Match report: Exeter Chiefs Women 7 - 12 Sale Sharks Women

Caroline Moore at Sandy Park

Sale Sharks Women got their first win of the season amid weather conditions considered unplayable for 20 minutes of the second half. Exeter Chiefs Women failed to capitalise on the advantage of having the strong wind in the first half and, ultimately, this cost them the game.

Winger Claudia MacDonald sporting a scrum-cap to protect her already battered head and face, gave Chiefs an early chance as she danced through the defence and the forwards piled in behind her, but the referee deemed the ball was held up.

No 8 Rachel Johnson then made a break off the back of the scrum but there was a knock-on…one of many. The conditions were filthy!

A blend of muddy scrums, windy lineouts and slippery knock-ons were the order of the day as Sale failed to get out of their own half for the first 28 minutes of the game, but then Chiefs also did not make the most of the territory they were dominating.

It was not until Sale scrum-half Olivia Ortiz took a quick penalty that the women in orange got into Chiefs’ half with Eva Wood waiting to take up the momentum.

With Sale are pushing hard, they were awarded a penalty for Chiefs being offside. They kicked to touch for a lineout on the five-metre line, and a solid lineout and drive saw hooker Molly Wright over the line for the try to make the score 0-5 at half-time.

Half-time: 0-5

Chiefs brought on wholesale replacements at half-time with a new front-row, Poppy Leitch on for Ebony Jefferies and Eilidh Sinclair on for Claudia MacDonald.

The fresh blood was no match for the wind though with all of Sale’s kicks downfield carrying extra metres. However, it was a great running line from replacement fly-half Katana Howard that saw her release the ball to centre Beatrice Rigoni to score Sale’s second try. Centre Vicky A Irwin added the extras.

Chiefs’ scrum was a tough proposition in the second half as was their defence of the Sale’s maul to prevent any further score despite their territorial advantage.

A classic Sinclair run got Chiefs out of their own half and with kicking a no-no, the home side kept the ball in hand with great carries from DaLeaka Menin and Dorothy Wall doing some damage.

A break from centre Nancy McGillivary saw Chiefs firmly into Sale territory with prop Flo Long bullying her way over the gain-line too. The forwards kept it close and Johnson got the ball over the line. Centre Gabby Cantorna kicked the conversion to make it 7-12 with 10 minutes to go.

Then the heavens opened and the game was called to a halt with thunder and lightning threatening. The crowd were not sure whether to stay or go but there was 30 minutes for the players to get back out on the field or the result would stand.

When they came back out, they returned to the lineout they abandoned deep in Sale territory. Chiefs then had four penalties to help get them back into Sale’s half. The wind had dropped enough for kicking to be feasible again.

Knock-ons continued to thwart Chiefs’ progress despite Johnson, Long and Dorothy Wall doing their best in the loose. A pass into touch and a final-minute knock-on meant Chiefs were kept at bay and Sale went home the wet, but happy, victors.

Full-time: 7-12

Exeter Chiefs Women: A Tessier; C MacDonald (E Sinclair HT), M Doidge, G Cantorna, G Tasker; T Perry (N McGillivray 26), L Nye (F Robinson 47); D Swann (F Long HT), C Nielson (E Tuttosi HT), C Jacoby (D Menin HT), D Wall, N Orchard (E Robinson 47), E Jefferies (P Leitch HT), E McMahon, R Johnson

Try: Johnson

Con: Cantorna

Sale Sharks Women: N Prothero; E Wood, V A Irwin, B Rigoni, H Thorpe (R Phillips 69); L Duffy, O Ortiz (S Stefan 61); C Benson (S Lewis 69), M Wright (S Fielding 54), D Harper (N James 54), I Antwis (M Morrissey 62), E Jarrell, J Brown (S Cline 69), N Sales, M Talling (c)

Tries: Wright, Rigoni

Con: V A Irwin

Referee: D Jones

Attendance: 934