UKAF Women vs Wales Select XV

The UK Armed Forces fought out a highly competitive match with a Welsh Rugby Union/Cardiff Blues select XV at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park securing the 12-12 draw with the last play of the game. They were denied the win when Gemma Rowland’s attempted conversion from far out on the left hand side came back off the post.

The truth though was that the score was a fair reflection of the game. The Welsh XV were quickest out the blocks. Their pack dominated the first half, they were faster to the breakdown. The strong athletic running of their backs caused continuous problems for the Armed Forces. It was only poor handling and strong last ditch defence, particularly from Chantelle Miller and Caz Roberts on the wings that contained the score at 12-0 as the Welsh XV bookended a dominant first half performance with two great tries.

The first was after a break from fly half Robyn Wilkins. Wilkins split the defence for centre Elin Huxtable to score whilst the second followed some crisp handling in the back line that allowed right wing Rafiuke Taylor to sprint clear and go under the posts for Wilkins to convert. Although it was the backs who found themselves on the score sheet, the half belonged to the home side’s industrious and powerful number 8, Shona Powell-Hughes whose strong carries and work at the breakdown and been the source of many of the Armed Forces problems.

The Armed Forces came under early pressure in the second half but having launched their first major attack 12 minutes in, they slowly forced their way on top. 20 minutes in and Erica Mills crossed the line and saw the referee raise his hand to award the try. Mills turned away to celebrate only for the referee to quickly rescinded his decision for a knock on spotted by his assistant, leaving the Armed Forces still 12 points behind with 20 minutes remaining.

A massive tackle on the right from Chantelle Miller denied Cardiff Blues 5m short as they rallied with good running rugby. On 30 minutes, with the game in the balance, the Armed Forces pack drove back the Welsh scrum for the first time. This was the catalyst for a dominant final 10 minutes helped by the sin binning of the Blues replacement scrum half, Amy Days, for one too many infringements at the breakdown.

From the resultant penalty the Armed Forces kicked to the corner and though they were repelled on the first occasion the forwards proved too strong the second and, having sucked in the defence, the ball was released to replacement, Maz Claassens, for a deserved Armed Forces try. Gemma Rowland landed the conversion and the match was delicately poised at 12-7 with six minutes remaining.

From the kick-off the Armed Forces came again, driving forward, pushing the Welsh scrum backwards again, the ball swung out wide and the Welsh were able to force the Armed Forces out for the line out. But from this the Armed Force mustered one last big catch and drive; the ball came out to Erica Mills who forced her way over the line. The Armed Forces celebrated, Gemma Rowland’s kick from an acute angle sailed towards the posts, the crowd stopped in silence, and though the ball bounced heartbreakingly off the post there were still cheers when the whistle blew.

Before the game the Armed Forces players talked on Forces TV of their need to exorcise the demons from last year, when the lost narrowly having been camped on the Welsh line for the final 10 minutes. Consider all demons exorcised. A fine performance and a fantastic standard of rugby played by two teams featuring five international players for the Armed Forces and a Cardiff Blues Wales Select XV that had, at its core a number of players who will form the back bone of the Wales Six Nations team, augmented by some of the younger talent who are pushing for full Welsh International honours. A fair result with all money raised from donations going to the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. This was a superb advert for women’s rugby and is a fixture that grows in import in the rugby calendar attracting more support every year.