By Ian Lodge
For the first time in the club history, two Thanet Wanderers ladies teams took to the field on Sunday with mixed results for the teams. The 1st XV’s excellent start to the season continued with a 53-5 win away at Kent rivals Gravesend whilst the 2nd XV learned many lessons from a 53-0 defeat at Sevenoaks.
The 1st XV game started at a frantic pace with the ball flying from touchline to touchline in the space of one or two phases. However Wanderers soon settled into their pattern of play with strong carries from the forwards and smooth hands from the backs. Wanderers got their reward when Neave Evans crashed over the line.
More characteristic however was Rachel Austerberry finding space between the Gravesend centres to grab her 9th try of the season. A returning Milly Thurman-Newell was injected into the game and her impact was immediate, leaving a trail of Gravesend players in her wake on her way to the tryline. Further tries from Amy Coster and two more for Austerberry, including a superb chip and chase to complete her hat-trick, put Wanderers 36-0 up at half time.
After the break Gravesend came out fighting and grabbed a well deserved try when their no.10 collected a Thanet clearance kick and showed excellent pace around the outside to score. Wanderers heads didn’t drop and after more strong carries from Aisha Williams put Thanet on the front foot, Amy Coster used a strong fend and a clean pair of heels to score in the corner. Milly Thurman-Newell crashed over again before slick hands and unselfish play from fly half Alex White allowed Coster to go over in the corner to complete her hat-trick and the day’s scoring.
Meanwhile at Sevenoaks despite some hard effort from lots of the players, the 2nd XV came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard 53-0.
Both sides have a weekend off before travelling to Thurrock and Faversham respectively on Sunday 19th November.