Wales Women lose first match but Wales Dragonhearts secure victory

WALES 6 GREAT BRITAIN TEACHERS 30

By Ian Golden at The Gnoll

Wales’ first ever Women’s international side scored an early try in their inaugural game, but eventually fell 30-6 to an experienced Great Britain Teachers side.

It was a tough start for Wales. Seven of their opponents played in the English Super League this season with many others in the RFL Championship. For all bar one of the Welsh side, it was only their second, third or fourth game of rugby league.

But these Welsh ladies were all experienced in the 15-man code and have spent weeks learning the rules of the rugby league. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment of this first ever international, that inexperience let them down, but they showed throughout that with more games under their belt, Wales Women can be a force to be reckoned with.

Wales took just three minutes to score their first ever try. Emily Hughes barged her way over and Kathryn Salter converted.

It took until the 24^th minute for the Teachers to get on the board, following some good end to end rugby with both defences doing well in the soggy conditions. Katie Stephens forced her way through with Aimee Cleaver’s conversion attempt just short of the crossbar.

Wales nearly got a try back straight away but the ball was mishandled in a move 10 metres from goal.

And it was lack of rugby league experience that let Wales down three minutes from the interval. Savannah Ledsam did all the groundwork, running over 50 metres, but after being tackled, she chose to offload to Zoe Lewis rather than take the tackle and play the ball. It was a tough pass for Lewis to hold and the Teachers regained the ball. Wales went into half-time 6-4 up.

In an early second half midfield battle, Wales had the most ball-time, but couldn’t convert it into a realistic attack, Lewis making a darting run on 49 minutes before being pulled into touch.

After the Teachers were awarded a penalty, they worked their way upfield and eventually it was Anna Mary Davies who, after switching wings, scored in the corner to give them the lead. Cleaver converted again.

That sparked a try spree. Davies, normally a rugby union player for Bath and who only plays league for GB Teachers, soon got her second and Teachers’ third. Cleaver missed the kick but the visitors were 14-6 up.

Then from kick-off, Davies notched her hat-trick, all three scores in that same left corner. Cleaver again missed the kick.

GB were now on a roll as Wales’ heads went down. Sarah Lovejoy burst down the centre, offloading to Keira McCosh who scored. Cleaver converted give her side a 24-6 lead.

Lovejoy then went under the sticks for a try of her own which Cleaver improved.

After finally getting some ball time, Wales looked for a consolation score but the Teacher’s defence was too strong. Shaunni Davies attempted to create a late chance. Her grubber was mishandled and from the resulting scrum, Rafiuke Taylor was bundled into touch as she looked for the try-line.

Wales now take on England Lions in Leigh on Saturday 16^th November.

WALES
1 Savannah Ledsam (Cardiff Blue Dragons, West Wales)
2 Zoe Lewis (Rhondda Outlaws, East Wales)
3 Rebecca Llewellyn-Ennis (Cardiff Blue Dragons, West Wales)
4 Seren Gough-Walters (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
5 Megan Oaten (Rhondda Outlaws)
6 Kathryn Salter (vc) (Cardiff Blue Dragons, East Wales)
7 Leanne Burnell (Cardiff Blue Dragons, West Wales)
8 Emily Hughes (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
9 Jess Wallington (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
10 Vicky Lea (British Army, GB Armed Forces)
11 Joeann McGuire (Rhondda Outlaws, East Wales)
12 Ffion Owen (Rhondda Outlaws, East Wales)
13 Rafiuke Taylor (c) (Cardiff Blue Dragons, West Wales)
Subs:
14 Stacey Wright (Rhondda Outlaws, East Wales)
15 Kim Jones (Cardiff Blue Dragons, East Wales)
16 Lauren Aitken (Cardiff Blue Dragons, West Wales)
17 Rhian Stephens (Rhondda Outlaws, West Wales)
18 Laura Keeble (Cardiff Blue Dragons, West Wales)
19 Harriet Cooksey (Cardiff Blue Dragons, West Wales)
20 Shaunni Davies (Rhondda Outlaws, East Wales)
21 Karla Benjamin (Rhondda Outlaws, East Wales)
22 Charlie Mundy (Cardiff Blue Dragons, East Wales)
23 Sara Prosser (Rhondda Outlaws, East Wales)

Tries: Hughes (3)
Goals: Salter 1/1

GREAT BRITAIN TEACHERS
1 Aimee Cleaver (Widnes Vikings)
2 Anna Mary Davies (Bath Rugby)
3 Grace Morley (Leigh Miners Rangers)
4 Rebekah Wilson (Warrington Wolves)
5 Aimee Rice (Wigan St Patricks)
6 Mairead Quinn (Leigh Miners Rangers)
7 Emily Stirzaker (Barrow Raiders)
8 Keira McCosh (Warrington Wolves)
9 Amy Boardman (Bradford Bulls)
10 Sarah Lovejoy (St Helens)
11 Katy Tordoff (Castleford Tigers)
12 Brogan Churm (Featherstone Rovers)
13 Victoria Molyneux (Wigan Warriors)
Subs:
14 Leah Darbyshire (Wigan Warriors)
15 Vannessa Hadley (St Helens)
16 Katie Stephens (Rochdale Hornets)
17 Sophie Cleverly (Bath Rugby)
18 Paige Costello (Bradford Bulls)

