The England Students team recorded another impressive victory with a great display against the Scottish Students, winning 45 – 0 at Peffermill Playing Fields, Edinburgh. 

The Students started impressively, with the forwards asserting their dominance, creating a solid platform for the backs, enabling them to exploit the gaps in the Scottish defence.  A fantastic forwards drive in the 4th minute enabled the students to go wide, with Louise Redmond cutting inside to score the first try.

A similar move involving the whole team created a chance for debutant Kosi Abdulai to score in the corner, making the score 10 – 0.  The students then started to pile on the pressure, with a well taken try by number 8 Emma Bolton, converted by Nancy Stone to make the score 17 – 0.  The next try was probably the pick of the game, with full back and vice captain, Clare (Oli) Davies timing her run to perfection to burst through the defence onto a well timed pass, and beat her opposing number to score under the posts.  This was again converted by the impressive Stone, to make the score 24 – 0.  England were relentless, and a great forwards move was finished off by Sarah Wilkinson under the posts, to make the score 31 – 0 at half time.

The break seemed to rejuvinate the Scots, who came out firing at half time and played some impressive rugby, forcing England to work hard in defence.  England seemed to struggle to get back into a rhythm, being forced into numerous handling errors.  An early try by Abdulai, which was converted by Stone should have helped England to relax, but they seemed unsettled by substitutions and unable to recapture the form shown in the first half.  A battling performance and great defence ensured England kept a clean sheet for the first time this season, and a great run by Abdulai resulted in a final try for Lyndsey Rodmell on the opposite wing.  This was again converted by Stone with the last kick of the game, making the final score 45 – 0 to England.

The England Students next game is on Sunday 11th April v Sweden, 1.30pm KO at Syston RUFC, with the final game being on Friday 16th April v British Police, 5pm KO at Blaydon RUFC. 

Student Team

1.  Sam Dale   University of Warwick
2. Clare Steer   Marjons
3. Steph Carlyon   University of Gloucestershire
4. Sarah Wilkinson  UCE
5. Sarah Nichols   De Montford, Bedford
6. Laura Jenkins   University of Nottingham
7. Lynn Hodgkinson  Leeds Metropolitan University ( c )
8. Emma Bolton   Liverpool John Moores

9. Megan Miller-Zutshi  Brunel, West London
10. Nancy Stone   University of Gloucestershire
11. Kosi Abdulai   Cambridge University
12. Emma Wood   UCE
13. Louise Redmond  Liverpool John Moores
14. Lyndsey Rodmell  Northumbria University
15. Clare Davies   St. Mary’s, Twickenham  (vc)

16. Lisa Berry   QMW
17. Emma Dorban-Hall  Loughborough University
18. Charlotte Boulton  Loughborough University
19. Rebecca Essex   Loughborough University
20. Abi Wild   University of Birmingham
21. Demelza James  Marjons
22. Georgina Roberts  University of Bath

Scoring Sequence

4 Redmond, Louise  5 – 0
18 Abdulai, Kosi   10 – 0
24 Bolton, Emma   15 – 0
 Stone, Nancy   17 – 0
29 Davies, Clare   22 – 0
 Stone, Nancy   24 – 0
39  Wilkinson, Sarah  29 – 0
 Stone, Nancy   31 – 0

49 Abdulai, Kosi   36 – 0
 Stone, Nancy   38 – 0
79 Rodmell, Lyndsey  43 – 0
 Stone, Nancy   45 – 0

Replacements

43 Boulton, Charlotte (18)  replaced  Wilkinson, Sarah (4)
 Essex, Rebecca (19)  replaced  Nichols, Sarah (5)
46 Wild, Abi (20)   replaced  Bolton, Emma (8)
50 Berry, Lisa (16)  replaced  Dale, Sam (1)
 Dorban-Hall, Emma (17) replaced  Carlyon, Steph (3)
54 James, Demelza (21)  replaced  Miller-Zutshi, Megan (9)
65 Roberts, Georgina (22) replaced  Redmond, Louise (13)