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A squad of 17 Ivel Barbarians Ladies travelled a long way to Barnstaple for their first fixture on Sunday against Bideford Ladies.  Physically smaller than the opposition there were some understandable pre-match nerves but nevertheless the ladies approached the game with enthusiastic anticipation. 

On a big pitch, Ivel’s game plan to run the larger Bideford players around started to bear dividends and by the end of the first quarter some good work in the centres created an opportunity for Holly Edmonds to sprint away for Ivel’s first try which was converted by Jo Harding. 

Unfortunately in the second quarter Bideford’s more experienced players managed to slow the game down to their pace which suited their big forwards and Ivel were forced to mix it in the tight areas but the big hits coming in from the Ivel forwards, in particular Heidi Silcox, which kept Ivel in the game.  This one-out style of rugby began to pay off for Bideford who scored three unconverted tries to lead 15-7 despite some fantastic defending from the Ivel ladies.

Being forced to play 13 a side due to the lack of Bideford players meant that some Ivel players were playing out of position, including the debutant Nichola Charvis who, despite being keen to play in the back row like her illustrious brother Colin, ended up on the wing.  However the hard work put in training throughout the summer by the ladies paid off.  Some good driving play by the forwards and some quick handling found Captain Alice Edmonds in some space out on the right.  Drawing her defender in she then passed the ball out to Charvis who ran straight and then offloaded back to Edmonds, who in turn made ground and then passed the ball back to Charvis who then sprinted for the line scoring her first ever try.  Alice Harding, taking on the kicking duties, struck the ball beautifully in very windy conditions to see the ball sail over the posts to bring the score to 15-14. 

For the remainder of the game the play was all in Bideford’s half with Ivel carrying the ball well and the Ivel scrum half, Abi Lyndon, controlling the game fantastically from the base and dominating defensively around the contact area.  Ivel’s all round support play and offload game had been good all afternoon and in the last minute some great work in keeping the ball alive saw the ball move towards the left wing where Holly Edmonds needed no hesitation to take the slightest of opportunities to sneak over to score her second of the afternoon. 

The final score of 15-19 to Ivel Barbarians was a fitting reflection of a good game played in a great spirit. 

The travelling support and management picked out Abi Lyndon and Heidi Silcox as the back and forward of the match respectively, both being influential throughout the game in attack and defence.
 
 
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There was a great deal of nervous anticipation from the Ivel Barbarians Ladies team, who would be playing their first home game for several seasons but for the first time alongside the men's 1st and 2nd teams. 

The visitors, Westbury Ladies, arrived with several supporters which added to a great atmosphere at the showground, where a sizeable crowd had come to watch the ladies in action. 

The Ivel ladies intent was clear from first possession, using their good handling and pacy backs to move the ball wide quickly and within the opening couple of minutes Holly Edmonds sprinted in to score under the posts, converted by Alice Harding. 

This set the tone for the rest of the first half, with the Ivel forwards securing a good platform for scrum half Abi Lyndon to release the backs at every available opportunity.  Up front the Ivel forwards dominated their larger opponents, No8 Nicky Ball carying the ball up well, supported by a rampaging pack who kept the tempo high clearly tiring the Westbury players. 

The tries started to flow with Holly Edmonds adding another and Claire "Squeak" Phillips crossing the line twice, all converted by Alice Harding.  A typical scrum half opportunist try saw Abi Lyndon close the scoring for the first half with the Ivel Ladies having a commanding 33-0 lead at the turn round. 

With several replacements available, the Ivel Ladies introduced several pairs of fresh legs in the second half which ensured the tempo remained high and the quality of the performance remained consistent.  The new combinations worked well and the work rate and work ethic displayed was outstanding ensuring that the Ivel organisation in attack and defence was sound and absorbed any pressure that the Westbury Ladies exerted. 

The message from the coaches at half time had been "more of the same" and the ladies delivered with more tries, Abi Lyndon scoring her second and Holly Edmonds and Claire Phillips both scoring their third. 

