Piranhas 10 Barbarians 26

Playing on a very soggy pitch at The Lane, Gordano Ladies came out in full force against a strong Ivel team; showing signs of huge improvement and promise for 2014.

The Piranhas took an early lead with a try scored by inside-centre Katie Abbott however disorganisation and lapses in defence allowed the visitors to come back into the game, leaving the score 19-5 at half-time.

The Piranhas came out in the second half a different team and the results were obvious; Set piece was solid, there was purpose in their attack, fluidity to their passing and much improved cohesion in their defence. Some consistent tackling from Woman of the Match Lucia Gaetani and sterling leadership from Captains Lucy Hope and Tracey Rollings allowed the Piranhas to keep the ball in the opposition’s half for the rest of the game. An unlucky bounce permitted the visitors to score a breakaway try but this was quickly matched by an excellent run by Tash Bradley who secured the Piranhas 5 points in the corner. Final score 26-10.

The Ladies showed a real display of strength and ferocity and despite the loss, they should be encouraged by their continual improvement. There is a renewed sense of commitment and team spirit among the squad and the Piranhas have proved that they are a unified line-up and a force to reckoned with at a pivotal point the season.

Coach Keith Leaker comments on the performance, "the whole squad are improving with every performance and are now being encouraged to become both problem solvers and decision makers on the pitch, so that they can really take ownership and drive the game"

Special mentions must go to debutant Ellie Jeremiah and our returning players - Marie Craig, Gemma Buchaly and Claire Maclaren who made a real impact from the bench (welcome back!) Leanne Ball and Esther Swanton had encouraging performances in their reversed 9 and 10 positions and Gill Gillings keeps improving at number 15. Thanks to Bristol University’s Izzy Day who added some speed (and height) to the game also.