Sun 1 Oct 2023, 13:30
Last season the U18 girls from Newark and Paviors combined very successfully and this season looks to promise as much again, if not more. They faced a combined Long Eaton/Mac side at a very soggy Melbourne ground. The conditions were not ideal for running rugby but both sides looked determined to play a passing game. This was a very competitive, gritty match that was fought much harder than the score line suggests, typified by a see-saw dominance in the scrum.
The Newark/Paviors combination, or Pavarks as they are calling themselves, perhaps enjoyed greater success on the fringes, running in three or four unanswered tries in the first half.
A reinvigorated home side kicked-off the second half up the hill and a period of sustained pressure through the middle saw them go over for a well-deserved try. Pavarks were repeatedly tested, and they soon realised this match was not going to get any less competitive. In worsening conditions both sides worked hard to dominate the break-down, but it was our superior pace and often quick-witted response to game management that kept the scoreboard ticking over. Well done to both sides for keeping a very wet crowd too entertained to care about the weather.
