Tuesday, May 10, 2005 OLs - Olney: 0-5  

Old Leams Ladies save best for last In the best match of their season, Old Leamingtonians Ladies, locally known as The Murphettes, suffered a narrow defeat against league champions Olney. Having won all their matches since Christmas, Old Leams knew they had nothing to lose in the last match of the season. Coach Tim Burden wanted to show the world that his team has made enormous progress this season and told his team to go out and play good rugby, no matter what the final result would be. His players did not let him down.

Olney's pressure was relentless but time and time again they were stopped by Old Leams excellent defence. Fly-half Vicky Stokes more than once kicked Old Leams to safety when the pressure got too much but poor line-out work throughout the match saw Old Leams on the defensive most of the time. The defence proved impenetrable however and the one time Olney managed to get the ball over the line, it was held up by lock Susan Dalling. 

The match was very tight and there seemed to be little difference between the two sides. Old Leams allowed Olney's backs too much running but managed more than once to steal possession around breakdowns. At half time there was still no score. Old Leams sensed they had a chance to create the biggest upset of the season and went into the second half with all guns blazing. With superb forwards work, particularly from Captain Christie Honor, Old Leams spent most of the second half in Olney's 22. Twice they went over the line but on both occasions the ball was held up. 

In the end it was another weak line-out that proved fatal for Old Leams. Olney managed to finally clear the ball out of their 22 on to Old Leams' half of the pitch. Olney won their line-out with great ease. This gave them chance to re-group and push for a score. A last minute try from the Olney scrum half proved enough to deny Old Leams the points they definitely deserved. The final whistle blew straight after the failed conversion attempt, leaving Old Leams disappointed but very proud of the superb rugby they played. 

Player of the match was flanker Laura Knox.  

Sunday, April 24, 2005 OLs - Tewkesbury: 55 - 0 

There seems to be no end to Old Leamingtonians Ladies'winning ways these days. Unbeaten since Christmas, Sunday saw them put 9 tries past Tewkesbury in a match with two faces. The first 15 minutes of the match were marked by disorganised defending from Old Leams and strong scrummaging from Tewkesbury's 7-man pack. Nonetheless Old Leams took the lead after 10 minutes when prop Chris Lycett picked up from a ruck and fed winger Charlotte Hewer. Hewer, playing a great match despite her broken fingers, put the ball across the line. 

Old Leams still seemed to have forgotten their organisation around rucks and Tewkesbury's strong pack gave Old Leams no chance in the mauls. But the strong wind that was blowing across the park was clearly in favour of Old Leams. When lock Marieke Vink stole a Tewkesbury line-out, fly-half Vicky Stokes kicked the ball from the Old Leams' 22 and chased it only to be held back by her shirt a few metres from the line. Outside-centre Tammy Summers was paying attention, picked the ball up and scored her first of 2 tries of the afternoon. Stokes converted and after 15 minutes, Old Leams were 12 - 0 up. 

The third try came a minute later. Flanker Claire Penna caught the ball from the re-start of play and ran all the way to the Tewkesbury try-line, side-stepping and dummying her way through the entire defence. Another conversion from fly-half Vicky Stokes made it 19 - 0. Old Leams clearly relaxed a bit and found their rhythm again. They were more organised and more disciplined. They stepped up a gear and started to out-run Tewkesbury with clever forwards positioning and more wide passing. Before half-time Scrum-half Charlie Graham scored the fourth try of the afternoon after Captain Christie Honor picked up from a scrum in Tewkesbury's 22. At half time the score was 24 - 0. 

In the second half the wind was in favour of Tewkesbury but it made no real difference. Inside-centre Kelly McLeod charged down a Tewkesbury clearance kick in their 22 and scored 29 - 0 Tewkesbury did not give up and gave al they had in their strong scrums and driving mauls. Old Leams missed a few tackles but winger Rohie Jallow proved she has no fear by charging down some of the strongest Tewkesbury players. Coach Tim Burden decided to rotate players through the squad to see how they worked out in unfamiliar positions. Jallow proved to be an asset as a flanker as well, prop Chris Lycett stood her ground as scrum-half and flanker Laura Knox showed her running speed on the wing. 

Tammy Summers scored her second try after the ball bounced straight into her hands from a great cross-field kick from fly-half Vicky Stokes. She was unchallenged and scored between the posts. Stokes made short work of the conversion. 36 - 0. Stokes got her own try a little later when inside-centre Kelly McLeod intercepted a Tewkesbury pass and put Stokes in a great scoring position. Again the Tewkesbury defence did not respond and Stokes ran from her own half to score between the posts. She then converted her own try. 43 - 0. Old Leams did not rest.

