Keswick Falcons 22 Blaydon Red Kites 17

Keswick Falcons played their second match against Blaydon Red Kites on Sunday, many of them having spent the weekend in Edinburgh where they had watched England’s Red Roses overcome Scotland on Saturday. Falcons kicked off and at the first scrum the signs were ominous as they were pushed off the ball on their own put in. However, a couple of penalties soon got Falcons to 5 metres from the visitors’ try line though they were unable to cross it.

Falcons kept the pressure up and a line out steal on 15 minutes just outside the Kites’ 22 was passed along the line to Stacey Faunch who scored the game’s first try, which went unconverted. Kites knocked on at the kick off under their posts and good passing and running kept Keswick in the opposition 22, though they had to get a quick heel in the scrums where they were coming off second best.

A strip in the tackle on 30 minutes gave possession to Falcons who ran the ball right to Lilly Hodgson who outpaced the defence on the right and ran round to touch down under the posts, 10-0. An excellent catch at the restart by Cheska Horsburgh was run upfield before the ball was passed to Lilly Hodgson who ran through to score her second try on 34 minutes, this time converting her own try, 17-0, where it remained until half time.

Kites kicked off the second half and Falcons ran the ball back, protecting it well and getting back into the opposition half for a line out to the visitors. Kites won the line out and ran the ball but were dispossessed in the tackle. Lilly Hodgson was passed the ball and ran through for her hat trick try, the conversion going wide, 22-0.

Kites seemed to wake up after this and despite excellent crisp passing by Falcons, won some penalties that pushed the home side back as they tapped and ran, with additional benefit as Falcons were deemed to be too slow in retreating. A line out penalty 15 metres out kept Kites in the Falcons’ 22 and further penalties were tapped and run, eventually the visitors’ forwards able to cross the line on 55 minutes for 22-5.

This second half was spent mostly in the Falcons’ half of the field where, having shown their attacking abilities in the first half, they now had to show they could defend as well. Slick handling and passing well out of the tackle gave Kites an advantage and from a scrum 10 metres out they ran the ball right to score in the corner; 73 minutes gone and 22-10 as the conversion missed. From the restart Kites ran the ball back, where with penalty advantage they were able score their third try, and convert it, to be only 5 points behind as the clock ran down.

Seemingly galvanised, Falcons upped their game and attacked into the Kites’ half, forcing a knock forward in the tackle to regain possession and attack on the left. A 30 metre run from the back of a retreating scrum took play into the visitors’ 22 where a final penalty allowed Falcons to tap and kick to touch to end the game. This was another excellent performance by a well supported team and reversed the result of the game at Blaydon a couple of weeks previously.