Newbury Women in a thriller draw at Sutton & Epsom !

Often a score tells the story of the eighty minutes of rugby played, but on this occasion Newbury saw a 0-0 draw against Sutton and Epsom.

A game with both teams battling for possession and defending with grit and determination but neither being able to find a way to take a lead.

The first half showed Newbury’s dominance in the scrum with penalties being awarded against the home team time and time again.

Possession in the first half was back and forth between both teams with Newbury gaining ground with hard crashing ball carries through the Sutton defence. A successful pick and go from Emma Paton-Robinson at the back of another powerful scrum, paired with a well-timed offload released Anna Krzyzanowska to do what she does best; battle through multiple defenders on a flying run edging the pitch. Further yards were gained by strong runners and it was looking hopeful as Maisie Litchfield dashed forward towards the try line only to be stopped by a last ditch tackle from Sutton who gained a penalty against Newbury within the ruck.

Before the half was out Sutton also had a solid attempt to get through the Blues defence but despite their centres breaking through a tackle or two, the Newbury defence was too powerful and possession was regained for Newbury to attack once more.

The second half saw a greater consistency within Sutton and Epsom’s attack. This forced Newbury to defend for much of the half. The aggression in defence from players such as Becks Reeves, Becky Wilson and Tilly Burn caused the home team to be disrupted and dismantled.

Although camping within Newbury’s half for much of the second 40 minutes Sutton and Epsom had only one attempt at points from a penalty in range of the posts. Thankfully for Newbury, the kick was wide and the score remained at 0-0.

The final ten minutes was full of fire from both teams. The fortitude and willpower to find a way through the defence was obvious but neither defensive line gave way and under the floodlights the game finished on the non-descript score of 0-0.