DMP Sharks 0 Exeter Chiefs Women 73
DMP Sharks Women 0
Exeter Chiefs Women 73
By Mark Stevens
Exeter Chiefs Women kicked off the defence of their Allianz Cup crown with an emphatic victory on the road against DMP Sharks at the Darlington Arena.
Susie Appleby’s side dominated from start to finish, running in a total of 11 tries and producing a performance that the head coach will certainly be proud of.
Winger Charlotte Woodman scored twice in the first half, alongside further scores from Michaella Roberts, Maisy Allen and Poppy Leitch, as the Chiefs led 40-0 at the turn.
Liv McGoverne, on her debut, slotted four conversions and was again on song in the second half as Woodman completed her hat-trick just minutes after the restart.
Although the Sharks were much improved after the break, the Chiefs were proving miserly in defence and having soaked up some home pressure, they soon returned to their attacking ways.
Debutants Cliodhna Moloney, Halley Derera and Kate Buchanan all got on the try-scoring list as the half progressed, before Irish captain Nichola Fryday put the seal on victory with a further score in the dying minutes.
McGoverne added five more conversions in the second half to finish with a personal haul of 18 points.
With Appleby shorn of a glut of first-team stars who are away prepping for the upcoming Rugby World Cup, it was a plentiful mix of youth and experience that took to the field for their seasonal opener in the North East.
Debuts were handed to Buchanan, McGoverne, Derera, Moloney and Georgie Grimes, whilst fellow newcomers Edel McMahon, Danielle Preece, Sophie Langford, Panashe Muzambe, Niamh Orchard and Isabella Hartley would all get their chance to pull on a Chiefs jersey for the first time during the contest.
From the outset, the visitors set the tone and it took just seven minutes for the Chiefs to break the deadlock. Having camped deep inside the Sharks 22 with a series of penalties, a loose kick from Kenny Thomas-Roberts was gathered by McGoverne, whose quick feet out wide enabled Woodman to squeeze over in the right-hand corner.
It was a lead they would double not long after. Woodman’s initial carry down the right caused problems in the home defence, before the forwards took charge with Leitch, then Allen, both held shy of the line before Roberts gathered and burrowed his way over the line for the second score, which McGoverne was able to convert.
Two tries soon became three as the Chiefs again exerted their dominance, this time No.8 Allen picking from the base of a scrum and fending off three home tacklers to power over. McGoverne again added the extras, landing a superb kick from 30m out to make it 19-0.
Somewhat shell-shocked from the powerful Exeter opening, the Sharks looked to find a way back into the match. Sure, they huffed and puffed, but a combination of poor execution and sloppy handling was proving to be their downfall.
At the other end, the Chiefs had the bonus point secured by the midway point of the half, centre McGillivray latching onto a pass from Flo Robinson to race in under the posts after the pack had done the initial donkey work with some heavyweight carries.
It was somewhat ruthless from the visitors, but there would be no let-up from Appleby’s side as the half progressed. Indeed, they would add to their tally further when, on 28 minutes, they added a fifth score through Woodman again.
The winger was the beneficiary of a smart backs move which had been instigated initially on the left-hand flank from a line-out taken by Fryday, but was then worked across the field through the hands of Brooke Bradley, McGillivray, Robinson, McGoverne and Leitch, the latter providing the pass for Woodman to pick a lovely line to the whitewash.
McGoverne converted that score and Exeter’s sixth, which arrived just minutes before the interval through Leitch. The skipper was on hand to finish off a well-drilled, catch-and-drive move after the visitors had again camped themselves deep behind enemy lines with a succession of penalties to the corner.
HALF TIME: DMP SHARKS 0 EXETER CHIEFS WOMEN 40
Any thoughts of the Chiefs shutting up and shop and relaxing during the second half were dispelled inside two minutes as they added yet another score.
More in-discipline from the Sharks allowed McGoverne to slot a penalty into the corner, Moloney found Fryday with the line-out and when the shove came on from the Exeter eight, it was Moloney who was able to peel off the back of the maul and drive over for the line.
McGoverne’s impressive start with the boot continued as she slotted the conversion to that score and Woodman’s hat-trick effort, which came just minutes later to make it 54-0.
The Exeter speedster, who is the daughter of World Cup winning prop Trevor Woodman, claimed her third of the game when she was able to latch onto a fly-hack through from McGoverne after home centre Susie Badger had coughed up possession following a tackle.
With little more than pride to play for, the Sharks continued to go about their business as best they could. However, the Chiefs were relentless in their pursuit of points, adding a ninth try through Aussie Derera, who was given the simplest of tasks after Clara Nielson had played her in after another home fumble in their own 22.
Game done and dusted, Appleby duly took the opportunity to use the remainder of her match to blood some of the club’s up-and-coming youngsters for the first time. However, it was Buchanan - one of the starters on debut - who underlined the Chiefs desire, putting in a thumping hit on DMP’s Karolina Kacirkova.
At both ends, it was evident the Chiefs were willing to give nothing to their rivals and with time fast running out, it was Appleby’s side who wrapped up proceedings with two late scores.
Buchanan claimed the first, dancing her way to the line off a pass from Robinson, this after the Chiefs had positioned themselves nicely inside the home 22 with another well-constructed driving maul.
Then, with just two minutes remaining, Fryday completed the rout, powering her way over from close range from a McGillivray pass.
All in all, a solid start to the new campaign for the Chiefs, who must now ready themselves for the visit of Worcester Warriors to Sandy Park next Saturday.
Sharks: H Thorpe; A Ishida, D Phan (J Clabby 75), S Badger, K Kacirkova (J Scrimgour 47); K Thomas-Roberts (capt), E Jennings (G Trimble 62); S Herrick, N Haynes (E Brewster 62), M Gardner (S Thomas-Thompson 40, M Gardner 72); J Wiesheu (K Smith 57), T Cowan; T Churm, I Hannay (L Thorpe 57), J Hazell.
Yellow Card: Cowan
Chiefs: K Buchanan; C Woodman, N McGillivray, L McGoverne, H Derera (D Preece 72); F Robinson, B Bradley (S Langford 61); M Roberts (P Muzambe 49), C Moloney (C Nielson 54), G Grimes (L Hanlon 49); N Fryday, C Willett (N Orchard 54); E Jefferies (E McMahon 27), P Leith (capt), M Allen (I Hartley 72).
Tries - Woodman (3), Roberts, Allen, McGillivray, Leith, Moloney, Derera, Buchanan, Fryday; Conversions - McGoverne (9)
Referee: R Rees