By Jeff Reene

A try and conversion to the good as G&H just pulled out a victory in the game as both teams played well on an uneven pitch.  Folkestone got the scoring underway when Reene playing out of position at scrum half popped the ball out to a charging Howland who covered fifteen yards down the blindside before passing off to Daw who ran in to score the first try.  The restart saw G&H run straight back at Folkestone but some good tackling held them up until the G&H prop popped out of a ruck and bundled over the try line in the corner.   Folkestone set about their task well and changed the style of play into a more  running game than a heads up forwards contest, as the G&H pack were much bigger.
It was not long before G&H again trundled over the Folkestone try line as lack of communication between the Folkestone forwards and backs allowed a gap in their defence and it was forwards against backs.

Played in three periods the first gave the lead to G&H, a quick talk with their stand-in coach saw the Folkestone team play a different game in the second period it was like watching a sevens match as they committed only three players to all the ruck and mauls where Price & Paice did some great scavenging allowing Reene to use her backs better and not long after the restart they succeeded in their task as from a tackle by Martin, the ball was stolen, before a ruck had formed,  by Matthews and quick hands saw Morgan charge through the middle and off load to Etherington who in turn off loaded to Digby to score and put Folkestone back in the game 12-10.
G&H again fought back and opened up a five point lead as they also adapted to their style of play to crash ball.  Folkestone did well to hold them but it left gaps as the non-communication continued and G&H ran in a well worked try by their centre.  With their backs up against the wall, it was time to put in all the training they had had and get this unfortunate try back.  And credit to them they worked the ball one way then the other searching for a gap and when it came Daw exploited it and out paced the full back to score in the corner 17-15, now on top of this game as it came to the end of the second period it was time to show what they can do.

A quick reshuffle as Howland had to slot into the second row due to injury. The restart took place and it got scrappy as the procession of  knock-on’s saw the Folkestone pack  more competitive and started to win ball in the scrums and as soon as that was done Reene and Etherington combined to set up a series of passing drills and it took them all the way to the try line, where Daw was waiting to score her hattrick 17-20.
Now all they had to do was control the play and it would be all over, but unfortunately Folkestone went back to slow ball and crash tactics which fell into G&H’s strong point and they just ran back and through without answer with two more tries, final score 27 -20 to G&H.
If only Folkestone had control the game the win was for the taking.  But if anything good came from the game it was how to look up and play what is in front of you, stay with the tactics that work and only change when it does not.

Team: Howland Price Paice Morgan Matthews Martin Reene Etherington Daw Digby