Worcester Valkyries endured a tough day in poor conditions as they were beaten 43-0 by West Country rivals Gloucester-Hartpury Women at Sixways on Saturday in the Tyrrells Premier 15s.
Beth Jones, Ceri Large, Eloise Hayward and Rebecca Belcher gave Gloucester-Hartpury a healthy advantage at the break before Leah Carey, Sarah Bern and a penalty try wrapped up the result in the second period.
The visitors got on the scoreboard instantaneously with Jones crossing the whitewash after Gemma Sharples peeled off the back of a well-constructed scrum move.
Worcester were then undone by a former Valkyries pair, as Megan Goddard threaded through Large to score under the posts.
Gloucester-Hartpury capitalised on Valkyries’ defensive errors with Hayward crashing over under a pile of bodies to stretch the lead.
Worcester’s defence denied Gloucester-Hartpury from scoring with two efforts being held up over the line, the first from Belcher and then Bern had a go but failed penetrate the line.
However the visitors found their resolve and scored just minutes later, as Belcher got her try.
Worcester’s Charlie Wilcock put in a number of big hits and made valuable yards during a difficult first-half but Valkyries trailed 22-0 at the break.
It took the visitors 23 minutes to penetrate the home defence in the second-half with referee Claire Hodnett awarding a penalty try for a number of scrum offences, and then a well-worked move saw Carey crash through two challenges to stretch over and score.
Gloucester-Hartpury finished how they started, with a try, as England international Bern intercepted a pass and ran in untouched under the posts with the last play of the game.
Valkyries host reigning champions Harlequins Ladies at Sixways on Saturday 28 October.
Timeline
01m | Beth Jones try 0-5
14m | Large try 0-10
15m | Goddard con 0-12
24m | Hayward try 0-17
30m | Belcher try 0-22
64m | Penalty try 0-29
69m | Leah Carey try 0-34
69m | Goddard con 0-36
79m | Berns try 0-41
80m | Goddard con 0-43
Valkyries | 15. Vicky Laflin, 14. Brooke Clarke (45, Gingell), 13. Megan Varley, 12. Zoe Bennion, 11. Alexia McGahan, 10. Beth James (75, Setchfield), 9. Sian Moore (71, Herring); 1. Akina Gondwe, 2. Carmen Tremelling (69, Johnson), 3. Lauren Leatherland (40, Binks), 4. Helena Bunce (c), 5. Ruth Black, 6. Rhiannon Donnahey (40, James), 7. Charlie Wilcock (75, Thomas), 8. Maddie Roslund
Replacements | 16. Sophie Johnson, 17. Lizzie Binks, 18. Kirstin James, 19. Maisie Mackenzie, 20. Becca Herring, 21. Martha Setchfield, 22. Lia Gingell