Report: Bristol Bears Women 22-12 Sale Sharks Women

What happened?

It was a fiery start in sub-zero temperatures at Shaftesbury Park as both teams went toe-to-toe in the early stages. 

Sharks were the first to threaten as Kate Houghton almost drove her way over the line but Kayleigh Powell was on hand to intervene and win a vital turnover on the Bears’ try line. 

Both sides exchanged penalties before the Bears had a shot at goal in front of the sticks, which Snowsill stepped up to cooly convert. 

Sharks would not back down from the challenge and raised the intensity levels following the restart and they were rewarded for their work in the form of the game’s first try. 

Quick thinking from Katy Daley-McLean saw her take a penalty early and float a long ball over the top to Lauren Delany, who juked inside Jasmine Joyce to cross the whitewash and hand the Sharks the lead.

The Bears needed an immediate response, and boy did they get one. 

Manon Johnes ferocious work at the breakdown was rewarded as she won a penalty from the restart. Following a driving maul, the lively Lucy Burgess peeled off the back of her forwards and darted through a half gap to finish expertly under the posts and hands the Bears the lead. 

The hosts did not have to wait long for their second as they crossed no less than two minutes later. Kayleigh Powell’s trademark arcing run allowed her to scythe through the Sharks defence on half way and pin back her ears to finish from 50 metres. 

The Bears took a healthy 17-5 lead heading to the sheds at the half. 

After emerging from the changing rooms it was clear to see Sale were not willing to give this game up lightly. 

Wave after wave of Sharks attack was thrown at the Bears, but the hosts managed to hold firm as they twice held the Sharks up over the chalk. 

Both sides went back and forth with the next score in the game proving vital and it went the way of the Bears - in some style. 

The ball was worked out to the right wing and into the hands of Simi Pam on the Bears’ 10 metre line, and what followed was nothing short of spectacular.

The prop forward shrugged off the tackle of Nuemamn before accelerating into the open field, she then ghosted past the full-back at speed and was home and dry from 40 metres. Outrageous. 

Sale Sharks managed to pull a try back immediately through Vicky Irwin and set up tense finish, but a resolute Bears defence saw the hosts close the game out and pick up their first in 2021. 

Teams & Scorers: 

Bristol Bears Women: 15. Kayleigh Powell, 14. Lily Stoeger-Goddard, 13. Phoebe Murray, 12. Lucie Skuse, 11. Jasmine Joyce, 10. Elinor Snowsill, 9. Lucy Burgess; 1. Simi Pam, 2. Clara Nielson ©, 3. Ellie Mulhearn, 4. Hollie Cunninghma, 5. Marlo Boyd, 6. Jenny Herring, 7. Manon Johnes, 8. Alisha Butchers

Impact Players: 16. Abbie Parsons, 17. Holly Phillps, 18. Stef Evans, 19. Alice Lockwood, 20. Rownita Marston, 21. Rhi Parker, 22. Kyara Martin, 23. Georgia Newman

Scorers: Snowsill 13’ (PEN), 24’, 26’ (CON), Burgess, 24’ (TRY), Powell 26’ (TRY), Pam 55’ (TRY)

Sale Sharks Women: 15. Vicky Irwin, 14. Lauren Delaney, 13. Alicia Carlton, 12. Laura Perrin, 11. Lisa Neuman, 10. Katy Daley-McLean, 9. Mhairi Grieve; 1. Aisha Abu Marzouq, 2. Scarlett Fielding, 3. Kate Houghton, 4. Teleri Wyn Davies, 5. Daisy Hibbert Jones, 6. Georgie Perris-Redding, 7. Jessica Elbeck, 8. Beth Stafford.

Replacements: 16. Molly Kelly, 17. Freya Hellin, 18. Brea Leung, 19. Vicky Irwin, 20. Hannah Field, 21. Lucy Winter, 22. Alexandra Wallace, 23. Wooden

Scorers: Delany 21’ (TRY), Irwin 59’ (TRY), Daley-McLean 59’ (CON)

KEY MOMENT: SIMI PAM

The Bears were in the driving seat as the second half grew on, but Sale weren’t that far behind on the scoreboard and the first try of the second period would be pivotal in determining how the rest of the game played out. 

Step up, Simi Pam. The powerful prop found herself in the five metre channel on the Bears’ 10 metre line where she burst through the attempted tackles of two Sale players, before rounding the full-back to finish a sublime score from a total of 60 metres out. 

Prop idol. 

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: LUCY BURGESS

The scrum-half has gone from strength to strength in Bears colours this campaign and today’s display was arguably her best. 

Her delivery to Elinor Snowsill was on point all afternoon to provide the Bears a platform to work off in attack, not to mention her brilliant game management. 

Burgess’ stand out moment came right one cue after the Bears had just conceded. She peeled off the back of a rolling maul to snipe through a gap in the defence, and step off her left foot to beat the full-back and dive over the chalk. 

Superb.