Navy Sinks Millbrook with Sparkling Performance

Burnaby Road floodlights shone brightly on the pristine green turf, as the two sides faced each other with a crackle of expectation and excitement audible from the spectator stand. Navy Rugby ready to build on their draw away against Worthing two weeks before.

Millbrook got the encounter underway with a positive kick resulting in the visitors securing the put in for the first scrum after a Navy Rugby fumble. Perhaps early nerves intervened in the initial flow of the game with Millbrook returning the favour to prompt the referee to halt play for the first scrum for the home side. The ball emerged in the hands of Laika Swan playing at Number 8 who darted forward from the base of scrum displaying an intent that would mark the forwards’ ambition for the rest of the game, linking with scrum-half, Josie Parnaby, who skilfully guided the ball to the back-line, using the width of the pitch to spread the ball wide. Another Millbrook scrum and a big shove from Navy Rugby put the visitors under pressure who kicked to but didn’t find touch, and the scrum duel continued.

A penalty to Millbrook and their kick dropped into the hands of Josie Parnaby linking with full-back, Jasmine Abel, who broke through tackles and refused to go down whilst making the first of many darting runs into Millbrook’s half. The home-side went on the rampage and the ball was carried over the line by prop, Lucy Honeybell for Navy Rugby’s first try. 5 – 0.

With 6 minutes gone Millbrook restarted the game and once more Navy Rugby forwards demonstrated their well drilled skills with hooker, Freya Moore, catching the ball and quickly shipping it to prop Jess Bryan, who got the ball out to the centres, Sian McLaughlin passing out to Sam Hill on the wing. Navy Rugby showed their keenness to recycle the ball quickly and get it out wide from early in the first half, whereas Millbook’s narrow channels failed to return an advantage. Second-row, Ellie Brightwell, put in a crunching tackle and scrummaging continued with neither side clearly having an upper hand. But once the ball came out Navy Rugby made important yardage and the visitors increasingly stayed penned in their own territory. Prop, Jess Bryan, stopped Millbrook with an eye-watering tackle and the turnover ball came to Parnaby who passed the ball out to the back-line. Millbrook attempted to run too but Navy Rugby defence held.

Mid-way through the first half, the two sides were on Navy rugby’s 10 metre line and scrummed down for a home-side put in. Parnaby opted for the narrow-side and Millbrook responded well winning their scrum. But as soon as Millbrook got the ball out to their fly-half McLaughlin stopped the visitors in their tracks with the ball spilling forward. The momentum swung back to the home-side and the crowd gasped as Moore and Hill almost broke free down the touchline. A Millbrook line-out penalised Navy Rugby and Millbrook kicked to touch. But into the hands of Erin Hart came the ball and over the line under the posts for Navy Rugby’s second try which was converted by Jess Bryan. 12 – 0

Soon after the Millbrook restart the visitors made a visit to their opponent’s 22 metre line only to suffer a turnover with fly-half, Rose Dixon, switching direction and scything through a reeling defensive backline. The frenetic passage of play escalated when winger Hart sprinted from Navy Rugby’s own 10 metre line and kicked the ball infield. A scrum just a few yards out from the visitor’s try-line resulted. But Millbrook had more to give, and from well inside their own half away went their backs, breaking through and the Millbrook winger wearing a red bandana scored a converted try. 12 – 7

Once the game resumed, Hill kicked and Millbrook won a scrum only to be shoved back. Navy Rugby resumed territorial advantage with the back row punishing the visitors with tackle after tackle. A Navy Rugby kick to the corner followed and more momentum piled on at the set-piece. A Navy Rugby scrum deep in their opponent’s half was quickly followed by flawless passing to launch Jasmine Abel over the line for a third try for the home-side, 17 – 7

No sooner had Millbrook kicked the ball from the centre spot and into the safe hands of Talia Haywood that from the middle of the pitch Parnaby raided forward with unstoppable speed to score a fourth try,. 22 – 7

The excitement continued until the half-time whistle was blown, with Navy Rugby demonstrating an unremitting dominance which indicted much more was to come in the next forty minutes.

The crowd were immediately stunned by what they saw moments after the game restarted for the second half – Millbrook failed to find touch from a penalty kick and second row, Ellie Brightwell made a punishing run up to within a few yards of the try-line. The ball was quickly picked up by Parnaby, who scored her second try, converted by Bryan. 29 – 7.

The outcome of the game became ever clearer as Navy Rugby re-established dominance and the pack was in its stride with ball in hand in the loose. But Millbrook had not read the script and refused to back-down; a clever interception by their centre once more saw the ball in the hands of their backline – the red bandana wearing Millbrook back struck again who went over and touched the ball down between the home side’s posts. 29 – 14

The final quarter was a bumper harvest for Navy Rugby, beginning with an unstoppable pack grinding over the line for Jess Bryan to score a try which she converted. 36 – 14

Moments later sub, Hannah Parkinson, put in a big tackle and Navy Rugby pushed Millbrook back once more. Swain and Second Rows, Talia Haywood and Ellie Brightwell, linking with Abel who kicked and chased down the narrow side. Dixon passed to Parkinson who scored the try, converted by Bryan. 43 – 14.

The Millbrook restart immediately led to the ball being secured by Navy Rugby and passed out to Abel who scored the eighth home try which Parkinson converted. 50 -14

The last ten minutes of the game saw Millbrook holding on valiantly as Navy Rugby held territorial and possessional advantage. Millbrook tried to escape from their own 22 but without success. A Navy Rugby scrum and the ball went through the hands of Laika Swan, Caitlin Render and Cheryl Goodwin, and onto Josie Parnaby to score her third and the final try of the match, 55 -14.

In the dying moments of the game, Navy Rugby continued to hunt for points, with Rainivani Tuvu making an impressive run for the line to be thwarted by a resilient Millbrook.

After the match forwards coach, Tristan Watson said, “It’s been incredible to watch this team grow throughout our second camp. In our game against Millbrook, we showcased everything we’ve worked on in training. We took the opportunity to rotate players into different positions, finishing with a completely new front row. Our forward dominance really shone through, with Ellie Brightwell earning Player of the Match while playing out of her usual position.”

Senior Women: L Honeybell, F Moore, J Bryan; T Haywood, E Brightwell; R Tuvou, J Shaw, L Swain; J Parnaby, R Dixon (C), E Hart, C Render, S McLaughlin, S Hill, J Abel.

Replacements: R Addis, E Bythell, B Lewington, K bark, C Goodwin, H Parkinson, F Mullett, M Ellis.

Words by J Wheale

Images by K Woodland