On a sublimely sunny autumnal afternoon the Sevenoaks/Aylesford girls coalition (known as SevenAyles) got off to an emphatic start in the Girls U16s Kent League. It may have been their first ever league match together but the class showed as SevenAyles outplayed East Kent Viragos from start to finish running in 9 tries from 6 different try scorers.
After a tentative start from both teams, the deadlock was broken after a good break from Jamie and then Erin on the right-hand side who in turn found Chanel who took the ball over the line from close range. 5-0 SevenAyles.
The next try came from a SevenAyles scrum near the halfway line, the ball made it to Chanel who turned on the pace darting inside to evade the tackles and score in front of the posts. Niamh converts 12-0 SevenAyles.
East Kent showed some resilience scoring themselves after some good pressure and passing the ball across the left-hand side for the touchdown, but it was only a consolation as SevenAyles wasted no time getting back on top. Possession was won back straight from the kick off and with the ball passed from the centre to Robyn on the wing who scored in the corner. 17-5.
The final try of the half was the try of the game…after winning the scrum against the head on the centre of the halfway line Libby finds Imogen who passes it right to Erin who passes it back to Imogen on the overlap….Imogen darts inside & out of several tackles before laying it back to Erin who sprints away to score. Great teamwork from the two! 22-5 at half time.
The second half saw SevenAyles run away with it scoring 5 unanswered tries. With East Kent on the attack possession is won back and the ball finds Emily who jinks inside one tackle and sprints away half the length of the pitch to score under the posts. Niamh, thankful for much easier conversion attempt, gets the two points. 29-5.
The next try is a carbon copy of the previous one with SevenAyles again winning back possession with East Kent on the attack, the ball finding Emily who again sprints away to score in front of the posts. 34-5.
SevenAyles notch up try 6 after a driving run from Maddie down the left-hand side the ball is sprayed across to the right before Alys takes it over the line. Niamh coverts 41-5.
Another team effort leads to try 7 with the ball again passed across the line from left to right before Chanel makes it over the line for her hattrick! Niamh converts again 48-5.
The final try comes after SevenAyles win a penalty on the 22 it is passed to Maddie who powers her way through to seemingly ground the ball over the line…but the ref has other ideas and awards East Kent a touchline drop out. Justice is done though as the drop out is miskicked and SevenAyles are awarded a penalty from 5 yards…it is passed to Georgia and she forces herself over the line. Niamh converts and the game ends 55-5 to SevenAyles!
In the post match get together Niamh is awarded back of the match and Maddie forward of the match but nothing takes away from the fact it was a fantastic team performance from the Sevenoaks & Aylesford girls….tougher tests will follow but the performance has laid the perfect ground for the challenges that lie ahead. Bring it on!