Large crowd sees Thurrock Ladies under the cosh (From Thurrock Gazette)

Worcester's England connaction too strong for T-Birds

6:00am Friday 12th October 2012 in Sport

T-Birds 5

Worcester 72

RUGBY: TOP-of-the table Worcester rightly arrived full of confidence and put on a great display of running rugby to thrill a large crowd and dismantle Thurrock’s T-Birds.

The Thurrock Ladies stuck to their guns for the full 80 minutes – but ultimately came up well short.

On their climb up the leagues over the last five years, the Thurrock T-Birds have had games turn on the exceptional ability of a single player – often an England star returning from injury and getting game time in a lower team. Now they are playing against teams stocked with these inspirational players.

While they match up player for player against the majority of the teams – it’s these big names who are making the difference.

Despite T’s captain Mercedes Foy sitting out with a knee injury and despite England’s Rochelle Clarke in the front row, Ts again dominated the scrum.

They denied the opposition clean set piece ball, but with the ball in hand, Worcester constantly changed the point of attack.

And their fine backs, led by England’s Merchant, Large and Waterman cut lines that unpicked the T’s defence.

Their defence having been a huge asset in the lower leagues containing big runners on hard lines it seems to be less suited to managing the fine footwork before contact that is a feature of the Premiership and the best players in the world.

England openside, Heather Fisher was completely unmanageable around the fringes and she and centre Goddard bagged two tries each.

In a first half haul of seven by Worcester with captain of the day, Tamara Nichols benefiting from T’s forward power and gaining a consolation touchdown.

Five more Worcester tries followed in the second half, with Fisher and Goddard completing hat-tricks and Waterman bagging a brace.

At 5-72, the T-Birds ended this knowing that despite their physical commitment and endeavour, they have a huge amount of technical work to do if they want to remain a Premiership Team.

Thurrock’s Players of the match were stand in Hooker, Veronica Ely and Katie Fenn back at Centre.

Away to Bristol and Richmond over the next two weeks, the T-Birds return to Oakfield on October 28.

Thurrock: J Mountjoy, V Ely, J Convoy, T Nichols(C), C Boulton, F Jordan, S Jordan, L Austin, A Radford, E Scott, I Harvey, K Fenn, R Prosser, T Pinkham, K Emerson. Rep L Kavanagh 54, G Marcassus 65, R Francis 61, S Clive 65.