Hard to compete with Tracey’s awesome (long!) match report for the Bath game (do we think pregnancy and no rugby gives her too much time on her hands?!) but here goes…

OK. So. Trojans… They had a very strong pack, who managed to upset ours more than any other I would say. We were pushed off the ball in the scrums and our line out was tested to the max! Our defense was once again pushed to its limits and did well against a well organized, well drilled, confident side. We played most of the game in our own half, and the fact that we managed to keep the score down to 32 shows great strength and determination.

We only had one real try-scoring opportunity all game, which unfortunately didn’t go our way. We could have done with a little more luck all day! We were unlucky a few times. It is fair to say Mary’s did not have our best ever game but still, we kept a dominant Trojans side to 32 when they threatened more and could easily have become rampant had we let them. Sadly Trojans retained most of the territory and most of the possession. They played an aggressive, confident game and left us little or no room (or ball!) to play ours. They were always running, always probing and always on the attack!

It says a lot for our team spirit and fitness that we pinned them back after an early flourish of tries and we certainly slowed them down in the second half. Our two centres, Jo Bosch and LJ, had good games (as picked out by Father Christmas- my Dad – and who wouldn’t be cheerful with him in the sideline cheering us on?!). A few injuries left us a little the worse for wear but meant Dee got on for her first taste of the action since dislocating her shoulder.

Now the season is over I guess we’ll all be bumping into one another in physios’ surgeries up and down Bristol! All those awkward little knocks and twists can finally get treatment without the fear of being told to ‘rest’ for three weeks.

Tired but happy I think describes us on the way home. There was plenty of cider (or wine!) finding its way down our throats and lubricating the old vocal cords, so out came the St. Mary’s choir! Debbie’s beautiful baby girl Elsie accompanied us back on the coach and was not at all bothered by the rowdy singing – I’m sure I even heard her join in at one point. I think it was ‘Hey Big Spender’ – keep an eye on that little one Deb!

Written by Bridget Sanger