What an end to a beautiful hard fought game.
Team captain and current National Women #10 Anna Schnell scored the first points with a penalty but was quickly countered with two quick tries and a convert by the Japanese Ladies to go up 12 - 3.
The smaller Japan girls(at least they looked small) were very quick to the breakdowns and strong in the scrums, winning at least 5 tightheads and numerous steals in rucks and mauls. Fans of Burnaby Lake on the sidelines were quickly losing their fingernails as they struggled to come to grips with the number of lead changes and the way their ladies were being womanhandled by the ladies from the Land of the Rising Sun. It does not usually happen to these girls.
Second half started well for the locals after a quick chat by the coaching staff, and guest player Emily Young from our neighbors in Kamploops suddenly found the ball in her hands and sprinted around her opponent for an uncoverted try. I couldn't keep up with who scored when as there were about three lead changes during the game - only that Burnaby was down by six with about a minute left....Yikes!!
Emily came through again as she again found herself with the ball and again ran around her opponent to score. Everyone on both sides waited anxiously for the convert and when Ms Schnell slotted it through between the uprights and the final whistle was blown, the local ladies and their fans jumped with joy and the visitors hung their heads in disappointment. But this was anybody's game right to the final second!! Japan, ranked 13th in the World vowed to do better on Saturday against BC, Burnaby Lake, ranked nowhere in the world, jumped to 12th.........I think.
Most of these ladies will probably never play against a National side again so this win makes it very memorable for them.
KAUKAUWA!!
Great write up Rugby Rock- those Burnaby Women ARE AWESOME!- KL
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great game, thanks for the writeup!
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