Pam Williams, Ellie Sutherland and Bonnie Hunt also added tries with Jo Harding adding a conversion to make the final score 65-0 which was a true reflection of the dominance of the Ivel ladies throughout the game. 

Westbury, who included several players new to the game, were to be commended for never giving up but had met a side determined to put in a whole team performance for the full 80 minutes.  Captain Alice Edmonds can be justifiably proud of her team who have worked hard all summer to improve their rugby skills, decision making and game understanding.  Today was just reward for all that hard work.
 
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Ivel Ladies travelled away for the return match against Westbury.

Fielding a strong team Ivel received the kick off which was put very deep into the Ivel territory helped by the strong wind. This meant that Ivel had to use strong forward play to make ground and move into the Westbury territory, Clare Sandford made good ground for Ivel and so the ball was moved wide only to be passed back to forward hands resulting in 2nd row Vicky Massey scoring the first try.

Ivel seemed to have then found their game and were not sucked into the forward play which the Westbury players preferred. Playing a wide game with quick hands to the wing gave Holly Edmonds a chance to score the second try just minutes after the first. Which was successfully converted by Alice Harding.

Having found the weakness in the Westbury defense Ivel quickly scored a further 2 trys both ran in by Holly Edmonds and converted by Alice Harding. Again receiving the ball deep into their territory Ivel found that Westbury were able to take advantage of this and managed to push the ball into touch for a Westbury Line out. The ball was kept by Westbury and passed out towards the wing, where a penalty was conceded by Ivel in kicking distance of the posts. Westbury chose to go for the points but missed and the ball was caught by Captain Alice Edmonds who ran it in from the Ivel 22 for her first of 2 trys of the match.

Changes at half time meant fresh legs on the wing, as Shone Barns came on who took a pass from Emma Jones after making a strong run down the right side of the pitch. The pass resulted in Shona Barns scoring the first of her 2 trys.

Ivel's tackling seemed to let them down in the second half which gave the Westbury centre a chance to make some ground and move up the pitch. A further missed tackle on the wing meant that Ivel found themselves defending their try line. A penalty gave Westbury the abilty to set up a maul and drive over the line for their first try of the season.

But Ivel had an answer for this, further trys from Heidi Silcox, Shona Barns and Holly Edmonds who scored 6 in total on the day with conversions from Alice Harding and Jo Harding meant that Ivel finished the match 78-5.

Ivel Ladies train every Thursday night and welcome all levels.
 
 
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It had been several weeks since the Ivel Ladies had played a competitive match and it showed in the uncharacteristic nervousness during the pre match warm up and the opening encounters.

The opposition, Old Redcliffians, were a big and powerful side whose ability to slow the game down to their pace frustrated the Ivel ladies and their normal free-flowing off load game. This resulted in Ivel being drawn into playing a game that they were not familiar. The main weapon for Old Reds was the old fashioned pick and drive and fortunately the Ivel defence was resolute with some good tackling preventing Old Reds getting any real momentum.

The possession and territority statistics for the first half would have showed an equal split between the two sides and it was no surprise that at the half way point the game was scoreless. The Ivel coaches emphasised that the Ladies needed to play their own game and not get sucked into playing how the opposition wanted them to and asked for focus on accuracy and precision.

With these instructions on board the ladies upped the tempo of the game and when the space opened up and the offload game worked, Old Reds found it hard to contain the Ivel Ladies. During an excellent passage of play where some fantastic support play and quick ball was produced, Alice Edmonds found the gap and sprinted under the posts to score the Ivel Ladies first try of the game, duly converted by Alice Harding.

Despite occasionally being sucked back into Old Reds game, Ivel tried to keep the ball alive but still lacked accuracy under pressure resulting in several knock ons. Ivel had dominated the scrum, which was particularly impressive against a larger pack, but due to an Old Reds injury the scrums went unconstested which suited them as they were able to guarantee ball for the No8 to pick every time with no pressure. However tired bodies on both sides guaranteed that there were gaps and Alice Edmonds once again exploited one to go under the posts again.

