Leicester Tigers Women’s scored 15 tries in a 87-0 victory over Harrogate Ladies at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday afternoon to continue their unbeaten run in the Women’s Championship North league.
Four tries from Zoe Evans was only topped on the scoring tally by fellow back Katie Childs who crossed for a hat-trick of her own and kicked five conversions to finish with 27 points.
More than 1,500 fans watched the women’s squad make it seven wins from seven games in their debut league season in the side’s third outing at the historic home of Leicester Tigers.
After almost crossing on two occasions in as many minutes, Childs crossed for her first on the end of quick hands to the right from the Leicester ladies.
Molly Draycott scored the second, just shy of the tenth minute, after a dominant defensive scrum placed the visitors under pressure deep inside their own half and were forced to touch the ball down in their own in-goal for a 5m scrum to Tigers.
From the back of the scrum, No8 Kat Turner broke to the right before popping a pass to Amy Relf who found the full-back on the fly in space to dive over.
Two tries in two minutes, to Evans and then Childs for her second, saw Tigers lead 24-0 after only 15 minutes.
Rebecca Church was the next to add her name to the scoresheet with a try on the 20th minute on the back of a patient build-up from the Tigers pack, with fellow front-rower Sam Williams sending a bullet pass to her prop to crash on to and touch the ball down.
The game tightened up in the second quarter before Leicester added a sixth with the final play of the first-half when Evans scored her second, to lead 36-0 at the break, set up by a penalty against the head at the head from her forward pack established the attacking opportunity.
It took just two minutes for Evans to make a hat-trick, running it in from 40m after replacement wing Lucrezia Iavarone inserted herself in to a well worked backline move from the set-piece to send her fellow outside-back away down the touchline.
Childs then matched her team-mate with a hat-trick, just two minutes later, before Evans took back the try-scoring lead with the fourth and her final try as the game entered the final half hour.
Replacement lock Ella-Mae Fereday scored from close range on the hour mark to extend the lead to 60 points in 60 minutes.
Second-rower Georgia Westwood was at her rampaging best one off the ruck for the Tigers Women’s twelfth in the 66th minute before fellow forward Williams scored her first with ten minutes remaining.
Harriet Roberts, who came off the bench in the second-half, scored the penultimate try with five minutes remaining before fellow sub Becky Noon finished the scoring with only 90 seconds left on the clock to secure the 87-0 win.
Commentary
Full-Time
Another home win, another clean sheet and another big scoreline as Tigers win 87-0.
Half-Time
Big lead at the break as Tigers lead by 36-0.
Kick-Off
We're underway here at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.