With bonus points in mind and a desire to have all the backs score their try today, Full-back Beckie Harris got hers after a well-worked backs move, seeing the ball passed all the way down the line. Captain Christie Honor finished the match of in style. Old Leams won the Tewkesbury scrum and Honor picked up from the back of the scrum. She drove in hard from the 5 meter line and scored. Stokes converted again, bringing her total of the day to 15 points and the final score to 55 - 0. 

Sunday, April 10, 2005 Burton - OLs: 7 - 34  

Old Leams Ladies continued their unbeaten run in the league with a storming performance at Burton on Sunday. Beaten in their first league game early in the season by Burton, Old Leams were out for revenge and got what they deserved.It wasn't long before the first points were scored as Ol's Captain Christie Honor burst through the defence after a successful penalty move to secure the first try. Old Leams showed their massive improvement since Christmas with some inch-perfect field position kicking by fly half Vicky Stokes and inside centre Kelly Mcleod and some fluent handling down the back line. 

Claire Penna, back after fracturing her ribs in a friendly, took advantage of the fast handling and scored the second try after a darting run. Shortly after new comer and winger Rohie Jallow unfortunately had her first ever try disallowed after a disputed forward pass. Burton had very little in response and were frustrated with their lack of possession. Their line-outs were constantly disrupted by lock Marieke Vink and Old Leams and hooker Fiona Rose-Jebson stole several balls against the head.

Burton did not look like scoring until towards the end of the first half but by then, Old Leams had put in their third try from winger Celina Bennett.When Scrum-Half Charlie Graham was substituted after injuring her arm, Old Leams seemed to panic and within 2 minutes they gave away three penalties ending up on their own 5 meter line but their determined defence prevented Burton from scoring. At half time, Old Leams were leading 19-0.  In the home match earlier this season, Old Leams were up by 10-0 after the first half and lost the match 10-22. This time around, the women remained in complete control and continued to play their own game in the second half.

Some excellent running and support play from the rampant forwards such as Laura Knox saw Prop Chris Lycett score try number 4 for Old Leams. Burton did manage to get on the score sheet in the second half when they were given a penalty try for a high tackle. They managed to convert but that was the last time they were ever a real threat. Try 5 came from another well worked penalty move when captain Christie Honor took the ball again, side stepped the defence and then passed to Claire Penna who ran in her second try of the day with ease, securing the bonus points for scoring 5 tries in a match. Fly-Half Vicky Stokes finished the day off in style by scoring in the right-hand corner after working an overlap. The Final score: 7 - 34.

Players of the Match were both wingers: Celina Bennet and Rohie Jallow for their excellent defence work.The most striking thing about the improvement made by Old Leams is that they are no longer just a pick-and-drive forward dominating side but that they are now able to create fast ball and play with width and adjust their playing style to fit the circumstances. This weekend, Old Leams will play at home against Lichfield 2nds. Kick off is at 2.30pm.  

Sunday, April 03 2005: OLs crash out of Cup 

The cup campaign of Old Leamingtonians Ladies was short lived this year.The lack of competitive matches over the past weeks was clear as they ended last in their group at Malvern RFC on Sunday.

The first match against Lakenham Hewitt, a side playing a league above Old Leams, was lost by 5-0. Old Leams were very rusty and and should have made quite an impression on this side. However they did not take advantage of some good field positions. Old Leams defence was excellent through out but a lack of concentration saw LH score under the posts when OLs failed to clear their lines from a scrum on the 5 meter line. A pass was dropped LH kicked ahead and dived on the ball first to score. The second half saw a much more concentrated effort from Old Leams but despite spending the entire 20 minutes in Lakenham's half, they did not manage to score.

The final result being 5-0. LH played Olney next, the score Olney 27- LH 0 Old Leams therefore needed to beat league-leaders Olney in their next match to go through to the next round of the cup. Old Leams put in a much better performance in the second match and played some decent rugby. When Old Leams visited Olney for their league match it took Olney 25 minutes to score the first try before running riot.

This match followed the same pattern. Old Leams managed to hold out for most of the first half but Olney showed why they are at the top of Midlands 2. Great discipline and fast ball finally got Old Leams down and once the first try was scored, Olney quickly ran in a few more. Old Leams did manage to score a try when Scrum-Half Charlie Graham charged down a poor clearance kick at Olney's 5-meter line, and dived on the ball to score. The final score was Olney 29 - Old Leams 5.  Old Leamingtonians will now continue their efforts to keep their recent progress in the Midlands 2 League going with their away match against Burton next Sunday. 

Sunday, February 20, 2005: OLs - Greyhounds: 19 - 0  

After a 4 week break from league fixtures, OLs have managed to hold on to their winning form in their match against Hereford Greyhounds on Sunday at home. In the first 10 minutes of the game OLs were struggling to organise themselves and were bewildered after a couple of unfair penalties against them. Fortunately Greyhounds did not take advantage of this confusion and after pulling themselves together; a scrum 15 meters out saw Captain Christie Honor pick up from the base, suck in the defence to feed Scrum-Half Charlie Graham who scored in the corner. 

