Pte Courtney Pursglove (RLC) took her try scoring form from 2021/22 into the 2022/23 Allianz Cup this past weekend as Sale Sharks Women saw off Wasps Women in the Allianz Cup.
Pte Pursglove had caught the eye at both Kingsholm and Twickenham in the Inter-Services Championship, and she did the same at Heywood Road on Saturday afternoon with her first scores in Sharks blue.
The winger had come off the bench in the opening round defeat at Bristol, but was handed a start by the Sharks coaches for the clash with Wasps. She got off the mark immediately, scoring the team’s first try in the opening 10 minutes, and then crossed for the first score of the second half, too, which put Sale on the way to a 31-14 final result.
There was an equally impressive performance from Gnr Senitiki Nayalo (7 Para RHA), whose outing for Coventry in their Championship win over Ampthill was rated as the finest in his career at the club by Cov supporters.
Gnr Nayalo has been an ever-present in the Coventry line-up so far this season, playing in both the win over Bedford and a loss away to Jersey before last Saturday’s Midlands clash with Ampthill.
Coventry’s team is noticeably younger this season than last, but they showed plenty of patience, character and determination to come back from the 19-0 lead which Ampthill had opened up inside the first 30 minutes.
Two tries before half-time pulled Coventry into the contest, and while Ampthill scored early in the second half from then on it was all blue and white, the hosts scoring two more tries before the hour and then holding on to record a 26-24 win which sees them lie sixth in the league table.
Coventry have a tough outing next on their agenda, joint table-toppers Ealing heading to Butts Park on Saturday, October 1st.
Back to the Allianz Cup, and while there was a triple representation for the red shirts in Harlequins Women’s home match against Gloucester-Hartpury in Cobham there was not a positive result to enjoy, the hosts going down 7-43 to the Cherry and Whites.
Spr Lauren Brooks (RE) made her first appearance of the season since becoming a Reservist, joining Bdr Bethan Dainton (RA) and SSgt Jade Mullen (AGC (SPS)) in the team, the latter pair having also played in the opening round loss away to Worcester.
They found it tough going against Gloucester-Hartpury, too, who scored the first try and then did not let their foot off the pedal, racking up a further half-dozen scores during the remainder of the 80 minutes.
There are no fixtures in the Allianz Cup for the next two weekends as teams revert to pre-season training.
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