Savannah Andrade stars for York Valkyrie in 62-0 rout of Featherstone

Lindsay Anfield’s side have now beaten their West Yorkshire opponents three times this season, all on home soil, though the Rovers produced a far better showing on Sunday lunchtime than they had in either of their Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup matches earlier in the campaign.

An inventive scrum play that forced the game’s only goal-line drop-out though was as close as the visitors came to breaking the deadlock as the Valkyrie recorded their second consecutive clean sheet, and largest margin of victory of the Betfred Women’s Super League campaign.

Having seen Tara Jane Stanley break the deadlock with just three minutes played, further efforts from Liv Wood, Andrade and Eva Izumi saw the Valkyrie hold a commanding 28-0 half-time lead.

And they showed no signs of stopping after the break, with Andrade completing her hat-trick, Kershaw and Partington both bagging doubles, and the impressive Megan Pakulis also scoring her first for the club.

MATCH RECAP: York Valkyrie 62-0 Featherstone Rovers

Izumi replaced Georgia Taylor in the centres, whilst young prop Izzy Brennan was recalled after scoring a handful of tries for dual registration partners Sheffield Eagles last weekend.

French star Mahault Pommier was handed her debut at half-back in the second half, whilst former Valkyrie youngster Chloe Smith was named on the bench for Featherstone.

The Valkyrie were handed their first opportunity within seconds of kick-off after a ball strip on Pakulis and wasted no time in breaking the deadlock.

Despite Sade Rihari’s pass to Kershaw going to ground, they recovered, with Pakulis held up before Georgie Hetherington fed Stanley, the former Woman of Steel crashing over on the right edge after getting the better of a couple of defenders.

Stanley's conversion was short, one of only two missed attempts from the tee.

York soon doubled their advantage after some sparkling footwork from Izumi, with Wood crashing onto Hetherington’s short pass underneath the posts.

Featherstone threatened to hit back after an inventive scrum, with Kershaw fortunate to concede just a drop-out after they had opted to kick from the first tackle.

Stanley was then down well to collect Tally Bryer’s grubber, just about managing to keep the ball in play under pressure from the chase.

But Anfield’s side soon had their third of the afternoon, as after a neat show of hands, Andrade surged through a gap in the visitors’ try-line defence to touch down just to the right of the posts.

Second-rower Savannah Andrade was the star with a well-taken hat-trick. (Image: Craig Hawkhead Photography)

Evie Sexton knocked-on from the restart, handing Featherstone a scrum just inside the 30-metre line, but Brogan Churm knocked-on with the line gaping.

The hosts thought that they had nudged themselves further ahead when Izumi burst across on the right edge midway through the half, but her diving effort was ruled out for obstruction, before Pakulis was adjudged to have knocked-on as she surged across the whitewash.

But Featherstone could not keep them out for much longer, as after Hetherington had been brought down just short, Andrade took two defenders with her across the line for her second of the afternoon.

Izumi was not to be denied a second time on the stroke of half time with a bursting run to the right of the posts, Stanley’s successful conversion handing the Valkyrie an already commanding 28-0 lead at the interval.

Eva Izumi saw a try ruled out before diving across the line on the stroke of half time. (Image: Craig Hawkhead Photography)

Pommier was introduced for her debut at half time in place of Hetherington, seeing Lucy Eastwood switch to hooker.

And the hosts wasted no time in resuming their scoring, as after a controversial decision to award them back possession on the 40-metre line, Stanley played in Kershaw to crash over into the right corner.

Partington was then fingertips away from reeling in the full-back’s cross-field chip but York didn’t have to wait long to add to their tally.

Eastwood broke through the defensive line from the play-the-ball before unselfishly playing in the supporting Andrade to complete her hat-trick.

A quick burst then saw the Valkyrie bring up the half-century in the 10 minutes that followed.

First, Partington somehow got hands to Liv Gale’s outstanding offload as she was tackled to score into the left corner, before Stanley fed Kershaw with a sublime cut-out pass over the heads of two defenders to dive across on the opposite edge.

Stanley converted both, taking the Valkyrie to 50 points with 20 minutes still left to play.

Featherstone’s defence was breached again just two minutes later after a ball strip on Brennan, with Pakulis too strong as she powered across for her first Valkyrie try underneath the posts.

The visitors did regain possession after Gale had failed to control a short kick-off, but were unable to take advantage, instead coughing up an error at the play-the-ball.

Eboni Partington rounded off the scoring with a trademark long-range effort. (Image: Craig Hawkhead Photography)

A similar Valkyrie mistake again handed Featherstone some encouraging field position, but Partington won the in-air battle to Bryer’s chip, racing away 80 metres to score underneath the posts in trademark fashion.

Stanley converted with ease to round off the scoring, sending the Valkyrie level with the ‘big four’ ahead of a tough test at home to Wigan Warriors next Sunday (12pm).

YORK VALKYRIE: Stanley, Partington, Sexton, Izumi, Kershaw, Rihari, Eastwood, Wood, Hetherington, Bell, Gale, Andrade, Pakulis.

INTERCHANGES: Sharp, Stimpson, Brennan, Pommier.

TRIES: Stanley (3), Wood (7), Andrade (16, 34, 49), Izumi (39), Kershaw (42, 57), Partington (53, 68), Pakulis (62)

GOALS: Stanley 9/11

FEATHERSTONE ROVERS: Copley, Lamb, Billington, Waters, Craven, Bryer, Grace, Harrison, Courtney, Churm, Watt, Evans, Blackburn.

INTERCHANGES: Smith, Prescott, Kennedy, Teece

POINTS SEQUENCE: 4-0, 8-0, 10-0, 14-0, 16-0, 20-0, 22-0, 26-0, 28-0, 32-0, 34-0, 38-0, 40-0, 44-0, 48-0, 50-0, 54-0, 56-0, 60-0, 62-0

HALF TIME: 28-0

YORK’S STAR WOMAN: Savannah Andrade. The second-rower was a constant handful both in attack and defence, and was fully deserving of her hat-trick.

REFEREE: Luke Flavell