Maidenhead Ladies 26 - 14 Hackney Ladies
Hard fought? Doesn't come close.
There will be few games more fiercely contested than this this season, as Maidenhead took second spot from the Gladies and avenged their defeat earlier in the season at Fortress Springhill.
With a fierce wind blowing across the field this wasn't a day for champagne rugby, but one for rugby purists. And those purists on the sidelines loved this. Hits were huge, the set piece a battle ground and nothing given away by either side. In the end Maidenhead were better at the breakdown, turning Hackney over too often and using their strong and quick (one strong, one very very quick) runners to punish the wasteful Gladies.
The positives: the tackling was brave and hard. The impact from Anna Sereni's tackles left bodies scattered, bloodied and broken. Prop Sam Leetch
made hit after hit on unsuspecting backs. While Kat Barber and Barr took their tackling to a new level, leaving their impression in the midriff of a few Maidenhead players. The line out was excellent, Flic Auer soared, stealing and ruining plenty of ball when Maidenhead tried to use the wind. Scrum half and captain Miller hurried and fought and drove Hackney forward. The carrying, when direct, was strong. Centres Meeson and Middleton ran hard, prop Astrid Bjorvig was a wrecking ball.
And the Women Of The Match epitomised this all. Fly half Sophie Campbell pressured without the ball and probed with it. Her try was nice. But her kick, chase, tackle and turnover was smart, skilful, speedy and finally HARD. Brilliant. And lock Sarah 'Growler' Barber was everywhere. Hit after hit, carry after carry. The best player on the pitch. And today, with some of the performances put in by players on both sides (a nod here to Maidenheads 7 and 13... Not their WOTM but deserving of begrudging praise) that's saying an awful lot.