Match Report: Sale Sharks 31 – 45 Loughborough Lightning

A youthful Loughborough Lightning produced a thrilling performance on the road to run home seven tries and start their 2024/25 campaign with a victory over Sale Sharks.

Head coach Nathan Smith was without upward of 20 internationals for a variety of reasons for the PWR Up Series encounter, but those that remained lit up the CorpAcq Stadium against a more experienced home line-up.

Bo Westcombe-Evans and Kendall Waudby evenly shared four tries between them in the first half with Sale landing unconverted scores through Alba Capell and Nikita Prothero.

Six tries were evenly split in the second period as Sale struck through Jasmine Hazell, Laura Perrin and Trudy Cowan but Lightning stayed ahead on the scoreboard with Evelyn Clarke, Hallie Taufoou and Bulou Mataitoga crossing the line and Lia Green adding five successful conversions.

FIRST HALF

All the early pressure was applied by the hosts who were prevented an opening score when Westcombe-Evans bundled Hollie Bawden into touch when inches from the line.

But soon after, Sale were quickest to pounce on loose possession in the 22 and Prothero glided over to the right of the posts. 

The response was immediate as Carmela Morrall’s powerful carry drew a penalty that was kicked to touch. The lineout fired and Waudby finished clinically from the back of a maul.

Sale showcased their own muscle up front when Capell drove over, with a second Lizzie Duffy conversion attempt striking the woodwork and bouncing to safety.

A frenetic opening quarter ended with the visitors in front as Westcombe-Evans showcased the speed and footwork that has put her firmly in Red Roses contention as she broke through and offloaded for the supporting Waudby to cross for her second try under the posts. Green added the extras to move her side four points ahead.

Having returned to club duties in midweek after a month spent away on Red Roses duty, Westcombe-Evans showed her instinct for the line with a sniping blindside finish before galloping home from halfway for her second to open a 14-point half-time lead.

SECOND HALF

Only a few minutes into the second period, winger Clarke arrived in centre field to collect a Morrall pass and finish from 40 metres out with Green’s third successful conversion stretching the lead to 21 points.

After a lengthy stoppage in play when Liv Ortiz was stretchered from the field of play with a shoulder injury, Cowan muscled her way over to cut the gap to two converted scores.

Lightning then lost Keevy Fitzpatrick in the sin bin and had a further player down injured when they crucially held Sale up over the line with just 13 players on the pitch.

It proved to be a costly missed opportunity as Freya MacColl, on her Lightning debut, returned a kick with interest as she embarked on a marauding run. Taufoou was in close support and after some sharp recycling work at the breakdown, the American forward finished off the flowing counter-attack.

Perrin responded to pull Sale back within 14 points. before Taufoou left another big imprint on the game. The half-time replacement collected a ball from her boots to burst through the middle and offload to her international teammate Mataitoga to cross under the posts as Green moved her contribution to ten points from the tee.

Hazell’s try, converted by Duffy, gave Sale the last points of the game, but it did little to dent the mood in the Lightning camp as they secured a big victory to boost confidence ahead of the clash with Leicester Tigers at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday 21 September – tickets are available from just £7.50 adult and £3 children by clicking HERE.

TEAMS & POINTS

SALE SHARKS: 15. Nikita Prothero, 14. Sophie Hopkins, 13. Beatrice Rigoni, 12. Laura Perrin, 11. Hollie Bawden, 10. Lizzie Duffy (cc), 9. Olivia Ortiz, 1. Catie Benson, 2. Niamh Swailes, 3. Tysh Harper, 4. Iona Antwis, 5. Molly Morrissey, 6. Trudy Cowan, 7. Alba Capell, 8. Jo Brown. 

Replacements: 16. Amelia Hyndman, 17. Alice Iwanejko, 18. Evie Roach, 19. Polly Bowman, 20. Jasmine Hazell, 21. Sofia Stefan, 22. Izzy McGuire-Evans, 23. Lauren Delany. 

Tries: Prothero, Perrin, Cowan, Capell, Hazell.
Cons: Duffy (3).

LIGHTNING: 15. Bulou Mataitoga, 14. Evelyn Clarke, 13. Ellie Tromans, 12. Carmela Morrall, 11. Bo Westcombe-Evans, 10. Lia Green, 9. Alicia Maude; 1. Amelia Williams, 2. Lucy Calladine, 3. Isla Curphey, 4. Keevy Fitzpatrick, 5. Issy Winter, 6. Becky Boyd, 7. Kendall Waudby, 8. Daisy Hibbert-Jones (c)

Replacements: 16. Katherine Baverstock, 17. Cana Williams, 18. Tiwaah Adjei-Ansere, 19. Hallie Taufoou, 20. Lucy Finch, 21. Ellie Roberts, 22. Meg Davey, 23. Freya MacColl.

Tries: Waudby (2), Westcombe-Evans (2), Clarke, Taufoou, Mataitoga
Cons: Green (5)

Referee:  Nikki O’Donnell.