LONDON BRONCOS 10 FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 20
MARC BAZELEY, Chiswick RFC, Sunday
FEATHERSTONE booked a quick Super League return as they fought back from ten points down in the Championship Grand Final.
London Broncos, unbeaten during the regular season, looked on course to reach the promised land for the first time in their history thanks to tries from Sian McLaughlin and Nicole Kennedy inside the opening quarter of an hour.
But Rovers put those early setbacks behind them and dug in on a wet afternoon in south-west London, with Lydia Fawkes and Ellie Lamb getting them back into the contest before late tries from Brogan Kennedy and Alyssa Courtney sealed the win and promotion back to the top flight after relegation last year.
The capital club could hardly have asked for a better start as a knock-on by Liv Grace meant they got the ball straight back from the kick-off. Jade Walker found McLaughlin running a smart line to burst through a hole in the defence and finish with barely a minute gone.
Kathryn Salter tagged on the extras, and the hosts were in again on the 13th minute as they made the most of back-to-back sets in Featherstone’s half.
This time it was the lively Kennedy who got the score, taking the ball around 15 metres out, stepping on the gas and fending away a defender to finish on the right flank for an unconverted score.
Featherstone had gone close in between those scores, with Fawkes unable to reel in Grace’s pass out to the left with the try-line at her mercy, but gained a foothold in the contest on 18 minutes, when the duo combined successfully for the latter to send the former through a gap for an unconverted try.
Some stern defence was helping keep the Broncos at bay too, while handling errors in the wet conditions led to chances slipping through the hands of both sides.
Nevertheless Featherstone narrowed the gap to just two points at half-time with the final play of the first 40 minutes as Angel Bentley was somehow able to deftly slip out a pass in a tackle for Lamb to grab an unconverted try close to the right corner post.
Lamb was close to having a second within minutes of the restart after Grace sent a pinpoint kick to the right which found Lamb in space, only for her to fumble the ball in the slippery conditions.
However Featherstone were starting to enjoy the greater share of possession and territory, with Brogan Churm in particular leading from the front with strong carries piercing the heart of the game Broncos defence, and they finally took the lead with a seeming inevitability 16 minutes from time.
It came after Featherstone gained a repeat set following an error from the Broncos, and Kennedy forced her way over from close range after taking a pass out of dummy-half, with Dani Waters adding the goal.
Promotion was wrapped up in the 74th minute as Courtney spun out of a tackle to finish for another converted try, leaving Featherstone to celebrate their title triumph with their travelling fans when the final whistle sounded.
GAMESTAR: Brogan Churm laid much of the groundwork for Featherstone as she put in a huge shift in the middle of the pitch with some strong carries, along with some important contributions in defence.
GAMEBREAKER: Brogan Kennedy’s 64th-minute try which put Rovers into a lead they would not relinquish turned the contest in their favour.
MATCHFACTS
BRONCOS
1 Lauren Mueller
2 Emily Bell
3 Nicole Kennedy
4 Katie Wallis
5 Becky Smart
6 Jade Walker
7 Courtney Treco
8 Ellie Hunt-Pain
9 Polly Roberts
10 Emily Hughes
11 Sian McLaughlin
12 Rosie Cairns
13 Kathryn Salter
Subs (all used)
14 Iona McCusker
15 Rebecca Kemball
16 Caitlin Keefe
17 Cheye Gustafson
Tries: McLaughlin (1), Kennedy (13)
Goals: Salter 1/2
ROVERS
1 Angel Bentley
2 Ellie Lamb
3 Chloe Billington
21 Lydia Fawkes
5 Shavon Craven
9 Charley Blackburn
7 Liv Grace
8 Gabby Harrison
14 Alyssa Courtney
13 Brogan Churm
11 Katie Evans
15 Kacey Davies
6 Dani Waters
Subs (all used)
10 Emillie Holmes
16 Liv Howarth
20 Brogan Kennedy
23 Tilly Churm
Tries: Fawkes (18), Lamb (40), Kennedy (64), Courtney (74)
Goals: Waters 2/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 10-4, 10-8, 10-14, 10-20
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Broncos: Nicole Kennedy; Rovers: Brogan Churm
Penalty count: 3-2
Half-time: 10-8