Cup semi-final weekend got underway with the first game of two for St Helens as their women’s side had the toughest of challenges against a league leading York Valkyrie side who are unbeaten so far in 2023 after six rounds of the league tournament.
The weather was likely to be a leveller, or at lead an additional variable in an already complex game as York named the same side which drew with the Leeds Rhinos last weekend. York had won the earlier game in 2023 by some margin but this was likely to be a much tougher encounter for them with Saints desperate for a Wembley appearance as they look to make it three consecutive tournament wins.
A wet Halliwell-Jones Stadium welcomed the two sides onto the field.
Just two minutes had elapsed before Saints took the lead after a great high kick caused confusion in the York defence, the ball dropped over the line and pounced on by Shona Hoyle to ground behind the sticks. Amy Taylor added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
Valkyrie were back in the game on twelve minutes as Tamsin Renouf intercepted a wayward Saints pass on her own thirty and outpaced Tara Jones to score by the left upright. Tara Stanley hit the upright with a poor conversion attempt, Saints still with a two-point lead.
York hit the front on twenty-four, Stanley finally finding some space down the right wing as she shimmied to outsmart the Saints defence and dive over in the corner. The York full back was unable to add the touchline conversion to her try.
A good low dive from Lucy McColm edged Saints back into the lead as they gave the ball air from right to left, the centre finding some space on a two woman overlap to score by the corner flag. Taylor´s kick went across the face of the posts.
It was turning into a see-saw game when York went in again, Sinead Peach scooting from acting half back and running unopposed through an exhausted Saints defence to again edge the Valkyrie into a two-point lead. Stanley hit the mark, now one from three on the afternoon, the lead up to four points at the interval.
Seven minutes after the restart and the scores were level, Tara Jones collecting a beautiful Paige Travis kick towards the posts after it bounced back off the post as to dive over. Taylor added the extras, Saints back in the lead by a two-point margin.
Both sides were clocking up injuries and Head Impact Assessments as a battle of attrition continued and on seventy-two minutes Stanley kicked a thirty-five-metre penalty to again level the scores at 16-16 with seven minutes of the game remaining.
Stanley attempted a drop goal from close on seventy-seven, but it was a weak effort and didn´t reach the target.
In the dying seconds it was Saints who worked their way to the York twenty, Fay Gaskin slotting the ball through the uprights for a 17-16 Saints win, the cup holders making it back into the Wembley final after a battle royal between two dedicated sides who both gave everything that they had in a most robust semi-final competition.
St Helens Women: Harris, Partington, McColm (T), Travis, Hook, Taylor (2G), Gaskin (DG), Scott, Jones (T), Crowl, Hoyle (T), Rudge, Cunningham. Subs: Williams, Whitfield, Sams, Birchall. 18th Man: Mottershead.
York Valkyrie: Stanley (T, 2G), Kershaw, Owen, Renouf (T), Rihari, Gale, Hyde, Field, Peach (T), Staveley, Wood, Andrade, Bell. Subs: Taylor, Marshall, Hendry, Sanderson. 18th Man: Akpa.
Half-Time: 10-14.
Full-Time: 17-16.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-8, 10-8, 10-12, 10-14 : HT: 14-14, 16-14, 16-16, 17-16 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: St Helens – York – St Helens – York – Square – St Helens – Square - Saints.
Referee: Aaryn Belafonte.
