Match report Leith rugby women v Dundee Valkyries 2nd Xv
Date 24/09/2023
Venue Academy Park Leith Edinburgh
Conditions mild breezy and cloudy
Within sight of both Easter Road (home of Hibernian FC) and Arthur’s Seat was the venue of the Dundee Valkyries 2nd Xv fifth league game of the season v Leith rugby. The opposition certainly had side of all the airts with Lismore, Hamilton and Caledonian Thebans all represented in their 16 players. Dundee on the other hand had a full 22 for the first time this season including a whopping 13 designated front row including our guest centre Olivia Wilson from Dunfermline !! plus Brooke Barr fresh from a winning performance for Stirling County the previous day v Garioch.
Dundee kicked off and from an early penalty chance Sian B & Gail set up and early chance that a second turnover penalty led to a break on the left-hand side of the Leith defence where Brooke fed Julie who almost made the line but passed to Tracey Russell who made no mistake in dotting the first try down. The resulting conversion was missed by Sian B with 3 minutes gone.
Good play from the backs with Julie, Kirsty, Gail and Rachel all to the fore led Dundee back into the Leith half, unfortunately a knock on ended a promising position and also the game for Julie who was subbed off with a hamstring problem. She was replaced by Steph Lindsay who took Gails place in the centre whilst Gail went to Scrum half, and both would go on to have very good games. from a scrum Sian B broke blind and linked with Gail who plunged over the try for an unconverted try Leith 0 Dundee 10 and a great start. Unfortunately, a poor kick-off return led to a knock on, and the Leith 15 made the most of poor first up tackles to motor to the try line from the 10m line Leith 5 Dundee 10.

Dundee return to pressure the Leith line on 2 occasions shortly afterwards and were held up allowing Leith to clear their lines as play settled into a frantic scramble for possession in the mid field with neither side achieving any sort of ascendancy.
After 23 minutes, another period of pressure saw Dundee almost score a third, but another turnover denied them. Dundee was not to be denied though when great interplay between backs and forward and keeping possession saw Sian B & Rachel leading the attack and Brooke finishing off the move near the posts. The try converted by Gail saw the Dundee lead extend to Leith 5 Dundee 17.A great line break By Steph Lindsay took play deep into Leith half. Phase play followed and eventually on 35 minutes Steph Lindsay crashed over from 5M to make the score Leith 5 Dundee 22. Try bonus secured
Finally, Leith gained some field position shortly before half time, but stout defence led by Brooke and Sian J & Sian B stopped them in their tracks whilst a break from Gabby & Gail from a scrum was the last action of the half.
The coaches asked for more of the same whilst Gemma Short, Nik & Rachel were subbed off .to be replaced by Maddie, Megan & Gemma W.
Early in the second half forward dominance with Brooke to the fore took Dundee to halfway. A ruck penalty let Leith into the Dundee Half, but good defence kept them out. The game had moved to player matching due to injuries on the Leith side but great work by Olivia who had an effective game a centre/wing took play to the Leith 22 then quick ball saw Kirsty feed a short ball to Gail who got her second try which she duly converted to make the Score Leith 5 Dundee 29
As the play moved into the last quarter, a quick penalty tap saw Gemma Watson cross the try line for a birthday try duly converted by Sian B The score was now Leith 5 Dundee Valkyries 36
Dundee were now out of site but Leith still had not given up and kept trying to add to their score but no avail as the Dundee defence stood firm and the game petered out
Final Score Leith rugby 5 Dundee Valkyries 2nd XV 36

The result was complete reversal of the performance v Bannockburn a week before and a great team effort from the whole squad This meant a well-deserved grand bus trip home and a lot of smiling faces due to beers and birthday cake . It should be the level of performance that takes the girls into the next 2 winnable games v Lismore & RDVC Onwards & Upwards

Player of the match as selected by Leith Kirsty Melville Forward Gemma Short Back Oliivia Wilson