Tries: Stephens (24), Davies (57, 62, 65), McCosh (68), Lovejoy (71)
Goals: Cleaver 3/6

Referee: Ieuan Griffiths
Half-time 6-4

WALES DRAGONHEARTS 26 SOUTHERN ENGLAND LIONHEARTS 20
By Ian Golden at The Gnoll

Wales Dragonhearts, the representative side of the men’s community game in the country, opened their 25^th anniversary season with a 26-20 win over Southern England Lionhearts.

Wales took a third minute lead when Adam Watton grounded in the corner and Mike Hurley converted well.

A Grant Harrington try just right of the sticks, which Hurley again converted, doubled their lead. 12-0 on just eight minutes.

However the tries then stopped for the Welsh, for a while anyway, as the visitors took control.

They hit back on 23 minutes after earlier being held up over the line. Josh Jackson scored under the posts and Dane O’Hehir converted.

From kick-off, the visitors levelled. Ben Thyer scoring in a similar position and O’Hehir converting again.

O’Hehir then notched a try of his own to give the English the lead, but failing to convert.

Wales finally got themselves back into shape as Corey Harris ran through to level again. Hurley missed the kick leaving the score at 16-all.

The Dragonhearts were quick off the mark again in the second half with Byron Edwards grounding and Gareth Howells’ kick just going wide.

Lionhearts levelled again after a lapse in concentration let in Cameron Taylor for a try. O’Hehir sliced the conversion wide.

Wes Cunliffe through he had a fingertip to the ball to give Wales the lead again, but it was chalked off by the referee.

Hurley kicked a penalty on 67 minutes to edge Wales ahead again, before an unconverted Luca Owen-Youens try increased the gap to six points and cement the win.

Wales are next in action on Sunday 10^th November when they welcome Lithuania to Cardiff Arms Park for the visitors’ first ever international match. Kick-off is 2.30pm.

WALES DRAGONHEARTS
1 Jonah Huntley (Rhondda Outlaws, West Wales)
2 Corey Harris (Bridgend Blue Bulls, West Wales)
3 Liam Watton (Valley Cougars, East Wales)
4 Adam Watton (Valley Cougars, East Wales)
5 Samuel Pridgeon (Valley Cougars, West Wales)
6 Shane Lee (Valley Cougars, West Wales)
7 Geoffrey Hick (Torfaen Tigers, East Wales)
8 Shaun Watton (Rhondda Outlaws, East Wales)
9 Grant Harrington (Torfaen Tigers, East Wales)
10 Darrel Moyle (Torfaen Tigers, East Wales)
11 Ben Stelmaszek (Thatto Heath Crusaders, North Wales Origin)
12 Wesley Cunliffe (Torfaen Tigers, East Wales)
13 Mike Hurley (Valley Cougars, East Wales)
Subs:
14 Dean Higgs (Valley Cougars, East Wales)
15 Gareth Howells (Bridgend Blue Bulls, West Wales)
16 Morgan Nicholas (Latchford Albion, North Wales Origin)
17 Luke Royal (Torfaen Tigers, East Wales)
18 Luca Owen-Youens (North Wales Crusaders A, North Wales Origin)
19 Byron Edwards (Torfaen Tigers, East Wales)

Tries: A Watton (3), Harrington (7), Harris (35), Edwards (42), Owen-Youens (76)
Goals: Hurley 3/5, Howells 0/1

LIONHEARTS
1 Luke Schofield (Reading Raiders, West of England)
2 Cameron Taylor (Bath Rugby League, West of England)
3 Ben Thyer (Bath Rugby League, West of England)
4 Jay Neath (Birmingham Bulldogs, Midlands)
5 Levi Myers (Birmingham Bulldogs, Midlands)
6 Josh Spearing (Bedford Tigers, East of England)
7 Dane O’Hehir (Hammersmith Hill Hoists, London)
8 Kristian Naylor (St. Albans Centurions, East of England)
9 Harry Pyke (Brentwood Eels, East of England)
10 Tommy Heydon (Oxford Cavaliers, West of England)
11 Joe Collins (All Golds, West of England)
12 Peter Logan (Birmingham Bulldogs, Midlands)
13 Luke Keanie (London Chargers, London)
Subs:
14 Garin Nicholls (Oxford Cavaliers, West of England)
15 Josh Jackson (Derby City, Midlands)
16 John Stanfield (Boston Buccaneers, Midlands)
17 Alex Nolan (North Herts Crusaders, East of England)
18 Matt Neild (Bedford Tigers, East of England)
19 Dan Hinton (Somerset Vikings, West of England)

Tries: Jackson (23), Thyer (26), O’Hehir (30), Taylor (55)
Goals: O’Hehir 2/4

Referee: Rob Apsee
Half-time: 16-16