Gloucestershire Women run riot in dominant victory over Somerset
Gloucestershire Women delivered a clinical attacking display to overpower Somerset Women 85-7 in a fast-paced contest that saw complete domination from the opening exchanges.
Report by Becca Hall
Despite early pressure from Gloucestershire straight from kick-off, Somerset initially held firm, benefitting from an offside penalty before building momentum through a strong scrum and promising lineout work. Their set-piece looked organised in the opening minutes, although Gloucestershire’s defensive line repeatedly forced them backwards with their powerful tackling and structure.
The pressure soon began to tell. After Gloucestershire were warned by the referee for conceding three penalties in succession, Somerset opted for another scrum, but momentum quickly swung the other way as Somerset collapsed twice under pressure, handling Gloucestershire territory and possession.
From a lineout close to their try line, Gloucestershire struck first. A driving maul carried them within touching distance before prop Olivia Bromiley powered over the top for the opening try of the game, converted by Tillie Westwood after 6 minutes for a 7-0 lead.
Two minutes later, Gloucestershire extended their advantage with an excellent flowing move. Sharp passing phases created space for Ava James, who burst from just inside the Somerset half and sliced through the defence to score. The conversion drifted narrowly wide, but Gloucestershire had quickly moved into a 12-0 lead.
Somerset briefly showed resilience with a superb try-saving tackle on Gloucestershire’s dangerous winger Tink Mazoweic, but Gloucestershire’s attacking shape and handling continued to shine. After regaining possession from a Somerset lineout, centre Asinate Nabitu produced a perfectly placed floating pass over the top for Tillie Westwood to finish Gloucestershire’s third try of the afternoon. Westwood converted her own try to make it 19-0 with only 13 minutes played.
A water break followed as Somerset searched for answers against the relentless Gloucestershire attack. However, the restart brought more punishment. Gloucestershire stole possession from a Somerset scrum before Asinate Nabitu sprinted from the halfway line untouched to score beneath the posts. Another successful conversion stretched the score to 26-0 after 18 minutes.
Moments later, Gloucestershire produced one of the tries of the game. A no-look pass from replacement Mya Sami released Nabitu again, who broke clear before selflessly feeding the pass off for another converted score and a commanding 33-0 advantage.
While Gloucestershire’s rugby was not overly complicated, it was brutally effective. Their simple three-phase structure, quick recycling and intelligent passing continually exposed Somerset gaps.
To their credit, Somerset kept battling. A clever variation from the restart earned them a penalty and a scrum, from which they made solid ground through direct carries. But a lack of structure in possession again proved costly as Gloucestershire forced a turnover and countered clinically, with scrumhalf Vacalaini Kurucake diving under the posts for another converted try after 27 minutes to make it 40-0.
Tempers briefly threatened to flare with discussions involving both number eights and the referee, suggesting frustrations were beginning to show on both sides.
Somerset did produce moments of defensive quality, particularly through a crunching tackle from Charlie Taylor, who stopped another Gloucestershire break by taking both player and ball. However, Gloucestershire remained dominant at set-piece time. After earning a scrum penalty near the line, replacement Aaliyah Yussuf picked from the base and powered through multiple defenders to score shortly before the break. The conversion was missed, leaving Gloucestershire 45-0 ahead at half-time.
The second half began exactly as the first ended. Just two minutes after the restart, Gloucestershire’s Heather Aylward danced through the Somerset defense with an outstanding solo run to score under the posts. The conversion pushed the lead to 52-0.
Somerset’s work at the breakdown improved as the half progressed, and they enjoyed periods of sustained pressure. A penalty allowed them to kick to the corner, although Gloucestershire continued to defend strongly and counter effectively. Another incisive break through midfield from vice-captain Laura Thomas led to a converted try beneath the sticks and a 59-0 scoreline after 48 minutes.
Despite the heavy deficit, Somerset continued to compete. Their kicking game improved, helping them gain territory, while several defensive stands and strong carries began to put Gloucestershire under pressure. A promising attacking sequence eventually produced reward with around 19 minutes remaining, as Somerset battled to the line for Daisy Vinnicombe to score. Steffhannie Edgeworth converted to deservedly put Somerset on the scoreboard at 59-7.
Any hopes of a late resurgence were quickly extinguished as Gloucestershire immediately responded. Strong rucking reclaimed possession before Tallulah Lippiatt picked a perfect line to score another converted try. Gloucestershire continued to capitalise on Somerset handling errors, with winger Mazoweic collecting a loose ball and racing clear for yet another converted effort.
Late tries from Westwood again and another finish for Tallulah Lippiatt, following a sweeping move down the wing from Fi Hurt, capped an emphatic afternoon for Gloucestershire, who closed out an 85-7 victory.
While the scoreboard reflected Gloucestershire’s clinical finishing, Somerset continued to fight throughout and showed flashes of promise, particularly in their set-piece and second-half breakdown work. Gloucestershire, however, were ruthless in attack, combining physical dominance with slick passing and intelligent support lines to secure a comprehensive win.
