EaGirls' soaring success

Update

SOUTHERN CAPE RUGBY NEWS - The SWD EaGirls kicked the new season off with a nailbiting victory over Griffons in Welkom on Friday 26 July, having dominated the majority of the game.

EaGirls started very well early, with Edwaline Dickson scoring under the posts and Siphenathi Yeko converting the try to take a 7-0 lead.

Halfway through the first half vice-captain Bianca Figland spotted a gap to score her team's second try, which went unconverted.

The hosts immediately fought back, with some power runs from their captain and number eight who scored and converted her own try to cut the visitors' lead to 12-7. Later in the game, veteran SWD wing and Lady Blitzbok Nicolene Barendse spotted a gap on the counter-attack, drawing three defenders before offloading to Junior Springbok wing Faith Gosling who did not need a second invitation to show off her pace to score under the posts. Yeko converted to extend the EaGirls' lead to 19-7.

Griffons made life difficult for the EaGirls with their numbers eight and 12 dominating contact at times to push the home side back into the EaGirls' 22, to score again with another conversion going through the middle of the uprights and get the team within five points of the EaGirls. Further pressure from Griffons sparked some great interplay between SWD vice-captain Figland and captain Marlene Adams who broke away from within their own 22 with Figland putting Gosling into space, who popped the ball up to Prelene Pegram who scored the team's bonus-point try. Micaela Andrews just missed the conversion to send the teams to halftime with the EaGirls leading 24-14.

The EaGirls came out fighting in the second half but too many unforced errors saw good attacking chances go to waste. Halfway through the second half the hosts managed to break the EaGirls' defensive line to score their third try and brought the team within five points with just more then 15 minutes left in the game.

Griffons dominated the closing stages of the game but were at times a bit unlucky with a disallowed try due to forward pass. The EaGirls also had their fair share of chances and also had a disallowed try with winger Gosling stepping into touch before scoring.

With five minutes left the referee called time on the game after an instruction from the timekeeper who said the U20 boys' game needed to start on time, so the women's game had to be shortened. This saw the EaGirls winning the game 24-19 and starting their league campaign with a bonus-point away win.

Their next fixture is against Griquas on 9 August at Outeniqua Park as a curtain raiser for the SWD Eagles U20 team.

The EaGirls engage in a scrum with Griffons in their season opener.