Sunday, October 25, 2009

Match Report: All Blues vs. ORSU

By: Phoebe Boone

It was prefect rugby weather on Treasure Island as the All Blues went into their last league match, looking to finish the season as the only undefeated team in the Women’s Premier League. They were able to do just that after a physical match against ORSU that saw 16 tries between the two teams.

The All Blues thought they’d scored 2 minutes after the kick off when the ref announced a try from All Blues flyhalf Ruth Bryson after chasing down her own kick, but ORSU outside center San Juanita Moreno had gotten her hands on it first and a 5m scrum was awarded. The All Blues walked the 5m scrum to just outside the try line, a ruck formed and All Blues prop Katie Chou dove the ball in to score first. The other All Blues prop, Naima Reddick, crossed the line next at the 10 minute mark after a series of forward picks drove the ball close to the line. Around the 20 minute mark, All Blues fullback Ashley English scooped up a blocked drop goal attempt (kicked by flyhalf Ruth Bryson, blocked by ORSU flyhalf Ramey Marshall) and ran it in to score. A long hard fought period followed with lots of tactical kicking and both sides battling for the ball, with excellent defensive pressure from All Blues lock Hillary ‘Rookie’ Hegener, Katie Chou and inside center Kelly Griffin. But All Blues outside center Nathalie Marchino would touch down the ball in the 37^th and 39^th minutes after the All Blues turned over ORSU ball and attacked to make the half-time score 25-0.

The All Blues kicked it into high gear in the second half with a try off the restart kick that saw wing Victoria ‘Vix’ Folayan running up the weak side and dishing to Bryson to score. Just six and a half minutes later Marchino completed her hat trick with a third try, promptly followed by ORSU’s first score of the game, a try from 8-man Krista Gust on the weak side. All Blues backs answered back with tries from Folayan and Bryson before ORSU put up their second try after a superb attack from fullback Ashley Kmiecik. All Blues inside center Kelly Griffin then made her presence known with back to back tries less than 2 minutes apart, first finding a gap straight through the middle and then zig zaging her way through ORSU’s backline into the try zone. All Blues flanker Phoebe Boone scored next after finding space out wide and All Blues lock Rania Burns completed the forward scoring for the game with a try right under the posts. Folayan finished off the game with her second try in the 77^th minute, bringing the final score to 82-10.

Scoring Report

All Blues 82 – ORSU 10 (25-0 at half)

ORSU

Tries (2): Gust, Kmiecik.

All Blues

Tries (14): Marchino (3), Griffin (2), Folayan (2), Bryson (2), Boone, English, Chou, Reddick, Burns.

Conversions: Bryson (6).