Chiefs Women 60 Warriors Women 7
Exeter Chiefs Women 60
Worcester Warriors Women 7
Harry Scott-Munro at Sandy Park
It was a perfect ten for Exeter Chiefs Women, as they comprehensively dispatched Worcester Warriors Women 60-7, on a barnstorming afternoon at Sandy Park.
The Chiefs had been disappointed to see victory over Loughborough slip through their fingers last week in the Allianz Premier 15s – and they knew from the outset of the challenge that the Warriors would pose.
This was, however, a stunning display from Susie Appleby’s side, which saw both Merryn Doidge and Emily Tuttosi score hat-tricks, while co-captain Kate Zackary grabbed a double; and Jennine Detiveaux and McKinley Hunt also helped themselves to tries, five of which were converted by Meg Foster..
Worcester scored a consolation try through Lydia Thompson, but this was the Chiefs’ day.
The hosts were looking for a fast start and boy did they find it. With just 28 seconds on the clock, Doidge raced over for her first of the afternoon and the fastest Premier 15s try seen at Sandy Park.
Centre Nancy McGillivray made the initial break, feeding Doidge, who then powered in from 60 metres, cutting inside the full-back for a truly stunning individual effort.
With little over five minutes on the clock, the Chiefs were in for their second and Tuttosi’s first of the afternoon. If the first try had shown the Chiefs at their free-flowing best, this one showed their pack at their ruthless, abrasive best. With Worcester’s defence creaking, the Chiefs kicked to the corner, allowing Tuttosi to bundle over from the maul.
This was brutal and relentless stuff from the Chiefs and they were in no mood to let-up, scoring their third soon after. From a midfield scrum, Zackary and McGillivray carried hard in midfield, before fast ball allowed Foster to release Kanako Kobayashi. The livewire Japanese international then fed Doidge, who juggled and held well, before racing over for her second of the afternoon.
The Warriors had been shellshocked in the opening minutes, but are too good a side not to respond. With Ellen Murphy pulling the strings for her side, she looked to release Vicky Laflin on the left wing. With the Warriors now pressing and probing on the Exeter line, Murphy again looked to release her wing over the line, only for the pass to drift forward. Murphy would then miss a penalty and it was beginning to look like one of those days for the visitors.
Worcester stuck to their task though and eventually crossed through Thompson. In a match of high-quality tries, this was another, as Murphy atoned for that miss by releasing her right wing to race over.
It was, however, a rare bright moment for the Midlanders as the home side were in no mood to let that setback get to them. Again, it came from the power game up front, as Hunt scored on her return to the starting XV to cap off a near-perfect performance thus far from the Chiefs.
They were continuing to go about their work with gleeful abandon, and a fifth score would soon follow. Sinclair, in her first appearance on the wing had been full of hard, direct running all game and it was another spritely carry from the Scot, that allowed fellow wing Detiveaux to pick up from the breakdown and race through for the try.
There was time for one final try in a breathless first forty minutes, as Tuttosi rumbled over for her second from yet another powerful maul that had left Worcester powerless to resist, as Exeter continued to flex their muscles.
HALF-TIME: EXETER CHIEFS 36 WORCESTER WARRIORS 7
If the Warriors thought that the Devonians would let up in the second half, they were very much mistaken, as the Chiefs set about their task in the same brutal fashion as they did in the first.
Fighting in and around the fringes, Exeter’s line-out went astray, but was swiftly mopped up by DaLeaka Menin. The prop had been a key component for her side all afternoon in both the tight and the loose and it was her action that allowed the Chiefs to score their seventh.
Probing and pressing close to the Worcester line, co-captain Zackary made no mistake, as she barrelled over from close range to take her side past the 40-point mark.
The Chiefs were flying again now and when, Detiveaux took a penalty quickly, the American speedster looked for all money to be away and clear for her second of the afternoon. Worcester though, regrouped superbly through McNaney to stop the USA Eagle in her tracks but Exeter wouldn’t have to wait long for their next score.
This was a big one as well for Doidge, as she secured her first hat-trick in an Exeter Chiefs shirt. She secured it in fine style too, picking a sumptuous line off of Foster to race free and over to spark a huge celebration from her side.
Soon after, Tuttosi helped herself to a richly deserved hattrick as well after yet another clinical Chiefs maul. The power game up front had been absolutely scintillating all afternoon for the Chiefs, with the likes of Hope Rogers and Nichola Fryday also adding their power game around the park.
Worcester to their credit, refused to be discouraged despite the scoreline and, with the added impetus off the bench of Minori Yamamoto, they continued to probe and ask questions of the Chiefs defence.
Despite this being a ten-try performance in attack, the defensive set will have been one of the most pleasing aspects of this Exeter performance.
There would be a final flourish as well for the Chiefs, as Zackary dotted down for her second of the afternoon, as the Chiefs reignited their top four charge and put a gap firmly between themselves and the chasing pack.
Chiefs: M Doidge; E Sinclair (M Allen 66); K Kobayashi, N McGillivray; J Detiveaux (O Jones 56); M Foster, F Robinson (M Davies 59); H Rogers (A Middlebrooke 69), E Tuttosi (C Nielson 61), D Menin (L Hanlon 69); M Hunt (E Jefferies 60), N Fryday; P Leitch (co-capt), K Zackary (co-capt), L van der Velden (G Senft 51)
Tries: Doidge (3), Tuttosi (3), Zackary (2), Detieveaux, Hunt; Conversions: Foster (5)
Warriors: A Kershaw (C McNaney 33); L Thompson; C Cox, M Varley; V Laflin; E Murphy (M Yamamoto 52), F Lewis (J Kershaw 69); A Gondwe (A Smitheman 65), C Phillips (capt, E Febrey 52), L Keates (C Tremelling 33); J Brown, A Washington; A Matthews (A Buckland Hurry 40), A. Calldner S Harries (C Brincat 52)
Try: Thompson; Conversion: Murphy
Referee: I Kiy
Attendance: 1,027