Vagabonds Rugby Club’s women’s side’s new season got off to a tough start as they were beaten 91-22 by Sale FC 1861 second XV at Ballafletcher on Saturday.

With Sale struggling to get a full team to travel, the match was reduced to 10-a-side before kick off under the RFU’s ‘Game On’ principals and this seemed to suit the Greater Manchester side better as they made the early running in the Women’s NC North (South) tie.

Despite this, it was Vagas who scored first.

Sale fumbled as they pushed towards the Vagas’ 22. Lauren Ellison thumped the ball downfield and Vagas’ flier Freya Crowe set off in chase.

With some delicate footwork, she dribbled into the Sale in-goal area and dotted down for a 5-0 lead.

The lead lasted until the ninth minute. With a penalty advantage Sale’s Lauren Jenkins made some hard yards and offloaded to Leila Watkins who finished.

Kath Bodey added the conversion and Sale took a lead which they never relinquished.

From the restart, Sale went in again. There was a glimmer of space on the right wing and scrum-half Izzy Turner needed no second invitation. She scorched down the touchline to score.

Two more went in as 20 minutes ticked by. Turner’s pace picked up the first and second row Katie Colton ran a great supporting line to finish off for the second. On 25 minutes Lauren Jenkins crashed over from a close-range penalty and Vagas’ 5-0 lead had suddenly become a 27-5 Sale advantage.

As the half-hour passed, Vagas suddenly had a spark of life.

Ellison boomed a punt downfield. Becky Dunne chased and managed to recover the ball. She made a few yards and Steph Wear took over with a drive for the line.

She drew a penalty from the defence and a quick-thinking Natalie Bush tapped and dived in from short range.

Three minutes later and Vagas were in again. Ellison’s boot was again the catalyst. She pumped another in behind Sale with Crowe again on the chase.

In a carbon copy of her first try, she hacked the ball forward and touched down under the posts. Skipper Sammie Macdonald added the conversion and cut the Sale lead to 27-17.

Sale didn’t let this rattle them at all and, with the final play of the first half, Jenkins tapped a close-range penalty and dived in for her second to leave Sale 32-17 ahead at the break.

The second half turned worse for Vagas.

Sale had worked out that if they retained possession and probed the wider channels there would be points and the tries poured in.

Izzy Turner ran in three as did Leila Watkins. Katie Colton bagged two to complete her hat-trick as did Jenkins, with Kath Bodey and Charlotte Thatcher also picking up tries.

Watkins also added a conversion as did Niamh Hopkins. In amongst it all Vagas did cross for their fourth try following a set-piece lineout move which saw Leona McGovern slice through the defence to score.

Vagas next game is also at home on October 4 when they face Didsbury Toc H and perhaps a better outcome.

DAVE CHRISTIAN