By Art de Roche
Valkyries captain Lark Davies is leading her Tyrrells Premier 15s team from the front this season.
Davies, the England hooker who has been named in the Red Roses squad for the Quilter International series next month, relishes her leadership role and appreciates the improvements that Valkyries have made this season.
Davies said: “Leading from the front and being an example is a massive thing for me. Whatever I’m doing, I look to put everything into it.
“Showing my teammates how much work I’m putting in hopefully rubs off onto them.
“But it’s also about supporting the young players off the pitch. It’s important that we have people in place to support players when it comes to their performances but also to help them cope with high-pressure situations.”
Valkyries were within touching distance of a try bonus point last time out against Harlequins Ladies as Meg Varley, Zoe Bennion and Charlie Wilcock all crossed the tryline in periods of the game where Valkyries showed true promise.
Davies said: “It’s really important to reflect on those moment and look at where we excelled in matches having stuck to our processes.
“But it’s also important to reflect on where we didn’t quite get the processes nailed on and try to progress by getting the best analysis sessions we can.”
“Roy Davies [Valkyries Head Coach] helps us get to know our strengths and works with us to play in a certain style and stick to our game plan.
“I think when we stray from playing to our strengths and the processes we work on in training, that’s when it costs us points.”
Valkyries’ next fixture sees them make the short trip to Hartpury College on Saturday October 20 where they face Gloucester-Hartpury (kick-off 4.30pm).