Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
University of York 1sts 71 – 0 Leeds Trinity and All Saints College (TASC) 1sts
York completely outclassed their opponents on Wednesday in a one-sided match that demonstrated just how far they have come as a team in the few weeks since their heavy defeat to Teesside. York started in a much stronger position this time, with a full-strength side playing in their usual positions, rather than the bare minimum they could field against the Middlesborough outfit. By contrast, this time it was TASC who only had thirteen players, and several York subs donned red and black jerseys to play for the visiting side.
The wet conditions made passing hazardous, and York admirably resisted the temptation to pass the ball over a long distance or out of tackles, instead sticking to good solid rugby. Short passes, good communication between team members and energetic support of the ball carrier translated into a slick performance by the home side, one which their inexperienced opponents, playing their first game of the season as a team, were powerless to stop.
York started brightly, dominating from the very beginning of the match. And it was barely a few minutes into the game when some astute passing from the backs put the ball into the hands of outside centre Sabrina Ammi, who made an unstoppable break up the right wing to score her first ever try for York. Not content with this, Ammi crossed the whitewash again just minutes later, this time looping around under the posts to set up a sure conversion for captain Emma Hodgson.
Throughout the game, York kept play swift, moving the ball to the back of rucks and mauls smoothly and getting it out quickly before TASC had time to reset their defensive line. Loosehead prop, Ellen Larson, took advantage of this to score York's next try, when she received the ball from the back of a maul and charged up the blind side, easily cutting through TASC's defences.
The next two tries, although both scored by backs, were very different in their execution. For the first, Hodgson surprised the opposing team by some brisk play off a scrum, darting up the blindside of the pitch to make it 24-0 to York. Emma Cooper then sped up the left wing from deep infield to score her first of the match, dodging several TASC players who didn't seem to know what had hit them.
Although by this point the tries were mounting up and victory looked assured for York, they did not become complacent, and kept the pressure on. Fiona Parr produced the final try of the first half, barrelling up the middle of the field chased by the TASC fullback, who failed to catch her before she crossed the line right under the posts. Hodgson easily converted the try, making it 38-0 at half time for the home side.
Soon after the beginning of the second half, one of TASC's players twisted her knee when she was taken into touch, and play stopped for several minutes to determine if she could be moved to allow the game to continue. Instead, the decision was taken to move the line of touch in by five metres, and the game resumed. Emma Cooper was the first to put points on the board for York in this half, as she made a break up the right wing. By this point the visitors seemed to be flagging a little, and no one chased Cooper as she deposited the ball directly under the posts.
Kirsty Wheeler, York's tighthead prop, set up the next try, as her determined charge off the back of a ruck demolished TASC's attempts to bring her down. Hodgson was quick to support, receiving the ball from Wheeler to make her second try of the match, which she then converted, taking York's lead to 52-0.
Number 8, Lizzie Prance, had played an integral role in the game from the beginning of play, directing her team mates, making some clever passes and generally being a thorn in the opposition's side. Several stolen scrums gave her the opportunity to blindside the opposing team. Although TASC's front row was strong, the rest of their pack was loosely bound and inexperienced, giving York the chance to drive them back. Once the opposing pack was on the back foot, Prance took advantage with several pick and go moves from the back of the scrum, which gained a significant amount of ground for York.
The final three tries of the match were all set up by Woman of the Match Ammi, and scored by Aimee Miller, Prance, and Hodgson. By this point York had gotten try scoring down to a fine art, cutting through their exhausted and demoralised opponents with ease and enjoyment. Throughout the match, York displayed quick reactions and polished teamwork that bode well for the rest of the season.
Teamsheet: 1. Ellen Larson, 2. Victoria Cusick, 3. Kirsty Wheeler, 4. Ang Ball, 5. Fiona Parr, 6. Sarah McLoughlin (Jess Sharpe), 7. Amee Wilson (Linzi Hull), 8. Lizzie Prance, 9. Amy Davies (Emma Nugent), 10. Emma Hodgson, 11. Kate Fullilove, 12. Aimee Miller, 13. Sabrina Ammi, 14. Emma Cooper (Alex Khoo),15. Clare Beer.
Playing for TASC – Raine Astin-Chamberlin and Nikki Parker.
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