St. Louis Bombers Inaugural Match

Women’s Inaugural Match, 87-0

Saturday, March 04, 2006


In what was a historical day for the St. Louis Bomber Rugby Football Club, the inaugural Bomber women’s side took the pitch for their first match ever… and what a match it was as the Bombers notched their first win 87-0.

Some early opportunities by the Bombers went unrewarded, but it still only took 5 minutes for Eagle fullback Liz Reed to score the first ever try by a Bomber lady with a patented sprint around several KU defenders to dot down in the corner. Fellow Eagle flyhalf Mari Therrien quickly scored two minutes later following up on some of her own well placed tactical kicking. Therrien and Reed would combine for 7 tries and a number of poster tackles in only 45 minutes of play.

The Bomber scoring was continued by two consecutive tries by Team Alberta representative Robyn Keating as she followed up some nice handling by the backline to break a couple of tackles and side-step several other would be defenders to dot down. Keating would notch 3 tries of her own on the day showing tremendous promise both in attack and defense. Tries by Liz Reed, Lindsay Wieczorek and Liz Reed again rounded out the first half scoring, both following up some nice handling by Ann Marie Russell and Katie Giljum for a halftime score of 39-0.

Tries by Therrien, Reed and Therrien again opened the second half scoring as the two Eagles stepped off the pitch to make way for other promising newcomers. Western Sevens representative Ann Marie Russell notched the next Bomber try as she darted past several would be defenders following tackle breaking run by No. 8 Dre West. Western Territorial representative Michelle Stephen who led the Bomber forwards around rucks all day was rewarded with a try, taking a quick tap penalty and going the distance herself. Rugby newcomer Erin Herwig was the next Bomber scorer as she picked and jammed from the base of ruck and went 5 meters carrying no fewer than 3 defenders into the tryzone with her to notch her first 5 pointer. Ann Marie Russell and Robyn Keating finished the Bomber scoring with two long distance scores showing their tremendous pace on each.

The Bomber forwards were strong around the rucks and gained strength as the match went on. Michelle Stephen, Beth Mulligan and Dre West poached numerous balls and were at nearly every breakdown. Sheri Borders, Diana Rau, Ann MacDonald and Allison Whitaker had high tackle counts and applied the pressure that led to numerous turnovers by their opposite numbers. Erin Clark made her presence known at the lineouts and scrums in her rugby debut, putting Kate Giljum into the stratosphere in the lineouts. Team Canada U-19 representative Michelle Bella in her debut at scrumhalf displayed her speed and knowledege of the game as she provided not only good service but kept the KU defenders retreating with numerous line breaking darts from the base of the ruck. The Bomber backline boasts a bit of experience and lethal pace which bodes well for the future as they begin to gel. Promising upstart wing Josie Beckman and prop Sheri Borders added several conversions. Marissa Rhea-Mann and Allison Cook also played well in their run-ons.

Credit to the KU Women who never stopped playing with heart, a reflection of their coach, classy KC Jazz player Sonia Rios. Special thanks to Todd Philips of East Central College for hosting the match as part of an International Day for college.

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