DMP Sharks v Wasps Ladies

Review

DMP welcomed their friends from Wasps on a wet Sunday afternoon to The Northern Echo Arena.

It was a much changed DMP squad due to having 5 players involved in the England Autumn Internationals.

In the absence of Captain Georgina Roberts, Fiona Davidson again took the Captains armband and led the team into a highly charged game.

DMP got the game underway and so began a sustained period of Wasps pressure as they launched wave after wave of attack only to be kept at bay by some tenacious DMP defence.

The defence held strong although Wasps got over on line on several occasions the ball was held up by  the DMP girls, despite all the possession Wasps enjoyed they could not turn it into points due to the determination of DMPs defence.

The pressure did pay off on 14 minutes when Wasps no 8 Dalena Dennison stretched out a long arm in the left hand corner and was judged to have got the ball down. The try was not converted leaving the score DMP 0 Wasps 5.

Wasps continued to pressurize DMP but in an indication of how hard they were working they did not cross the try line again until the 30^th minute when Wasps backs got quick ball with some slick offloading Wasps Rebecca Ball crossed the line which was converted  leaving the score DMP 0 Wasps 12.

Captain Fiona Davidson was leading by example as she covered every blade of grass to keep Wasps at bay, it was therefore a massive blow when she was shown a yellow card by the referee for what was a repeated team infringement at the breakdown.

Wasps exploited the extra space created by the reduced numbers when on 35 minutes Tina Lee scored a  try in the left hand corner not converted leaving the score DMP 0 Wasps 19.

Despite the reduced numbers this young DMP team fought hard close down the space making life very difficult for Wasps.

DMP did well not to concede when down to 14 players as Fiona Davidson came back into the fray, DMP worked their way deep into Wasps territory, Fiona Davidson using all her scrum half knowledge picked up from the base of a ruck 5 Metres out to power over taking three Wasps defenders with her to score a terrific try not converted leaving the score at half time DMP 5 Wasps 19.

Wasps got the second half underway and so began another 40 minutes of hard graft for the DMP girls, it is testament to the teams spirit and work ethic of this young DMP side that  Wasps didn’t score again until the 70^th minute which was converted leaving the score DMP 5 Wasps 26.

Scrum Half Emma Lloyd Edwards was introduced into the game with 10 minutes to go and immediately injected energy into Sharks side!

On 75 minutes this pressure told when DMP were awarded a penalty in Wasps 22 a quick tap was taken by Emma Lloyd Edwards who passed it onto Fiona Davidson she drove forward only to be stopped by excellent Wasps defence, DMPs Emily Hunter was in quickly to pick the ball up from the base of the ruck and with help of her teammates forced her way through the Wasps defence and over the line for a great try not converted leaving the score DMP 10 Wasps 26.

In the 78^th minute Wasps were awarded a scrum on DMPs 10 metre line and there power in this area which had been evident all day was too much for DMP as they were again marched backwards , the referee awarded a penalty try leaving the final score DMP 10 Wasps 33.