This weekend the girls travelled away to face a very strong Barkers Butts side, supported by guests from Sutton (Leah & Sophia) and Lichfield (Ophelia & Hollie) - THANK YOU! Their help meant we fielded 19 players — a rare luxury this season. Despite the effort and spirit, the result was a heavy defeat (50–0).

Today’s themes were clear: Game Management and Tackling.

A Tough Opponent, A Tough Day:
Barkers are one of the strongest u16s teams in the Midlands area, so we knew we would have to work hard to extract positives. With specialist backs missing, both Izzy and HP — far more at home in the pack — stepped up to play centre. Credit to them for taking on the challenge.

We played the match in four quarters to rotate players. Barkers’ game plan was predictable but clinical — they executed clean lines, stretched us out wide, and punished our narrow defensive shape with pace and accuracy.

Tackling – The Key Difference:
Barkers ran straight, fast and with intent. Too many of our tackle attempts lacked good technique and confidence. There were pockets of tackle/defensive strength disrupting the strong carriers, however Barkers’ excellent support play turned their line breaks into regular tries.

Improved tackle technique will make the biggest difference to our future performances.

Game Management – A Lesson Learned:
The awful conditions gifted us plenty of scrums, and our pack handled them well — clean ball, solid technique. But our decision and execution quality came up short:
Too many ambitious passes in the wet
Cutting out our outside backs
Forcing the ball wide from midfield
Not using pods when they were the best option

Possession was scarce and when we had the ball, many were eager to take it on alone. Structure slipped away — something that comes with experience and repetition.

A Bright Spark in the Third Quarter:
The third quarter showed exactly what this team can do:
Strong, direct running
Taking the ball at pace
Improved support
Momentum building phase after phase

This carried us from our own 22 right into Barkers’ 22, and it felt like the breakthrough moment. We were inches away from scoring, but Barkers scrambled well and shut us out.

Still — it was a brilliant passage of rugby.

Fight to the Final Whistle:
The girls never gave in. Not once.

As a team, there are two clear focus areas:
Tackling with proper technique
Smarter, calmer game management under pressure

Both are coachable, both will improve — and the girls’ attitude gives us confidence that they absolutely will.

Dames of the Game:
Forward Dame – Casey
A standout performance. Casey worked tirelessly, making committed tackles and showing real progression in her support play. A day she should be proud of.

Back Dame – Stephanie
Outstanding across the pitch — hitting rucks, making strong tackles, and constantly involved in the action.
She was also chosen as Barkers’ Player of the Match — thoroughly deserved.

Our girls selected Barker’s No. 9 and captain as their Opposition POTM, and rightly so. She controlled the game superbly from start to finish.

Closing Reflection:
It was a tough day! The girls kept battling, stayed positive, and showed real character. Improving tackle technique and sharpening game management will make a huge difference — and these are things we can fix.

Plenty learned. Plenty to build on. Better days ahead.