The lead did not result in a calmer game. OLs remained restless throughout the first half and conceded further unnecessary penalties. Excellent line-out work from OLs made sure Greyhounds did not manage to win a single line-out which meant the Greyhounds were unable to take advantage of the penalties awarded to them. The second try came in the form of a penalty try, awarded to outside-centre Tami Summers. A kick over the defence by fly half Vicky Stokes saw Tami put Greyhound under pressure with a meaningful chase. She chipped ahead and with the posts in sight she was tackled from behind without the ball resulting in the penalty try. Fly-Half Vicki Stokes converted and at half time OLs were up by 12 - 0. The second half saw a more aggressive Greyhounds side and times it looked like they managed to get the better of OL's.

A lapse in concentration gave Greyhounds the opportunity to score but prop Christine Lycett managed to hold the ball up over the line. A scrum 5 meters out gave them another opportunity but excellent defensive work by Ol's forwards saw the ball held up and driven backwards resulting in an OL's scrum which was cleared to safety. Full-back Kelly McLeod marked her return from a 6 week absence with a storming try. After some great attacking work from the forwards, the ball was spun wide and McLeod cut the angle at pace crashing through the defence to score. The conversion brought the final score to 19-0. 

Player of the match went Tami Summers who not only got awarded a try but also showed both excellent attacking & defensive skills. Celina Bennett on the wing was also prominent with her great tackling. OLs ladies have now really come together after a difficult start to the season. They have conceded only 5 points in the past 3 matches and scored 51 themselves. With the number of injured players going down and a great number of new players joining the team, the future looks good.  

Sunday, January 23, 2005: Oxford - OLs: 5 - 5  

After last week's 27-0 victory over Witney, Old Leamingtonians Ladies' team travelled to 2nd in the league Oxford on Sunday. Oxford had beaten this newly formed Leams side by 12 - 53 in the home match earlier this season but Old Leamingtonians Ladies were fired up to fight for a good result, encouraged by the great performance last week.Their determination paid off.

Oxford did not get past the half way line for the first 20 minutes of the game due to Old Leams relentless pressure. It was Captain Christie Honor who eventually got the try for Old Leamingtonians after picking up from the base of a solid scrum. A tackle just before the try-line looked to stop her but she managed to stretch out her arm and place the ball an inch over the line. Oxford looked surprised at this well drilled effort from Old Leamingtonians Ladies and had very little in reply.

The second half saw more of the same with Old Leamingtonians Ladies putting in a lot of hard work against a more technical Oxford, especially from Claire (Smurf) Penna who put in some huge hits in the centre. Unfortunately Old Leams lost their defensively excellent winger Jenny Martin who won player of the match last week with a nasty blow resulting in a fractured collar bone. This will unfortunately put her out of action for a few weeks.It looked like Old Leams may have scored again after Chrisite Honor picked up from a ruck and made a break with Prop Tracey (Churchill) Webster in support who sprinted half the pitch before being tackled 10 meters out. The prop's lightening pace left her without support resulting in a line out.

With only 3 minutes to go it looked like Old Leamingtonians Ladies were heading for their second victory in 2 weeks but Oxford's wing took advantage of a rare lapse in concentration and managed to score in the left-hand corner of the pitch. Fortunately for Old Leamingtonians Ladies, they did not convert and the game ended in a 5-5 draw. Still a result to be proud of demonstrating the on going improvement and development of the squad. The recent good results mean that Old Leamingtonians Ladies are now moving on up in the league and are aiming to finish mid-table. 

Player of the Match went to second row player Marieke Vink for dominating the line out and her effort around the park.  

Sunday, January 16, 2005: Witney - OLs: 0 - 27  

This was a must win match for OL's if they were to have any chance of staying in the division. It was only 10 minutes in to the game when OL's scored their first try from a well worked backs move for Tammy Summers to score in the corner. The second followed shortly with the forwards driving over the line and Captain Christie Honor grounding the ball.Ol's confidence was growing and there was a determination not to let this lead slip through their fingers as had happened in a few games this season. OL's applied relentless pressure on Witney's defence and this paid off.

Only 3meters from their line, a poor clearance kick gave back possession to OL's and scrum half Kelly McLeod powered over the line. Witney did not give up and for 10 minutes were camped in OL's 22. They crossed the line four times only for the ball to be held up each time due to excellent defence. The second half saw OL's seal the win with a further two tries one from the ever reliable Claire Penna who took advantage of another poor clearance kick and beating two Witney players to score. The last try came from Kelly Mcleod, her second. Despite being behind Witney were more determined to score but again the OL's defence was solid and another Witney attempt was held up. A much deserved win for Old Leamingtonian Ladies. 

