Two rounds down, and plenty to go: Some early season lukewarm takes on PWR
One of the many* problems with the internet is that things live forever on there. Sometimes, that’s brilliant: we can fall through the web into niche and nostalgic holes, moments they’ll go on to teach in history classes are preserved immaculately, Wikipedia has helped thousands of arts graduates to degrees (anyone who claims they didn’t use it weekly during their studies is a liar), and it’s five seconds’ work for me to proudly produce evidence that I did actually make a full body papier-mâché olive costume once – so I could go as Georgia Nicholson for Halloween.
*many, many, many, many
Sometimes, though, the way our actions, context, and opinions are frozen in time – hung suspended in Chrome amber for archaeologists to discover millennia later, is a right nuisance – and I hope this column doesn’t prove one of those.
We’ve scarcely got going with this new Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign – if the season were a sprinter, it’d only just have reached its transition phase – but let’s hurl some opinions and predictions out into the World Wide Web, and see what sticks.
Harrison 2.0 might be the best version yet
Catching up with Zoe Harrison at the PWR launch was a joy. She was a combination of her usual competitive ferocity – the trophy belongs in North London, apparently, and Saracens *will* be collecting it at the end of the season, thank you very much – and a compelling, laidback confidence.
You’d have thought there’d be some pre-opener jitters – returning from an ACL reconstruction with form, a title, and an England fly-half jersey to reclaim – but she was just so relaxed. As tough as the injury and rehabilitation had been, and she spoke with such candour about the arduous process itself, she seemed to genuinely believe in its silver linings.
Harrison’s been a star and stalwart since she was a teenager, cruising from trophy wins with Sarries to those with the Red Roses and back again with just the swish of a trademark and immaculate ponytail, but being in such demand has kept her fiendishly busy. Enforced time out has allowed her to invest in herself in unprecedented ways – and she reckons she’s more powerful, dynamic, agile, and robust than ever before.
Saturday, her first Premiership start since the injury, suggested she’s right: a try and quintet of conversions on the scoresheet, and numerous key involvements – including a peach of a cross-field kick to Sydney Gregson.
She’s on a mouth-watering collision course with Holly Aitchison – who she’ll meet on December 23rd, when the Wolfpack and Bears serve up a Christmas cracker – which becomes the 2023 Red Roses Number Ten Derby. Only one of them can start at fly-half against Italy on March 24th…
As for the trophy, Saracens are back in their customary seat at the top of the table, and – with a better-than-ever Harrison pulling the strings and a Canadian cheat code in their locker, they’re looking ominous.
Sale are building
This column gave Sale a proper tub thump ahead of the opening round, and they hardly fired a shot against Bristol. Case in point: predictions are a risky business. It wasn’t the start to the campaign they’d trained or hoped for – Rachel Taylor was clear about that – but they chalked it off as a Mulligan, returned North to put things right, and promptly made history against Harlequins.
It sounded like a doozy of a game – a swinging pendulum of momentum cleaving bitterly cold air throughout – and that makes it all the more impressive, because Sale truly believe now that they’ve the beating of top teams. Lest we forget, Harlequins were champions, this time two years ago. Northern grit + Torpedo Talling + a pinpoint Vicky A Irwin + a twist of Italian flair = a force to be reckoned with.
Sharks are circling, and Sale is a tougher place to go than ever before. They might well find Chiefs a bit much to handle this weekend, but their ascent is inarguable – and the scalps they’re taking get more notable each year.
Chiefs haven’t batted an eyelid
As we watched Captain Fantastic and US Eagle Kate Zackary soar off to Trailfinders, Flo Robinson fizz her way to The Stoop alongside Abbie Fleming, and Charli Jacoby head onto pastures new – we wondered if the two-time finalists might skip a beat as the season got underway.
We were wrong. Rob Baxter’s young guns are currently sat second in the Gallagher Premiership, despite losing so many classy players over the summer that those in possession of ‘Exeter Leavers 2023’ hoodies could form a seriously good team in their own right, and Susie Appleby’s squad have proven similarly unwavering.
40 stuck on Tigers in their opener, and then a bonus point victory this weekend against a star-studded Bristol. Just look at the try scorers: Emily Tuttosi, Rachel Johnson, and Claudia MacDonald. The second most prolific whitewash magnet at the World Cup, a beaming agent of chaos with a seemingly unemptiable tank, and someone who steps so hard and hurtles so fast I’ve pulled eyeballs watching her.
People have started referring to Chiefs as the ‘bridesmaids’ of this competition, but they’re gunning for a medal upgrade – and you’re braver than me if you fancy taking them on when it’s time to throw the bouquet.
The champs are back
Gloucester-Hartpury are up and running, Mia Venner was just as prolific as Sean Lynn told us she would be, Emma Sing was lashing conversions over from right across Kingsholm, the bonus point was in the cherry and white bag within 16 minutes, and the champions didn’t concede a point until the 72nd. Plus ça change.
Next up? A Friday night trip to Bear Country. That’ll be good.
Newbies are warming to task nicely
Both Trailfinders and Tigers are awaiting a first victory, but each have a point in the standings (Giselle Mather’s women only missed out to Harlequins by five points, and Vicky Macqueen’s squad managed a try bonus against Chiefs), and look right at home at the domestic game’s top table. They’re proving reliant on their marquee signings – Meg Jones has contributed 21 of Leicester’s 41 points so far, and half of Trailfinders’ tries have come from Abby Dow – but that’s to be expected, and they’re already proving stiffer opposition than DMP or Wasps were able to last year.
Tigers are hosting Loughborough on Sunday, in the first East Midlands Derby this league’s seen. Let’s hope it develops into the sort of full-throttle, historic rivalry we see in the men’s game, and provides the rugby to match. Whatever happens, Jones up against Helena Rowland is a sumptuous prospect – promising mercurial, midfield magic.
Whilst we’re committing predictions to paper: Tigers could win this…. Loughborough don’t travel well, and continually fluffed their lines in the red zone against Saracens in their opener – whilst any side who can breach Chiefs’ defence on four occasions has got something right in attack.
Trailfinders have a bye this week, so some time to reflect, assess, and progress before these two debutants clash in round four. If you’re London-based: get down there. December 9th. 3pm. A historic occasion; the likes of Dow, Jones, Eva Donaldson, Fran McGhie, and Zackary; two powerhouse coaches; and a fixture they’ll both have targeted since the schedule was released.
There you have it: a thousand tremulous, Trelawney-esque words based on a mere 640 minutes of rugby.
There’s a lot we don’t know yet about the 2023/24 Premiership Women’s Rugby season – and thank goodness, because sport would be terribly boring if we got spoilers in round two – but there are some things we’re gleaning already. I’m fairly happy with the above living on forever in the RugbyPass archives.
I’ll gladly leave those hot takes cooling on the drying rack whilst I go about my business. Harrison’s flying, Sale are circling, Chiefs are unfazed, and the champs look like – well – champs. Let’s see how these have aged by the Six Nations, shall we?
Comments on RugbyPass
“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
5 Go to comments