Old Reds however, were not down and out and quickly crossed the line for one of their own tries after a sustained period of pressure in the Ivel 22. With a large bench, Ivel rotated several players to ensure everyone got some game time and Flic Keirle, returning to rugby after several years, made a dream start by sprinting for the line to score on her return which was converted by Alice Harding.

To their credit Old Reds maintained the pressure that their forwards had created all afternoon and, having only 15 players all afternoon, showed a little bit more consistency in the final quarter than the ever-changing Ivel line up resulting in a further two tries. The final score of 19-17 was a true reflection of a hard but enjoyable game.
 
 
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The Ivel Barbarians Ladies welcomed their opponents Gordano to the Show Ground and were looking forward to a more competitive game than their last outing.  However the difference in skill and fitness was evident very early on with Jo Harding crossing for the first try within 5 minutes. 

Ivel's handling and running lines were excellent and the hard work and effort they had put into training paid off handsomely with the score at half time being 45-0 to Ivel. 

The second half followed a similar pattern but the flow of Ivel's play was interrupted due to them conceding several penalties and getting on the wrong side of the referee.  However Ivel's superior all round performance from every member of the squad saw them run out comfortable winners with a final score of 83-7. 

Try scorers - Jo Harding, Holly Edmonds (2), Alice Edmonds (2), Louise Churchouse, Claire Phillips (2), Katy Muller (4), Nicky Ball.  Conversions - Alice Harding (8), Katy Muller (1).
 
 
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On a glorious Sunday the Ivel Ladies made the trip up the M5 to play the return fixture against Gordano Ladies. 

The home fixture had been Ivel's last home game some 4 weeks ago and in the opening quarter the ladies were uncharacteristically out of sorts, allowing Gordano to dictate the pace and direction of the game.  However whenever Ivel got some momentum they still looked competent and keen to move the ball which within 5 minutes resulted in the ball moving wide to the wing and Shona Barnes sprinting in for Ivel's first score. 

Whilst Ivel were keen to keep the game flowing, the frequent knock-ons and forward passes from both sides resulted in scrum after scrum all of which seemed to take an age as the Referee painstakingly explained what he wanted from each set piece.  This stop-start aspect of the game did not suit the Ivel ladies who were keen to run their opponents around and frustration with the Referee, the opposition and each other clearly affected the Ivel performance and a lapse in defensive concentration allowed Gordano in for a try. 

At half time the score of 5-5 reflected a frustrating 40 minutes and Captain Alice Edmonds read the riot act and insisted that the Ivel team concentrate on getting the basics right and upping their performance levels.  The second half started off and immediately there was more determination from the Ivel ladies who displayed some great skills and began to move the ball well. 

To Gordano's credit they frustrated the Ivel attack with some good defence but the constant recycling of the ball by Ivel was beginning to take it's toll on the opposition on a warm day.  The Ivel attack continued to probe and look for gaps and some excellent interplay and support play saw Claire Phillips run in the second try for Ivel. 

As the Gordano team tired their defence was less effective and a couple of high tackles saw one of their players receive a yellow card from the Referee, who displayed good consistency having sin binned one of the Ivel players earlier. 

Another yellow card followed shortly for Gordano and with only 13 players on the field, gaps started to appear that Ivel began to exploit with Flic Keirle sprinting in for a try under the posts converted by Heidi Silcox. 

This score seemed to deflate the Gordano ladies and almost immediately from the restart another flowing attack from Ivel saw Heidi Silcox run another try in under the posts which she duly converted. 

This was then repeated from the kick off with Silcox unstoppable with ball in hand.  The final score of 31-5 to Ivel Barbarians Ladies reflected the increased effort that the ladies put into the second half and some significant improvement from their Gordano opponents. 

Try scorers, Shona Barnes, Claire Phillips, Flic Keirle and Heidi Silcox (2). Conversions, Heidi Silcox (3).