Rugby is the winner on the day!

Sunday was a tough day at the office for the Mighty 2s. Due to the squad being plagued by injuries on and off the field, we’ve been hit with low numbers, making our double game weekends a bit harder to fulfil. Last weekend was one such weekend, but fortunately, the nature of the rugby community meant that we still managed to get a run out with Ironsides Women’s 2s as they kindly offered players from their squad to help make up numbers. We coughed up the walkover but still had a chance to stretch the legs and make some hits.

With only 8 players in our starting line-up after some reshuffling for the 1s who were travelling away to Chesham, we strode out onto our home pitch in the sunshine and warmed up with some of our new mates from Ironsides. The game was a fierce battle, the hits were huge and a lot of the game was played through the backs, with Ironsides speedsters (and deadly safe hands) making use of the whole pitch to draw our defense. That said, the cover tackling from Jenn P was phenomenal and she chopped down player after player throughout the game. Newcomer Laura settled into the role of winger/fullback incredibly well as we played 12 v 12 and her work rate was off the charts, I would love to know how many miles she ran over the duration of the game.

Prudence was on form at 10, managing the game and giving us lofty restarts to get up the pitch and disrupt the attack, not to mention some big hits in defense, while Captain Fantastic Maria stepped right out of her comfort zone in the pack to slot in at 9. The epitome of a team player, she got stuck right in, even making a huge breakaway in the second half with players trailing off her.

Maeve has found her way back home to Barnes and we couldn’t be happier as it was fantastic to see her back on the pitch, creating havoc at the breakdowns like any good flanker should. Fellow Imperial graduate Livia also had a huge performance, putting in the tackles and getting through some real work in attack. Tara the Terminator ploughed through Ironsides’ defensive line a good few times, dragging them along with her like a momma possum carrying kits on her back – a thing of beauty to behold – not to mention making some massive hits in the line.

Meli had another stellar game, tackling anything that moved and doing it with flair – another player who’s work rate is always outstanding and her experience from playing with the team for a few seasons definitely shone through yesterday as she tackled relentlessly and never backed down for a second, even when the fatigue was setting in.

I’ve said this before and I am sure it won’t be the last time I say it this season, but the Mighty 2s are a special bunch of humans. There’s something about the grit they show when the chips are down and how they all dig in for each other and fight for one another. There’s so much love in this group, and the opportunities we did have worked so well that it gives so much reassurance that the team is really clicking and understanding each other and the game despite there being so many players new to the sport in this group. With a few more players I am confident we would have been able to execute many of the things we’ve been learning over the last few months really well on the gameday pitch. Every game is a learning opportunity, win or lose, and I am sure these brave women will come back even stronger in the next one.

We were so fortunate to come away without any injuries despite being reduced to 8 players, and it’s a true miracle considering how much work those players got through on the pitch. The Ironsides players who rotated in and out of the team during the game showed just how classy they are as a unit, setting up a lot of great opportunities for us to attack. A huge thanks has to go to all the lovely women of Ironsides 2s who played in such great spirit, as well as their coaches who were so accommodating of us during the week while we sorted logistics to make sure the game went ahead.

Big shout out to Tati, Naomi and Chad for cheering on from the sidelines. If you ever need a photographer, check out the awesome stuff Chad does with a camera lens (@callsigncharlie on insta) and you’ll be calling him up right away. Reka managed to keep everyone patched up and taped together throughout the game, and we definitely appreciate having her there keeping a careful eye on us. As always, thanks so much to our ever loyal and supportive coach Andy who said all the right things (when he didn’t have a mouthful of skittles) to keep the team motivated and focused.

Onwards to a double header this weekend with the 1s playing at home game against Teddington and the 2s facing Ruislip also at home. Please come along to support if you can, we’d love to see everyone on the sidelines and share a pint in the clubhouse with you all afterwards.