Harrogate Ladies go top after resounding 53-0 win

Harrogate applied great pressure immediately from kick off, displaying powerful runs from the forwards. It was the pack who ensured the ball made it to the half way line before the backs took over.

The backs began to get involved and with a show of excellent hands across the back, before Captain Rose Jay is in under the posts and Lauren Bolger converts.

A shocked Harrogate were 7-0 up 4 minutes in.

Next up was a break from Bolger. The winger passed out wide to prop, Amber Barnicoat. Number 8 Rianna Manson, then finished it off on the wing. With the conversion just short, it was 12-0 to Harrogate.

Within the following 5 minutes the home side had made progress back into the opposition half. Jay executed the perfect cross field kick and Manson was underneath it to touch down, scoring her second successive try.

Bolger kicked over the extras and Harrogate were 19 points up within half an hour, against the Championship North leaders.

The forwards put in a shift when play resumed with Maisie Barnett making a break before allowing the ball to make its way out wide where Alex Wallace was waiting.

With a near to perfect record, Bolger added the extra 2 once again to increase the lead. It was soon her time to cross the line. She was passed the ball out wide before out rightly outpacing the opposition defence to score.

At half-time it was 31-0 to the home outfit.

When play resumed, Lichfield upped their game, giving Harrogate a harder time in their attack.

Unable to see a way through the line herself, Wallace placed a perfect grubber kick and stepped on the gas to reach the end of it. With a bit of help from winger Emily Rushton Wallace placed some more points on the board.

Bolger defied 4 defenders and went over the line again after a quick penalty by scrum half, Freya Wilde.

Manson made her hattrick shortly after.

Though it was Charlotte Warriner who made the last try of the match after she powered through the defence and reached over the line.

The final score was 53-0 to Harrogate as they snatched the top spot in the league table away from Lichfield.

Player of the match performances were awarded to Rose Jay, Rianna Manson and Lauren Bolger.

With a points difference of 127 and a perfect 10 points in the league table Harrogate are the only team in the Championship (North and South) to be in such a position.

The ladies now have a week off before facing Sheffield away on Sunday 29th September.