Preseason success

To get the season underway Fleetwood Hoppers played Ormskirk in a friendly.

Ormskirk were struggling for players and fielded a combined side featuring several Lancashire players. It would prove to be a good standard for Floppers to see if their preseason training had paid off. The game started well with same strong scrummaging from the Floppers pack. After some driving forward play the ball was whipped out to the backs and with some good hands, Julia Clapp ran over to score the first paints of the game. Mel Box converted, Ormskirk came back strongly and a series of missed tackles allowed them back in the game and levelled the score. A fantastic rolling maul took the forwards for Floppers over the try line only to have it ruled as a no try by the referee. A determined scram five metres out sucked in the Ormskirk defence and Clopp nipped over for her second The half time score stood at 12- 7 to Floppers.

The second half began slowly with errors leading to a series of scrums. It was from a Fleetwood scrum that a well worked set play led to a moment for brilliance from Lindsey Boardman when her excellent lines of running cut the Ormskirk defence in half. Mel Box converted the kick. Ormskirk did not give up and their determination paid off when a high kick was taken well and the fast legs of their winger ran in their second try. Floppers continued to show their dominance and only fine tackles from Ormskirk kept the scores down, but when Clapp saw a gap she went for it and completed her hat trick. The final score was 24-14 to Floppers.