territory once more, testing Abbey’s defence, which held firm.
Captain Annabel Hawkins led by example from the front, while replacement forwards Katherine Sheppard and Fern Edgar also let their presence be known.
Alex Johnston, only playing her second game for Abbey Women, left the pitch almost as soon as she entered with a knee injury, but the team regrouped to hold Blackheath at bay. Potter returned the held-up try with one of her own, and winger Clara Reynolds showed fantastic pace to disrupt Oluwabumuyi in what would have been a bonus-point score.
With the final score twelve points to the good to Abbey, the visitors breathed a collective sigh of relief at the final whistle. While starting the new year off with a win was to be celebrated, the team knew they had left some try-scoring opportunities out on the pitch. The team now travel to London Irish this Saturday, before hosting Hove at home on Sunday, January 29.
