Teams 
Bideford U13 girls played a hard running Exmouth on Sunday 3 October for their second game of the season. In a tough and physically challenging first half at the Imperial Recreation Ground, Bideford had to battle to get a foothold in the match. Luckily determined performances across the team enabled them to put some dents in the Exmouth defences and gain valuable game experience.
Lauren played with real maturity in only her second game, showing great leadership skills, organising the defensive line and kickoff receiver positioning. Her game awareness helped find space to attack when going forward, and she stepped up to make an impact in the scrum. Also playing in just her second game, Tilly put in a gutsy performance, building on her experience from last week’s game. She showed great perseverance and made some good breaks in spite of some very strong tackling.
With an all round performance displaying her rugby skills, versatility and grit, Thea worked hard to get Bideford on the front foot. Good kicking, solid in defence with great rucking technique, and always switched on in attack she was able to play under pressure, she even got stuck in propping in the scrum! Midway through the first half Dolly made a strong run on the left wing, breaking tackles to score. She took a knock while making some good metres on a charge at the end of first half but battled through to play the second half.
In the second half the two teams were mixed to compensate for the disparity in size and experience between Bideford and Exmouth’s older more experienced players. This new challenge was met well by all girls, organising themselves and communicating with new teammates to slot into position and contribute to the game. Tries were exchanged throughout the second half with girls from both sides linking up well, making for an action packed final 20 minutes.
A special mention for Bo from Paignton RFC, who put in some great tackles and scored a lovely try cutting in from the right wing and stepping past several defenders.
And finally, with some great scrum work and rock solid tackling Daisy worked tirelessly throughout the game. Her commitment exemplified by a string of three big tackles made in quick succession as she tracked across the field in the last minute of the game.
