Spain claimed one other Ladies’s Rugby Europe Championship (REC) title after efficiently successful all of their matches, offering a constructive increase forward of their return to the Rugby World Cup in August.
Nonetheless, regardless of the repeat results of Spain claiming the title, (they’ve gained the previous eight years), the championship offered many aggressive moments. Span nonetheless needed to dig deep to defeat a resilient Netherlands facet within the competitors’s final spherical.
However how did every crew carry out? What positives can their followers take? And which gamers have been standout performers?
Spain:
Last place: 1st place
Outcomes: Performed 3, gained 3
High level scorer: Léa Ducher – 24 factors
Predominant constructive: Steady and durable set-piece
Predominant unfavourable: Indiscipline may’ve confirmed extra pricey
The Leonas had made the Ladies’s REC title retention theIR prime objective and completed it for an eighth time in a row. Nonetheless, the general crew efficiency was removed from excellent, with ailing self-discipline and a cascade of dealing with errors limiting their probabilities and gifting a number of probabilities to the opposition to strike again.
Such was the case of their final sport of the competitors, with the Dutch opposition maintaining their hopes alive till the ultimate minutes. In a sport that Spain dominated for 65 minutes, the Leonas didn’t capitalise and allowed the guests the potential of a draw going into half-time. In whole, Spain was penalised a median of 14 occasions per sport, reaching a complete of 17 on their go to to Portugal.
The second important situation rests with the backline inconsistency. Sure, Claudia Peña Hidalgo, Amalia Argudo and Anne de Corres pulled some beautiful strikes and performs, nevertheless it lacked consistency and at occasions readability. Apparently, when Léa Ducher was on the pitch in opposition to Portugal and Sweden, the sport plan labored to a better high quality diploma.
However, sufficient with the negatives, as there have been additionally good takeaways from Juan González Marruecos’s facet. The set-piece confirmed a exceptional progress, with the scrum deserving the highlight, because it served the Leonas a robust platform to arrange strive scoring alternatives. The driving maul was ferocious and did its work, pushing again the heavy packs of Portugal and the Netherlands, setting the tone in these video games.
Regarding their defence, the Leonas are nonetheless removed from replicating the shape proven within the final WXV3 match, having conceded 4 tries, a slight enhance in comparison with the 2024 Ladies’s REC.
Harlequins trio Claudia Peña Hidalgo, Amalia Argudo, Léa Ducher, and Zahia Pérez had glimpses of brilliance in some moments, carving sensational performs that finally translated into tries. Within the pack, Sale Sharks Alba Capell, Lourdes Alameda, Laura Delgado, Cristina Blanco and Eider García made the ahead pack purr to a prime stage.
Spain nonetheless has time to seek out their groove earlier than returning to the grandest stage of the sport. They not too long ago acquired good sport time in opposition to South Africa and can face Japan twice on a July tour.
The Netherlands:
Last place: 2nd place
Outcomes: Performed 3, gained 2
High level scorer: Pleuni Kievit – 42 factors
Predominant constructive: Physicality on the achieve line
Predominant unfavourable: Impatience and inexperience
Gareth Gilbert’s period as head coach of the Netherlands kicked off in nice type, because the Oranje have been in a position to lock in a good arm-wrestle conflict in opposition to Spain, making their rivals sweat and work till the ultimate play.
Bodily, highly effective and drenched in a perception that they may topple the champions, the Dutch have been vibrant while defending, knocking gamers again with ease, and even pressured the likes of Spain to go for a kick-and-chase technique quite than making an attempt for a extra bash-and-crash strategy.
Whereas the offensive sport plan nonetheless wants time to mature, Esmee Ligtvoet and Pleuni Kievit’s 9:ten combo was environment friendly and allowed Kika Mulling to sow issues on the wing.
As for the perfect particular person performances, Inger Jongerius (actually deserves a shot at Premiership Ladies’s Rugby), Isa Prins, Linde van der Velden, Sidney de Weijer and Kika Mulling have been unbreakable and unplayable at occasions.
They may not have gained the Ladies’s REC, however one thing particular is brewing inside the Netherlands, and it’s a disgrace we is not going to see them at this yr’s World Cup.
Portugal:
Last place: third place
Outcomes: Performed 3, gained 1
High level scorer: Daniela Correia – 20 factors
Predominant constructive: Tremendous work on the breakdown
Predominant unfavourable: Attacking sport plan confronted a number of points
A 12 level loss in opposition to Spain, a virtuous first-half in Amsterdam, and a victorious efficiency in Sweden. This briefly sums up Portugal’s marketing campaign within the Ladies’s REC, and head coach João Moura may be pleased with what the crew achieved of their second yr within the competitors.
Their crew efficiency within the opening match was past exceptional, with the locals pushing Spain again and locking down their in-goal space within the final 40 minutes, snatching 12 turnovers on the breakdown. Their defensive prowess was notable and astounding, making life arduous for his or her Spanish and Dutch rivals.
Even when they lacked some composure whereas on the offensive, there have been glimpses of brilliance when Daniela Correia had time and house to play, with the Portuguese skipper ending as their prime strive scorer. Mariana Santos, former Worcester Warriors’ gamers Sara Moreira, Adelina Costa and Clarisse Augusto shined all through the marketing campaign and have been important to permit Portugal to make strides within the championship.
Sweden:
Last place: 4th place
Outcomes: Performed 3, gained 0
High level scorer: Maja Framming – 3 factors
Predominant constructive: Lineout work
Predominant unfavourable: Lack of line velocity whereas defending
Sweden’s marketing campaign within the Ladies’s REC may not finish with any wins, however the total sentiment needs to be constructive, as there have been important enhancements in the way in which the set-piece functioned, for instance.
Sure, defensively the Swedes weren’t in a position to lockdown their try-area, however what’s plain is their resilience, never-say-die perspective and continually discovering a solution to keep within the battle. Even when they failed to attain any tries, Dustin Jinka’s facet pulled some methods out of the hat, a promising signal for the long run.
Harlequins’ Maja Meuller was Sweden’s coronary heart and soul, incomes a 95% deal with completion price and was a powerful jackler on the breakdown.
