Saracens 34 - 15 Bucks Jesters

So to the return. Sunday 23rd November. We were ready. Bucks were up for it and convinced they could reverse last week’s defeat. We had Megan back and therefore this week it was 12 a side. The snow had cleared but the weather was threatening. The only pitch playable was the main pitch which is huge and favoured Bucks’ speed. We had trained hard on Thursday for the game, and now needed to put it into practice. From the start we were superior in the scrum and made it tell. Claire scored the first try from an attacking scrum and converted it. Bucks came straight back and scored. More Saracens pressure eventually saw Emily go over, but yet again Bucks came back. Saracens applied the pressure again and Finn after a long spell of possession scored. We went into half time 17:10 up. The coaches gave us some hints for the second half. Bucks kicked off and we got the ball, it was passed down the line and Lauren playing only her 4th game went over to score. Saracens were now on top and though Bucks attacked we defended really well and turned the ball over. We were able to attack up-field keeping the ball alive in contact as we practised at training, but were stopped just short of the line. We continued to attack and eventually get a scrum in mid field from which Claire scored again. We recovered the kick off and the ball got passed back to Claire who kicked long down-field. We got a good chase on putting pressure on the Bucks defence. Bucks failed to recover the bouncing ball and Claire slid over to score under the posts and covert. Bucks didn’t give up and came back at us and got another good try close to the posts. It was now raining heavily but we retained possession and the referee eventually decided we’d got cold, wet and muddy enough and blew full time, Saracens winning 34:15.

Bucks Jesters 22 - 26 Saracens

We went to a drizzly Aylesbury for the league game against Bucks Jesters on 16th November. One of our best turnouts of the season saw us field a starting 11 players. We had the slightly bigger team and Bucks had the faster team. With the weather as it was, (very wet and rainy!!) it was going to make an interesting game. From the initial exchanges it was obvious that we were winning the majority of the tackle areas, but Bucks punished us if we lost the ball. From a scrum on the 22 Claire went over to score and convert, but Bucks immediately came back and scored. This was the way the game progressed. They had the initial advantage in the scrums and lineout, we rucked very well, but they were able to go around us. Eventually the game finished 26:22 to Saracens, the difference down to Claire’s three conversions to Bucks’ one. Roll on next week and Bramley Road where we can add mud to the rain…

Basford 73 - 0 Saracens/Hertford

Basford 73 Saracens/Hertford 0 We teamed up again with Hertford to play a full sided game against Basford on the 2nd November. In what turned out to be a heavy defeat orchestrated by Scotty and India and aided by Frenchie in the centre. All the TDG training obviously is paying off as their running lines cut us to pieces in the backs. Well done to the forwards for taking the game to them. Cheers to Basford for the lesson, now we know where we have to aim for. However after the match Basford were taught a lesson in the drinking department as the Sarries team captain managed to down a full pint, instead of tipping it on someone's head...shame!