Crake leads from front as Trailfinders win at last

By BEN CONEYBEARE

Trailfinders ….36pts

Tries: Crake 3, 30; Haflin 9, Barwick 36, Dow 57, Zackary 73

Conversions: Green 4, 37, 80

Leicester T……..7pts

Tries: Martin 15

Conversions: M Jones 16

Trailfinders secured their first ever victory in Premiership Women's Rugby with former Wasps captain Liz Crake leading the way with a barn-storming effort that featured two tries.

On the significance of the result, she said: “Now we've got confidence and some wind in our sails. We know we can play and that we're good. What we've been working on works, so let's push it and see where we can go.”

The home side came out aggressively, immediately forcing Leicester into defending on their try-line. They couldn't keep out Crake, who eventually snuck round the side of a ruck to open the scoring.

Six minutes later, a clever offload freed Vicky Laflin, who raced past would-be tacklers for the second Trailfinders try of the game.

The visitors pulled one back on the quarter-hour mark, as Elis Martin drove over following a lengthy maul.

Dominating the lineouts and scrums, Trailfinders' sustained pressure created Crake's second of the day after 30 minutes. With four minutes left in the half, Ealing secured a bonus point off a chaotic kick that bounced perfectly for Megan Barwick to tap down.

Going into half-time with a comfortable 24-7 lead, Trailfinders looked thoroughly in control of proceedings. Yet that air of supremacy appeared to be waning in the opening exchanges of the second period, with Tigers able to make repeated forays into the Trailfinders 22.

Costly turnovers off of penalties meant Leicester ended with nothing to show for their efforts and produced the most impressive Trailfinders try of the match. Crake broke off a surging run from deep in her own half that belied her position in the scrum before Elisa Riffonneau produced one of her own.

Some more excellent phases of play from Trailfinders drove them nearly the entire length of the field, capped off when Abby Dow touched down in the 57th minute.

Ealing capitalised on a technical yellow to Megan Jones to eventually find Kate Zackary on the wing, who walked home in the 79th minute for her side's sixth and final try.

Tigers Director of Rugby Vicky Macqueen said: “We compounded our own errors and made mistakes that were un-Tigers-like.”