Player of the match was Jenny Martin. This was a difficult decision as every player gave 100% on the day.The victory was proof of coach Tim Burden's belief that the team would be ready for significant improvements after the first half of the season was used to build up the new team. As the teams below and directly above Old Leams in the league both lost, this victory has given Old Leams a great start to 2005.      

Friday, December 03, 2004: Olney - OLs: 41 - 3  

Old Leam Ladies travelled to league leaders Olney but there was not much separating the two sides at half time. Old Leam Ladies showed great organisation in defence and ended the first half on Olney 10 - Old Leams 3.  In the second half Olney made four changes in an attempt to break Old Leams defence. They succeeded as they immediately scored from the kick off and then a succession of tries were run in.

Despite the score line, Old Leams continued to apply pressure but were unable to capitalise when they managed to gain territory. Especially on the wing they proved vulnerable. The score did not reflect the hard work Old Leams put into this game. A large number of players are still injured and especially the forwards found themselves with people playing out of position.Despite all the injuries, it is obvious that the relatively inexperienced squad is improving at every match and Old Leam Ladies are looking forward to when they are at full strength again. Player of the match was Tammi Summers who put in a few great tackles.   

Sunday, November 21, 2004: OLs - Burton: 10 - 22  Old Leams dominated the first half and with some well placed kicks from the Vicky Stokes, spent most of the half in Burton's 22. After endless pressure on Burton's defence Old Leams first try came from Captain Christie Honor who picked up from the base of a ruck just a metre from Burton's line and drove over.

The second was to come from scrum half Kelly Mcleod who exposed Burton's defence, from the back of a scrum 15 metres from the try line she picked up and sprinted through an unmarked channel to score. Burton only got in Old Leams 22 a couple of times in the first half and each time Old Leams defence worked hard and remained solid and Burton came away with nothing the score at half time Old Leams 10 - Burton 0 . 

The start of the second half saw a more determined Burton who came at Old Leams from the kick off. 10 minutes in to the second half Old Leams suffered a blow when one of their players was sin binned ,this was the turning point of the game with one player down and Burton just a couple of metres out from the try line came their first score a second was to follow quickly, Burton had grown in confidence and from then on Old Leams were defending to stay in the match but another two tries and a conversion saw a game that Old Leams should have won slip by. 

Team: 1 Jackie Meade, 2 Fiona Rose Jebson, 3 Chris Lycett, 4 Michelle Ferrer ( 18 Therese Kennedy), 5 Marieke Vink, 6 Tracey Webster (17 Joce Turner), 7 Claire Penna, 8 Christie Honor, 9 Kelly McLeod, 10 Vicky Stokes, 11 Jenny Martin, 12 Jane Daniel, 13 Tami Summers, 14 Becky Harris, 15 Liz Tapper. Subs: Laura Knox, Sam Courtnell  

Sunday, November 14, 2004: Lichfield II - OLs: 49 - 6  

A spirited performance from Old Leamingtonian Ladies was not enough to prevent them from falling to a 49 - 6 away defeat against a very experienced Lichfield side. The home side contained four England players but despite this it was not until well into the first half that Lichfield got on to the scoresheet. Leamingtonians over-committed themselves at rucks and mauls which left Lichfield with overlaps and they were very efficient at getting fast ball and spreading it wide.

The majority of Lichfield's tries were scored in the corner of the field due to this. Despite conceding heavilily, Leamingtonians kept getting themselves into the Lichfield 22 through the boot of fly-half Vicky Stokes and put Lichfield under pressure. They were met by a well-drilled defence and Old Leams could only come away with two converted penalties for persistent infringement.

Player of the match was Vicky Stokes. 

Team: 1 Jackie Meade, 2 Smurf Penna, 3 Chris Lycett, 4 Michelle Ferrer, 5 Marieke Vink, 6 Joce Turner, 7 Tracey Webster, 8 Christie Honor, 9 Kelly McLeod, 10 Vicky Stokes, 11 Jenny Martin, 12 Jane Daniel, 13 Tami Summers, 14 Sam Courtnell, 15 Liz Tapper. Subs: 16 Susan Dalling, 17 Rohie Jallow, 18 Rowena 

Sunday, October 31, 2004: Greyhounds - OLs: 5 - 15  

After a difficult start of the season, Old Leamingtonians Ladies bagged their first win against Hereford Greyhounds.  

Sunday, October 24, 2004: OLs - Oxford: 12 - 53  

Injury-hit OLs suffered another defeat against a well drilled Oxford unit.Oxford scored within ten minutes and quickly ran in two further tries. Once OLs switched on they produced some good rugby which was rewarded with tries from Claire Penna and Player of the Match Kelly McLeod.  

But OLs were unable to maintain the standard and Oxford ran riot in the second half by taking advantage of a series of missed tackles.