Colwyn Bay Mermaids first home game of the season was against Waterloo and the Mermaids were keen to keep up their winning streak after last week's hard-fought win over Sandbach. This season the captaincy will be rotated throughout the season to give a selection of players a chance; Abi Beards was chosen to be captain this match, while Colwyn Bay loaned Amelia Stubbs to Waterloo to even up the sides. In usual form the Bay couldn't get the phases and handling together at the start, and it was only some great last-ditch tackling that prevented Waterloo from scoring in the first quarter, which was played with the Mermaids one player down as Elin Royle was late arriving from her weekend job!
The second quarter showed more promise from the home team, with moves from the likes of the captain, Alaw Hughes and Elin Royle kick-starting the rest of the team into action. Despite this, Waterloo managed to exploit the few defensive weaknesses of Colwyn Bay for Kayleigh Southerland to score a try with an impressive move, with Jenny Carney adding the conversion. This spurred the hosts on, and some positive moves off the back of an ever improving scrum performance eventually led to a try. Scrum-half Kaya Harding passed out to Gwen Harries, who slipped the ball out to new Mermaid Charlotte Pirie, attacking from full-back to cross the line, Cara Hope unlucky with the difficult conversion attempt.
This seemed to give the Bay the incentive they needed and soon they were playing an open, attacking brand of rugby. Following breaks from the backline and great support play from the forwards, Waterloo found themselves pinned in their own 22, and after impressive side-stepping through the defence, support play from Kumari Tilakawardane brought the second try to put Colwyn Bay into the lead, Hope just missing with the conversion attempt.
With the score almost equal the play evened out and there were some ferocious tackles to halt both teams' progress. Bay were unlucky not to score on a number of other occasions, a number of moves just not going to hand at the last phase. An unlucky mistake out wide from the Bay resulted in Waterloo advancing to the try line. The home team managed to drive the opposition back for a few phases, but eventually the inevitable push came on and Waterloo were leading 12-10 after Jade Hanbury touched down.
Colwyn Bay's heads did not go down, however - they came back at Waterloo even more determined than before. Gradually working their way downfield, the Mermaids managed to get the ball to the Waterloo 22, for Elin Royle to sprint past two defenders and offload to Charlotte Pirie for her second try of the game, putting Colwyn Bay into the lead - 15 to 12.The last three minutes of play were tense for all Bay supporters, as Waterloo kicked over the top of the Bay defence line and it was body-on-the-line stuff for the remainder of the game, before Hughes kicked the ball out to end the game.
Another all-round good performance from the Mermaids resulted in their second win in two weeks. Waterloo voted Beards their player of the match, while the Colwyn Bay/Gogledd Cymru coaching team gave their accolade to Gwen Harries. The Mermaids voted Bojan Johnson as the Waterloo player of the match but as she had left early a substitute had to be brought on for the traditional (non alcoholic) drinking contest, which Waterloo won with ease, Beards having trouble putting away a pint of cola.
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