WELINGTON RFC Vixens travelled to Trowbridge Ladies on Sunday for their NC3 Central league game against a side sitting two places above them in the league - and came away with a splendid 29-10 victory.

The weather conditions at Trowbridge were abysmal with high winds and driving horizontal rain making any form of open expansive rugby a challenge.

The Vixens lost the toss and found themselves playing into the wind. From the kick off the big Trowbridge forwards applied a lot of pressure in the Vixens twenty, with numerous sustained attacks being halted only meters from the Vixens’ try line.

After defending hard for the first 15 minutes the Vixens started putting their own phases of play together, seeing Helen Perry, Rebecca Watts, Taylor Weatherall, Jasmine Greenway, Jo Marley, Hayley Studley and Lara Grabham-White all making driving runs with great support play at the ensuing rucks.

It was from one sustained period of Vixens’ attacking play that the ball was worked out wide 30 metres out from the Trowbridge try line, seeing outside centre Lisa Jenkins break the Trowbridge defensive line to race in wide to score the Vixens first try. The extras were missed.

Play resumed with the Vixens on the attack before Trowbridge were awarded a penalty and with the wind behind them a fine kick found Trowbridge deep in Wellingtons half.

From the line out a number of Trowbridge pick and goes were halted before their No 8 was deemed to have grounded the ball and the try was awarded. The extras were missed.The half time whistle went with the score Trowbridge 5, The Vixens 5.

The second half kicked off with the wind at the Vixens’ backs and they started to put some great phases of play together, seeing a miss move from scrum half Natalie Anderson feed the ball to full back Violet Coppin who entered the line at speed, exploiting a defensive lapse to race in under the posts to score the Vixens second. The two extra points were kicked by winger Maxime Pontin.

The Vixens continued where they left off moving the big Trowbridge pack around the field before launching their back line; this saw winger Steph Stanyard receive the ball and weave through the defence to touch down wide out for the Vixens third. The extras were missed.

The Vixens tails were up and in the appalling weather conditions produced some great rugby before full back Violet Coppin bulldozed over wide out for her second try;, the extras were missed.

From a difficult line out close to the Vixens line the ball was gathered by the Trowbridge scrum half seeing to score their second. The extras were missed.

In the 78th minute after the Vixens forwards and backs played some superb link play full back Violet Coppin again broke the defence at pace and scored under the posts, The two extra points were added by Maxime Pontin.

At the final whistle the score stood at Trowbridge RFC ladies 10, Wellington RFC Vixens 29.

The player of the game was Violet Coppin, the forward of the game was Helen Perry and the back of the game was Steph Stanyard.

The Vixens are next in league action on Sunday, 9th March, at home to Sidmouth RFC, KO 2.30pm.

Hugh Barrett.