February 26, 2006
Netherlands 13 England Women Students 0
The Netherlands proved too strong for the England Women Students, with the Dutch national side triumphing 13-0 at the Dutch National Stadium in Amsterdam on Sunday.
The young England side were unable to match their efforts against Wales Development earlier this month and instead struggled to convert scoring opportunities into points. A lacklustre first-half also saw England Students pay a heavy price.
The well disciplined Netherlands took an early lead with a penalty before the hosts marched into an 8-0 lead with 35 minutes gone. They capitalised on handling errors by the England Students to find space on the left wing. Number eight Steenbeck then stormed over the line to score.
The Netherlands missed the conversion, but it did not matter as just minutes later again England’s opponents took their chances well and made a breakaway. Some slick passing then set-up centre Visser for the Dutch’s second and final try, making the half-time score 0-13.
England Students returned after the restart to produce a much improved performance. This time their defence held strong and the Netherlands were unable to break through their line.
Instead England came close to scoring several times. Plymouth Albion and Marjons player Terri Cormack was unlucky not to score when the number eight picked up from the back of the scum, after some good forward pressure, to be brought down just short of the line.
Avon and Bath University’s George Roberts also came close but again the centre was unable to take the spoils and kick-start England’s campaign.
England Students head Coach Mark Tomlinson said: “We were left very disappointed with a lacklustre first-half, but the fact that the Netherlands were unable to add any more points after the break shows what a step up we made in the second-half.
“Defensively we were much better after the restart but too many bad decisions prevented us from scoring. We came close to scoring tries on a few occasions, but unfortunately we were unable to convert them into points.”
England Women Students: 1 Tracey Balmer (Worcester RFC & Birmingham University), 2 Jenny Allum (Leo’s & Leeds University), 3 Katherine Smith (Rosslyn Park & King College London), 4 Jo Nicholson (Loughborough University), 5 Clare Turner (University of Bristol), 6 Leah Carey (Lichfield & Coventry University), 7 Gemma Sharples (Worcester & University of Worcester),
8 Terri Cormack (Plymouth Albion & Marjons), 9 George Rozario (Avon & Bath University), 10 Alice Lovett (Worcester & University of Nottingham), 11 Lucy Lynch (Lichfield & Loughborough University), 12 Adrienne McAlpine (Wasps & Loughborough University), 13 George Roberts (Avon & Bath University), 14 Sarah Gardener (Loughborough University), 15 Georgina Robets (University of Bath).Replacements: 16 Kathryn Pearsey (UWIC), 17 Sarah White (Waterloo & Leeds University), 18 Helen Duffin (Plymouth Albion & Marjons), 19 Amy Frost (Rosslyn Park & Kings College London), 20 Rachel Chidgey (Marjons), 21 Charlotte Boggis ( University of Exeter), 22 Sonia Clatworthy (Marjons).
Tries:
Conversions:
Penalty:
Netherlands: 1 X. van BENTHEM de GRAVE (Wageningen), 2 M. HOVE van. (Diok), 3 H JONG de (Leuven), 4 F. Moberg Mara (PinkPanthers), 5 F. BAKKERS (Diok), 6 N LOPEZ (Paris), 7 L. RIEL (Old Albanians), 8 M STEENBEEK (Pink Panthers), 9 L. FRANSSEN (Utrecht), 10 S WERLICH (AAC), 11. K HOLT (Utrecht), 12 M ZOEST van (Utrecht), 13. F VISSER (Thor), 14 L LAROS (Thor), 15 I VEN van de. (Wasps). Replacements: 16 H HILTEN van. (Utrecht), 17 N MEERSTADT (Wageningen), 18 J KRAMER (Wasps), 19 Sanne PELT (Thor), 20 R BEURDEN (Tilburg), 21 K BEER (Utrecht), 22 L LAAUWEN (Castricum).
Tries: M Steenbeek, F. Visser
Conversions:
Penalty: I. van Deiven
Half-time score: Netherlands 13 England Women Students 0
England Women Students fixtures & results:
February 5th, 2006 England Women Students v Wales Development won 47-5
England Students v Netherlands, February 26th, National Stadium in Amsterdam, lost 13-0
Sweden, April (date and venue to be confirmed)
Ends…
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