THE EMERALDS HIT THE MIDWAY POINT OF NC1 AND CONFIRM THEIR CHALLENGE FOR THE TOP SPOT #ONWARDSEMERALDS

17TH NOVEMBER THE EMERALDS TRAVELLED TO EAST SUSSEX TO PLAY V HEATHFIELD & WALDRON RFC. THE PITCH CONDITIONS WERE CHALLENGING AFTER A DELUGE OF RAIN OVERNIGHT. Still, THE LONDON IRISH LADIES WERE UNDETERRED AND WERE CONFIDENT THEY COULD SECURE A VITAL WIN. THE 05-45 FINAL SCOREBOARD AND A WINNING BONUS POINT WAS SECURED WITH ANOTHER REMARKABLE DISPLAY OF RELENTLESS ATTACKING RUGBY FROM THE EMERALDS. NOTABLY, 7 TRIES SCORED AND ONLY 1 CONCEDED TO THE OPPOSITION.

24TH NOVEMBER WE HOSTED CANTERBURY LADIES AT HOME. ALWAYS A FORMIDABLE OPPONENT AND THIS BATTLE DIDN’T DISAPPOINT. A HIGH-OCTANE GAME WITH PLENTY OF DETERMINED AGGRESSION AND OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES ON BOTH SIDES. THE EMERALDS TOOK AN EARLY LEAD AND AT 25 MINS SAT 12-5 AHEAD WITH TRIES FROM NIAMH MCGRATH AND ANNE MURPHY DURKAN. BY THE HALF TIME SCORE CANTERBURY HAD MOUNTED A CONVINCING RETURN ATTACK SCORING 2 TRIES. THE EMERALDS SCORED ONE MORE BY NIAMH MCGRATH AND THE HALF TIME WHISTLE BLEW A 19-19 POSITION.

THE SECOND HALF STARTED WITH SOME POSITIONAL CHANGES FOR THE EMERALDS TO ADDRESS INJURIES. CANTERBURY STARTED CONVINCINGLY SCORING TWICE IN 12 MINUTES TO MOVE AHEAD TO 19-29.

THE EMERALDS SUFFERED AN INJURY BLOW LOSING CHARLOTTE CAMERON (PROP AND FIRST GAME FOR THE EMERALDS) TO A CRUSHING RUCK CHALLENGE WHICH RESULTED IN A BROKEN ANKLE. STALWART JEMMA SMITH MOVED FROM the SECOND ROW INTO FRONT ROW WITH REPLACEMENTS OF THE BENCH TO RESET THE PACK. ONE OF THEIR OWN BEING INJURED IGNITED THE EMERALD DETERMINATION, AND THEY CAME OUT SWINGING WITH A RUNAWAY TRY CONFIRMING A HATRICK FOR NIAMH MCGRATH. THE SCOREBOARD NOW SAT AT 24-29 WITH 20 MINS TO GO. A DEVASTATING YELLOW CARD FOR HARI MCCORMACK FOR PROTESTING AGAINST A SERIES OF HIGH TACKLES LEFT THE EMERALDS AT 14 WARRIORS, AND THE UNDER-DOG POSITION FIRED THEM UP. A SQUADRON LIKE ATTACKING ASSAULT SUPPORTED A MEGAN BREEN TRY AND MOVED THE GAME TO A LEVEL POSITION OF 29-29 WITH 10 MINUTES TO GO.

HARI MCCORMACK REJOINED THE FIELD WITH 6 MINUTES TO GO, AND THE EMERALDS RESET. IT WAS CANTERBURY'S TURN TO BE PUNISHED, THE ILL DISCIPLINE OF THE HIGH TACKLE SAW THEIR SQUAD DROPPED TO 14 PLAYERS WITH 3 MINUTES ON THE CLOCK. THE SIDELINE WAS ELECTRIC, AND THE LAST 2 MINS WAS PLAYED AROUND THE HALFWAY MARK. SOMETHING HAD TO BE PRODUCED TO CHANGE THE DRAW GAME POSITION AND IT WAS JEMMA SMITH WITH A 15 METER DRIVE THAT DID IT , SHE MADE IT SHORT OF THE OPPO 22 METER LINE THEN THE BALL WAS MOVED WIDE TO ALLIE NELKON (13) FOR A LINE BREAK , SHE WAS TACKLED 5 METERS SHORT OF THE LINE, POPPED UP THE OFFLOAD TO CAPTAIN SOPHIE MESSEM WHO SCORED UNDER THE POSTS IN THE LAST 30 SECONDS. A CONVERSION FROM VICE CAPITAN JEMMA SMITH SAW A FINAL SCORELINE OF 36-29, AND THE EMERALDS WERE CONFIRMED VICTORIOUS.

THE CHALLENGE CONTINUES SATURDAY 7TH DECEMBER V STREATHAM & CROYDON AWAY, KO 2PM. THIS IS THE RETURN LEG OF A FIERCELY FOUGHT 2ND LEAGUE GAME BACK IN SEPTEMBER WHERE THE EMERALDS LOST OUT TO S&C 17-30. THE INTENTION IS TO REDRESS THE BALANCE AND HEAD INTO CHRISTMAS PREPARING TO CONTEST THE LEAGUE TOP SPOT, HAVANT, 5TH JANUARY 2020.