Morrall brace has Lightning going in the right direction

By SAM BYTHEWAY

Sale Sharks …. 12pts

Tries: Talling 48, Prothero 65

Conversions: Irwin 48

L'borough …… 24pts

Tries: O'Donnell 10, 55; Morrall 25, 35

Conversions: Nelson 11', 55'

Loughborough Lightning secured their second victory of the league season with a fine win over Sale.

Lightning crossed for three first-half tries through Cath O'Donnell and a brace from Carmela Morrall.

The Sharks replied in the second period with a try each for Morwenna Talling and Nikita Prothero but a second try for O'Donnell secured the victory.

Loughborough prop Katie Trevarthen said: “We are so happy with that, we've had a tough training week and it's shown today – it's the exact perfor mance we needed to bounce back from a loss last week.”

Trevarthen praised star player Morrall: “She is such a talent, she's young and has come across from Dubai into our college program and some of the things she's doing is just amazing.”

It was the visitors who started the game stronger, peppering the Sale line with forward phases and they were rewarded with the opening score when Red Rose second-row O'Donnell crashed over from close range with fly-half Helen Nelson adding the conversion.

Lightning continued to trouble the hosts with some smart attacking rugby and soon had a deserved second when Morrall dived over the line after switching the play back to the back-line.

And Loughborough's young centre soon had her second, crossing after a delightfully simple backs strike move sent her through a gap in the Sharks defensive line to send her side into the break 17-0 ahead.

The hosts startedthe second-half with an added injection of pace and were nearly rewarded with a first score when a break swept down the left wing, but the ball failed to stick in the hands of Hollie Bawden.

Sale eventually were rewarded with a try of their own when captain Talling picked the gap in the defensive line to cross under the posts.

The Sharks narrowing of the gap didn't last long as Loughborough were soon crossing for their bonus-point try when O'Donnell found herself over the try-line for a second score after some more impressive forward dominance.

This setback didn't curtail the Sharks attacking push and the hosts added a second, again through a former Loughboroug player, this time Prothero finished well in the corner after a delightful looping pass out wide.