Williams Injury takes the gloss off a great weekend for Warriors.

What was a fantastic weekend for Welwyn Warriors had the gloss rather taken off it with a bad injury to their Talent Development Group Player, Megan Williams. Williams broke her leg 5 minutes into Sunday’s match and will be out for 6 weeks.

On Saturday though, it had all started so well! 5 Warriors, Hannah Marques, Frankie Dawson, Ema Burgess, Alex Robertson and Megan all played in a scratch Hertfordshire 7s team, in a 4 county tournament at Old Albanians prior to the Womens 6 nation curtain raiser. The Warriors girls helped Herts to top the table and play an exciting final against Surrey, as the curtain raiser to the international match. Williams and her fellow Warriors played a key part in Herts finishing the day with the best points ratio and unbeaten.

On Sunday the news got better as Warriors formally welcomed new recruit from Saracens, Alex Robertson to Hobbs Way, aware that the The Local Network Fund has just awarded the Warriors £1,300 for new training equipment. Robertson also received a late call up to East region.

Sunday’s match was always going to be a tough encounter against Basildon/Rochford. On they day they turned up with Uttlesford players as well, making their team practically the Essex County team. A fumble from the kick off by Springbok, Frankie Dawson, gave the visitors great field position and for 5 minutes Warriors were under huge pressure. Collecting the ball and racing clear, Williams was taking the ball away from the Warriors 10m when she broke her leg. The match was halted for medical treatment and Skipper Lana Block rallied her troops and what a rally!

Despite fielding numerous East of England players. Essex began to crumble under the onslaught that overcame them! Every single one of the Warriors played like 2 people. Dawson more than made up for her sluggish start. Roberston, Geri Thomas, Dawson and Charisse Fallon tore through the Essex girls at will. No quarter was given in a hard fought but fair match. Midway through the second half, an Essex player left the field with a suspected broken arm and still both sets of forwards piled on the pressure. Warriors Ema Burgess making one storming run through 5 tackles. Tries for Dawson, Thomas, Marques, Casey Shults & Robertson made the score 39-0 with 5 minutes to go. At scrum half Shults had her best game as a Warrior. Essex scored a late try but that was swiftly cancelled out as Hannah Gallagher roared over to make the final score 46-5 to Warriors.

Coach Luke Williams had mixed emotions. Worried about his sister he also knew that he has created a true team! ‘Megan is of course one of stars but what a response from the others. What an all round great team performance he said. They have never played better than that! The National Cup is the end of March and we hope Megs will back for that but even if she’s not, we’ll fear no-one, brilliant, just brilliant, we made Frankie man of the match but who would get it was the toughest call of the day!’

Warriors celebrating at the end of a fine performance