Wasps Ladies 10, Thurrock T-Birds 29 WOMENS RUGBY: STILL fighting for the top of the table spot in their debut Championship season and despite a run of injuries, the T-Birds travelled to Acton and a Wasps team still smarting from the 50-0 walloping at Oakfield.

Down to 14 players for much of the game T-Birds showed their grit and demonstrated their right to be contesting for the top slot.

Early on T-Birds made use of their scrum dominance to pressurise the home side into defensive mistakes and captain Mercedes Foy claimed the first try of the contest under the posts with Emily Scott adding the extras.

Wasps came back, using the wind and kicking to an unfamiliar looking T-Birds back three. The breakdown was a mess and the referee heavily penalised the Thurrock team, finally putting Wasps in the position to crash over in the corner from a 5m penalty despite a huge defensive effort. The conversion was missed keeping T-Birds ahead.

At this point the referee lost patience and first yellow carded Veronica Ely and then red carded Tamara Nichols for offences at the breakdown leaving T-Birds down to 13. Five minutes later, having finally realised that it was Wasps at fault, she handed a yellow to Wasps flanker.

With 13 against 14, number eight Charlotte Boulton used her pace and power to score right at the end of the half. Fired up at the injustice of the cards, the T-Birds team came out for the second half determined to give it everything. T-Birds quickly put new winger Niketa Akintade into space where she used her pace to score.

Charlotte Micallef claimed her fifth of the season and the fifth of the match, making her the top scoring prop in the Championship and claiming a vital bonus point.

T-Birds are top and second place Bath arrive on Sunday for a 3pm winner-take-all clash at Oakfield.