Wigan Warriors Women 30 Leeds Rhinos Women 16

By Sam Brocksom

Leeds Rhinos Women suffered defeat in the Betfred Women’s Super League at the hands of Wigan Warriors Women.

Tries from Lucy Murray, Izzy Northrop and Bethan Dainton weren’t enough to see off the Challenge Cup holders, who remain top of the Women’s Super League table.

Head coach Lois Forsell was forced into numerous late changes, with Bella Sykes and Elle Frain unavailable through illness. Jenna Greening returned in place of the injured Evie Cousins, as Jess Sharp and Grace Short also came back into the side.

It was the worst possible start for the Rhinos, as they misjudged the opening kick-off and dropped the ball. That gave Wigan a great opportunity to score and they capitalised. Shifting the ball straight from the restart, Shaniah Power received the ball on the left edge to score in the corner. Isabel Rowe couldn’t add the conversion.

Five minutes later, Power’s sister, Tiana, broke the Leeds defensive line on half way, before managing to beat Ebony Stead and score under the posts. Rowe was successful from the boot and with less than eight minutes on the clock Leeds were down by 10.

The Rhinos managed to regroup, and started causing threats of their own. Leeds managed to get into a scoring opportunity on multiple occasions, with Mel Howard putting kicks into the in-goal. However, Wigan full back Grace Banks was alert to the danger, just beating Tally Bryer to the ball and not only stopping a try but managing to make 20 metres to get the Warriors out of trouble.

When Wigan scored in the first half, they came in twos. Either side of the half hour, the home side managed to cross. Molly Jones, who scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture at AMT Headingley, scored on the left edge before Mia-Jane Atherton used all her power to barge her way over next to the posts. Rowe added the latter conversion, increasing the lead to 20-0.

Leeds managed to secure their first points on the stroke of half time. As a short crash ball to Lucy Murray saw her dive over on the left edge. Howard added the conversion, and at the break the Rhinos trailed 20-6.

The second half kicked off in similar fashion as the first, with Wigan knocking on from kick off. Leeds didn’t manage to capitalise, as the ball was dropped and the opportunity was wasted.

Wigan added to their fourteen-point lead 10 minutes into the second half. The league’s joint-top try scorer, Eva Hunter, did what she does best and refused to be beaten. The back rower received the ball 10m from the line and charged her way over, despite the efforts of two Leeds defenders. Rowe missed the conversion from out wide.

On the hour mark, Banks was put through a gap by Foubister and sprinted 40m to score under the posts. Rowe’s conversion meant the Rhinos trailed by 24 with 20 minutes left.

Leeds managed to get some points back, but it was too late in the tie. First, on her 50^th appearance for the club, Izzy Northrop scored from a short ball from Ruby Bruce, and wouldn’t be stopped as she got the ball down to the left of the posts. Howard converted with five minutes to play.

 Bethan Dainton then added a try on the final play of the game. Anna Davies struggled to deal with a bouncing ball in the in-goal, conceding a goal line drop out. In the repeat set, Dainton managed to evade multiple defenders and score on the left. Howard’s conversion on the hooter was missed as Leeds lost out 30-16.

The Rhinos Women now have three weeks off before they face Barrow Raiders away from home on August 17.

Rhinos: Stead, Whitehead, Dainton, Greening, Nuttall, Howard, Bryer, Northrop, Bruce, Glynn, Brown, Murray, Donnelly. Subs: Short, Boyd, Blakey, Sharp.

Tries: Murray, Northrop, Dainton

Goals: Howard 2/3