Match Report: Loughborough Lightning 15-19 Exeter Chiefs

Loughborough Lightning agonisingly missed out on a memorable home victory as Exeter Chiefs landed a match-winning try in the game’s final play.

A nerve-jangling encounter was level at the hour mark with Alev Kelter and Alex Tessier tries cancelling themselves out in the first period.

Lightning pulled ahead twice in the second period with Krissy Scurfield crossing the line and Emily Scarratt adding a late penalty – but Chiefs came out on top with two maul tries through Mikiela Nelson and a decisive one in stoppage time from Emily Tuttosi.

FIRST HALF

Early pressure was applied by Chiefs as a fumbled kick-off was compounded by a scrum penalty concession, which was punted to the corner. However, Lightning held firm and bared their teeth to force an error which allowed the lines to be cleared.

After weathering an early storm, it was the hosts who came back into the game with a strong spell only for their two forays into the 22 to end with a turnover and a penalty concession.

At the game’s quarter-way point, the first score arrived as Rachel Johnson stomped up field and Exeter rallied behind her. After some initial strong resistance, it was Tessier that managed to spin her way over and ground before adding a successful conversion.

The response swift with two Red Roses at the heart of it. Sadia Kabeya’s blistering break took play from half way to up near the 22. Scarratt then put the ball wide with delicate kick that Bulou Mataitoga gathered and brought infield. After some swift recycling into a central position, it was Kelter who took matters into her own hands to finish under the posts for her sixth try in eight games. Helena Rowland’s conversion levelled proceedings.

Exeter twice had strong field position inside the 22 but again came up against a fierce resistance and almost threatened a sucker-punch on the counter-attack when Rowland broke free only for the pass to Scurfield for a likely run-in to not connect cleanly as the sides went in at the break all square.

SECOND HALF

The cagey nature of the match rumbled over to the second period as Exeter once more were the aggressors as Katie Buchanan’s break was well thwarted by Mataitoga and Scurfield was also alert to snuffle out another break.

Approaching the final third of the encounter, head coach Nathan Smith made four changes at one as Carmela Morrall, Kathryn Treder, Christine Belisle and Meg Davey entered proceedings.

Momentum swung back Lightning’s way and it was Scarratt – on the occasion of her 50th appearance – who rolled back the years with a sublime break through the middle. Upon the recycle, the same player dusted herself down and delivered a perfect crossfield kick that Kelter pulled in before feeding Scurfield to dive over in the left corner.

The missed conversion capped the lead to five and then a further boost came Lightning’s way when Taylor Perry saw red with ten minutes remaining.

Undeterred by losing a player, Exeter swarmed and from a rolling maul, Nelson span off to ground and Tessier’s conversion opened a two-point lead.

The script writers seemed to have landed on the perfect narrative as Lightning’s all-time leading point scorer Scarratt dusted off her kicking boots and slotted a perfect penalty to move ahead by the slenderest of margins with a handful of minutes remaining.

Despite some incredible moments of defiance, including Abby Duguid’s memorable lineout steal, Exeter kept knocking on the door and from one final penalty punted to touch, Tuttosi crossed beneath a giant mass of bodies to land the later killer blow.

Lightning have a six-day turnaround before making the short journey to Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday 25 January (kick-off: 12.45pm) when they. take in East Midlands rivals, Leicester Tigers. 

LINE-UPS

LIGHTNING: 15 Goldthorp, 14 Mataitoga, 13 Scarratt, 12 Kelter, 11 Scurfield, 10 Rowland, 9 Brebner-Holden; 1 Young, 2 Martin, 3 Keates, 4 Holtkamp, 5 Taufoou, 6 Malcolm (cc) 7 Kabeya, 8 Hibbert-Jones (cc).
Replacements: 16 Treder, 17 Williams, 18 Belisle, 19 Duguid, 20 Waudby, 21 Davey 22 Green, 23 Morrall.

CHIEFS: 15 Cramer, 14 MacDonald, 13 McGillivray, 12 Tessier, 11 Buchanan, 10 Perry, 9 Robinson; 1 Rogers, 2 Moloney, 3 Menin, 4 Leitch (c), 5 van der Velden, 6 Wall, 7 Allen, 8 Johnson.
Replacements: 16 Tuttosi, 17 Nelson, 18 Jacoby, 19 Orchard, 20 McMahon, 21 Nye, 22 Doidge, 23 Tasker.