Written by Matt Brown
📷 @thepwr
Trailfinders Women 26–27 Harlequins Women
Aoife Wafer bagged a hat-trick as Harlequins edged out Trailfinders in a thrilling London derby at the Sports Ground to open the latest round of the PWR.
Quins arguably started the better of the two sides, and Wafer opened the scoring after just a few minutes following sustained early pressure on the Trailfinders try line. Undiscouraged by the early deficit, the home side fired back with two tries before the half-hour mark. First, Georgia Ponsonby crashed over from close range; minutes later, Abi Burton extended the lead with a score of her own.
Harlequins faced significant pressure from their hosts, but they eventually fought back. Emma Cromack secured her side’s second try of the night following some powerful carrying from the visitors.
Trailing by a slender margin at halftime, Trailfinders knew a win could move them up the table, but again it was Harlequins who struck first after the break—Wafer crossing for her second of the evening. Yet again, the home side refused to let their heads drop. They applied relentless pressure to score another two tries: fullback Rosie Inman pierced a gap in the Quins defense before Maia Roos secured the bonus-point try just after the hour mark.
Ultimately, it became the Aoife Wafer show. The flanker scored her third of the night to close the gap, showcasing her superb ability to get exceptionally low to the ground. When Wafer drives for the line, she is almost impossible to stop, and she used that strength perfectly here to secure the bonus point for Quins.
With time ticking away, Ellie Kildunne thought she had snatched it for the visitors. However, following a discussion between the referee and the assistant, it was deemed the Red Roses superstar had lost control of the ball—no try.
The stadium clock proved to be about as useful as a proverbial chocolate teapot. While the screens showed the game was "in the red," lead BBC commentator Sarah Orchard informed viewers there was still time on the official watch. The visiting side made the most of those final moments; Alex Callender capped off a sensational performance by driving over to level the scores. It fell to Spain’s Claudia Pena to slot the all-important conversion, clinching a dramatic win for Harlequins.
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