Captain Ashley Clark has hailed the “warrior spirit” that her Annan squad showed in both their semi-final and then the weekend’s final to secure the women’s National Plate.
On Silver Saturday at Hive Stadium the West Two team, who are known as the Annan Warriors, defeated North Three side Garioch second team to lift the silverware.
However, their performance against Lenzie on April 6 in the semi-final was just as important to make sure that they would be celebrating at the end of this campaign.
“It was an amazing day on Saturday, just incredible,” said back-row Clark.
“We were just ecstatic to make it to the final to be honest because our semi-final was so tight.
“In that one we drew 17-17 at Lenzie and then it went to extra-time, 10 minutes each way.
“In extra-time it was back and forth until Niamh Ross scored a try right at the death for us. That made it 31-30 to Lenzie and then Mally [McGeoch] held her nerve to kick the conversion and we came through it 32-31.
“Once we regained composure and got over that win, we were focused by the time we got to the final, but credit to Garioch they really took the game to us and it was 17-17 just after half-time.
“The girls did not panic though and, in the last half hour or so, kept playing with heart and soul and played with the warrior spirit that we pride ourselves on.
“Women’s and girls rugby has been an important part of things at nan for many years now and there were lots of our younger players and their families at the Hive watching us so thank you to them for their amazing support and hopefully it inspired them to want to play in matches like this themselves in the future.
“It means so much to the whole club to win a final because the women’s team have tried for many years to get this far, but never quite managed it until now.”
In terms of the game, a try by stand-off Nicole Jancey gave Annan the lead and then No.8 Isla Sanderson’s five-pointer levelled things up.
Garioch took heart from that and went 12-5 up when stand-off Alana Davidson bagged try converted by loosehead prop Stephanie Campbell.
Annan would lead at the break though when tries from No.8 Kayleigh Warrick and winger Kirsty Barlow, plus a conversion from centre Malvina McGeoch gave them a 17-12 advantage.
A try by Garioch replacement Emily Forgie levelled things up at 17-17 after 44 minutes before quickfire tries from scrum-half Niamh Ross and McGeoch, with the former being converted by McGeoch too, made it 29-17 to Annan.
Isla Sanderson, playing with her twin sister Freya in the back-row, got her second try, converted by Campbell to haul it back to 29-24.
Annan were not to be caught though as Barlow got her second try and then full-back Jane Haren scored to seal things.
Nicole Jancey was named Player of the Match.
Highlights are available here.
Remember that Dalkeith won the Bowl, Wigtownshire won the Shield and Watsonians won the Sarah Beaney Cup.
The Guinness Women’s Six Nations runs from March 22 to April 26 and, next up at home, Scotland are at Hive Stadium in round five versus Ireland on the final day – get tickets here.
Annan are pictured celebrating – thanks to Scottish Rugby
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