Late surge not enough as North Bristol triumph

HENLEY Hawks Women went down to defeat in a physical clash at North Bristol Women on Sunday in Championship South.

Both sides brought intensity and aggression early on, but handling errors and missed tackles from Henley allowed North Bristol to capitalise, scoring two early tries to take control of the match.

Despite this, Henley showed dominance at the scrum, consistently holding firm and at times pushing North Bristol back, laying a strong platform up front. However, North Bristol struck again to extend the lead to 17-0.

The first half was further disrupted for Henley when Sinead Skillin suffered a leg injury and was forced to leave the field, with Lena Nikola Wagner stepping in.

North Bristol took advantage of their momentum and crossed once more just before the half-time whistle, sending the teams into the break at
24-0.

Henley emerged with renewed energy and determination in the second half as Jaye Ash made an immediate impact off the bench, helping lift the tempo and physicality.

Defensively, Henley showed grit, holding North Bristol up over the line and producing a fine try-saving tackle from Hermine Titcombe, who forced the attacker into touch. Despite this resistance, North Bristol eventually managed to break through again, pushing the score to 31-0.

Henley’s attacking play began to click with moments of flair on show. Strong link play between Daniker Willmore and Nina Poletti repeatedly broke the gain line, putting North Bristol under pressure. That pressure was finally rewarded when Titcombe powered over for Henley’s first try, which was converted by Unaisi Bulivuata.

Momentum swung quickly, and Henley struck again soon after, with Sivoidaveta Adiqalo crossing the line and Bulivuata adding the extras to make it
31-14. A late try from North Bristol rounded off the scoring.