Cranleigh RFC’s Wild Cranes soar to a winning start against Littlehampton Women

The Wild Cranes travelled down to the coast to kick off their season against Littlehampton Lionesses. It was a very windy day, but the stunning views across Arundel made up for it!

Seven months on from their last league meeting, both sides had changed considerably, setting the scene for an exciting first game of the season.

The match started cautiously, with both teams getting used to the strong winds, which played havoc with passing and led to a few handling errors. Play remained largely in the middle of the pitch until Hannah spotted a gap and darted through, taking the Cranes to within five metres of the line. Unfortunately, Littlehampton managed to turn the ball over.

The Lionesses were quick and well-drilled over the ball, so the Cranes knew they needed to respond. Bex galloped up the field and popped the ball to Evie, who looked destined to score the opening try, only for the referee to bring play back for offside.

Eloísa made sure Littlehampton didn't enjoy possession for long, winning the ball back and getting it out to the backs. Following a scrum, Evie linked up with Hannah, who broke through from 20 metres out to score the opening try! 0–5.

The second quarter started strongly, with Dempsey crashing the ball up the field to set Hannah up for her second try of the game. 0–10.

Littlehampton responded with a slick series of passes to the blindside, making good ground with some powerful carries. However, another turnover gave the Cranes their opportunity. Joss powered through the defence before popping the ball out to the backs, with Evie crashing over in the right-hand corner. Mel, battling the mega winds, added the conversion to make it 0–17.

Straight from the kick-off, a penalty gave Littlehampton the chance to put the Cranes' defence under pressure. They took it quickly, and another penalty marched the Cranes further back. Evie won the ball at the breakdown and offloaded to Mel, who broke away and raced halfway down the pitch. Beautiful hands from Rachel and Esther then set up Joss to stretch over the line. Mel once again nailed the conversion, taking the score to 0–24.

The Cranes weren't finished there! Following the next kick-off, Tabitha picked up from the scrum and went on the attack, setting the platform for Joss to cross the line for her second try. Mel added the extras to round off a fantastic spell of scoring. 0–31.

The second half began with Littlehampton showing they meant business. The Cranes were caught napping after the break, and when the Lionesses were awarded a penalty, they took it quickly. With the Cranes caught standing still, Littlehampton slipped through to score and convert. 7–31.

The response was immediate. From the kick-off, Eloísa stormed up the pitch before being brought down by a perfectly timed tap tackle. Bex secured the ball and powered through to score, with Mel now seemingly in tune with the wind as she added another conversion. 7–38.

Another penalty gave Littlehampton the opportunity to strike back, and once again the Cranes were caught a step behind. The Lionesses broke through and raced three-quarters of the pitch to score and convert. 14–38.

Dempsey made sure the Cranes weren't going down without a fight, dragging three players along with her as she powered up the field from the kick-off. However, discipline began to slip, and four consecutive penalties saw the Cranes marched backwards, undoing much of the ground they had just gained. Bex was lucky to escape with just a few firm words from the referee!

With the ball back in hand, the Cranes moved it out to the backs, only for Littlehampton to intercept. A perfectly timed offload helped the Lionesses cross the line again, narrowing the score to 19–38.

Straight from the kick-off, Littlehampton turned the ball over and once again looked dangerous as they surged up the pitch. Rachel, however, had other ideas, producing a try-saving tackle to bring their attack to a halt.

The game restarted with a line-out, where Phoebe set Esther up for a lovely run up the pitch. Bex was caught short of the line, but a penalty gave the Cranes another opportunity. Tabitha picked and went, powering over the whitewash, with Mel adding yet another conversion. 19–45.

There was still time for one more! From the kick-off, Lou stormed up the pitch, and after another penalty, Hannah broke through to score the Cranes' final try of the game. 19–50.

A fantastic performance from the Wild Cranes to start the season, with plenty of tries, some brilliant individual efforts and a strong team effort to secure the win!

A huge thank you to Littlehampton for hosting us. We look forward to seeing you again in the new year!

Four official Wild Cranes debuts!

A massive well done to Esther, Eve, Lou and Phoebe, who all made their official Wild Cranes debuts.

To join our team please email: [email protected]