Women’s National Shield Final:
BIGGAR put in an impressive performance to win the Women’s Shield final 66-20 against West of Scotland at Murrayfield.
Tries from Geraldine Kimm and Freya Lejkowski, both converted by Emily Armstrong, had them 14-0 up. Lejkowski got her second, converted by Armstrong, before West scored a five-pointer through Olivia Martine MacCann.
Rowan Todd then got her hands on the ball and crashed through the Biggar defence for West’s second score to make it 21-10 before a converted try from Emily Coubrough made it 28-10 to the Hartree Mill outfit at the interval.
Jennifer Bell and Kimm – racing the length of the pitch – scored early in the second half with Armstrong converting both to stretch the Biggar lead to 42-10.
Todd scored her second try for West before Alexandra Phillips scored for Biggar and then Lejkowski set up Bell with a great offload for the latter’s second. Lejkowski converted and it was 54-15.
Lejkowski was on top form and a long distance try from her which she converted made it 61-15. Lisa Brown scored Biggar’s 10th and final try before MacCann’s second for West which was a consolation.
This success followed Biggar women’s under-16 and under-18 National Cup double glory from December.
Player-of-the-Match: Freya Lejkowski (Biggar)
Teams –
Biggar: G Kimm; A Philipps, F Lejkowski, A Baillie, F Laing; F Conn, C Harris; M MacIver, A Henderson, P Clarkson, A Russell, L Glendinning, E Knights, A Orr, E Armstrong. Replacements: C Forrest, V Kennett, J Bell, E Coubrough, A Barrett, L Brown, E Armstrong.
West of Scotland: A Johnston; A Neilson, J Scott, R Todd, O MacCann; A Smith, R Morrison; N Burge, P Duffy, V Reid-Phelps, L Wilson, M Scullion, H MacDonald, R Broadhurst, E Williamson. Replacements: A Blair, C Campbell, R Millar, C Reilly, E Peden, B Francis, E Forsyth.
Referee: Madeleine Bullen
Scorers –
Biggar: Tries: Kimm 2, Lejkowski 3, Coubrough, Bell 2, Phillips, Brown; Cons: Armstrong 6, Lejkowski 2.
West of Scotland: Tries: MacCann 2, Todd 2.
Scoring sequence (Biggar first): 5-0; 7-0; 12-0; 14-0; 19-0; 21-0; 21-5; 21-10; 26-10; 28-10 (h-t) 33-10; 35-10; 40-10; 42-10; 42-15; 47-15; 52-15; 54-15; 59-15; 61-15; 66-15; 66-20.
Women’s National Plate Final:
CAITHNESS KRAKENS and Uddingston Selkies played out a very entertaining Women’s Plate final at Hive Stadium, the side from the north eventually coming out on top.
Catriona Brannan and Ellie Hancock tries, the latter converted by Monica Carlin, put Uddingston 12-0 up before Caitlin Harvey with two tries and Justine Mackay with one put Caithness ahead.
Carly Erridge had converted two of them and she then scored a seven-pointer too to extend their advantage to 24-12.
Catriona Hopkins then went over for Uddingston before skipper Nicola Mackay’s score, converted by Erridge, made it 33-17 to Caithness.
Uddingston had come to play though and unconverted tries from Jen Schahill and Clare Yule made it 33-27 after a breathless first half.
The second half was more cagey as the players tired, but tries from Harvey, completing her hat-trick, and Emmerleigh Smith, both converted by Erridge, secured the silverware for Caithness.
Caithness captain Mackay said: “I am just so proud of the players, it really is hard to put into words what this means to us all.
“Coming down here and playing in the biggest game of most of our careers, everyone stood up because Uddingston really took the game to us. We battled hard in defence and, in attack, we scored some really nice tries.”
Player-of-the-Match: Caitlin Harvey (Caithness Krakens)
Teams –
Caithness Krakens: C Harvey; C Erridge, L Gunn, K Bernard, M Douglas; C Flavell, A Simmonite; H Stewart, A Gunn, S Malcolm, J Mackay, E Anderson, N Mackay©, H Richard, E Smith. Replacements: D Edwards, B Douglas, L Campbell, H Trick, O Henderson, E Flavell, L Dunnet.
Uddingston Selkies: E Plant; C Brannan, E Hancock, H Ferguson, K Wilson; M Carlin, C Yule; C Fisher, K Harkness©, E Drain, C Hopkins, C McEwan, S Buchanan, A Dallas, J Scahill. Replacements: L Peters, C Williams, C Gladwell, H Black, S Byers, M Kirkwood, S Brown.
Referee: MC Dixon
Scorers –
Caithness Krakens: Tries: Harvey 3, J Mackay, Erridge, N Mackay, Smith; Cons: Erridge 6.
Uddingston Selkies: Tries: Brannan, Hancock, Hopkins, Schahill, Yule. Con: Carlin.
Scoring sequence (Caithness Krakens first): 0-5; 0-10; 0-12; 5-12; 10-12; 12; 12; 17-12; 19-12; 24-12; 26-12; 26-17; 31-17; 33-17; 33-22; 33-27 (h-t) 38-27; 40-27; 45-27; 47-27.
Sarah Beaney Cup: Watsonians see off Hillhead Jordanhill with first half blitz