St.Helens beat York Valkyrie in the Betfred Women's Super League Semi-Final to end York Valkyrie's reign as champions, and book our spot in the Grand Final!
Craig Richards and Derek Hardman welcomed back some senior names to their lineup, after rotating in some players from last week’s final regular-season round against Leigh Leopards.
Rotheram returned to fullback following her failed HIA in the match against Wigan two weeks earlier, with Cunningham into the halves, and Rudge in the back-row.
View this post on Instagram
The Valks got the game underway with a kick, and if anyone did not expect it to be the same level of physicality as always between the two sides, that was quickly proven wrong.
York looked to pin Saints in our own half, but a late six-again call gave us the first threat of the game. On the move with the visitors on the back foot, Luci McColm tried unlocking McGifford on the wing, but the pass went astray.
The Red V offered up the second threat too, a high bomb knocked on by former Saint Eboni Partington. However, York, by their own line, kept us out well. A penalty then allowed the Valkyrie their first real go in our half, Williamson placing a clever chip to the left corner, which Rebecca Rotheram fielded well.
Ten minutes in, Ellie Williamson went down, halting play as we tried to get out of our own 20m. That seemed to turn the pressure around, with the visitors pinning us in our own half. After a six-again, York pushed the Red V on their own line, running it on the last tackle and trying to keep it alive with offloads on the right wing – but McGifford and McColm brought them down.
Another high bomb by the Saints came up trumps after Emma Kershaw knocked it on. Erin McDonald, now on from the bench, took up a tough carry close to the line, and Katie Mottershead, as she has done all year, evaded defenders and worked her way over for the opening points. A Video Referee check confirmed the try, and Gaskin kicked the extras for a 6-0 lead with 17 minutes played.
Twenty minutes into the game, York kicked a high one towards Hook, and it was judged she knocked on. We claimed a tackle in the air, used our Captain’s Challenge, and overturned the call.
Both sides then traded a number of errors, with both bringing big bodies on – Vicky Whitfield for the Saints, and Rhiannon Marshall for the Valks.
The defensive battle really got into a wrestle, which York were controlling much more around the half-hour mark.
With five minutes left in the half, back-to-back errors, the second being a penalty for going above the horizontal in a tackle, saw Marshall kick them close to our line. Peace Lekuru thought she had finished off some smart hands to the right corner, but after a Video Referee check, she was short. However, Tamzin Renouf, from the play of the ball, managed to twist her way through for York’s first points. Marshall could not add the kick, 6-4, with three minutes until the break.
A chaotic finish saw Marshall try a spiral bomb, which Rotheram knocked backwards, but it was judged forward, and the hooter went as York sought to pack down the scrum. Just two points the difference in a bruising battle.
View this post on Instagram
York’s game plan again was shown early on in the second half, giving it to Marshall and letting her kick her swirling bombs. Rotheram allowed it to bounce and despite Andrade’s chase she got out of her in-goal area.
Our first penalty of the half was followed by two more, the second being a very high shot on Hook. The third, for being offside, saw Gaskin try to juke her way around before offloading to Mottershead, who passed it to Casey, and Caitlin twisted her way over for our second try of the day. Gaskin added the conversion, 12-4 with eight minutes played in the half.
Marshall’s kicking caused more unrest, this time off the restart kick-off, which McDonald appeared to lose in the setting sun. However, a smart drop-out by Gaskin caused the York side to fumble, with Renouf catching it but putting a foot in touch – a let-off.
Whitfield, Casey and McDonald then met their opposite numbers with some massive tackles, before rotating with Williams, Crowl and Stott ten minutes into the half.
Our changes gave us a bit of zip around the ruck, Crowl getting a fantastic offload to Mottershead to pinch more metres. But that control then swung back the way of the visitors, after Partington juggled a high bomb but managed to return the kick up to the halfway line. Looking to hit the left edge, the ball went out towards Hook and Salihi.
Sixty minutes played, more pressure built by our line, with York wanting to grab a second score. Bibby tried a scoot from close range, but we held her short. A bursting Darcy Stott run from a short Cunningham pass relieved some pressure.
Fifteen minutes to go, York played some smart in-and-out rugby around the ruck on the fourth tackle. A kick into the left corner was not claimed by Saints and Georgie Dagger appeared to ground it in the melee. The referee sent it up as a ‘try’ to the Video Referee, who confirmed the score, but Brennan missed the conversion attempt – 12-8.
Whitfield returned to replace Stott. York continued threatening with their offloads in the middle through Andrade and Wood, but the prop tried one too many and Crowl leapt on the ball. Casey then made her way back on, with Mottershead coming off.
On our left, the ball worked out to McGifford but Renouf took her into touch – though not before Dani got an offload away. We passed into the middle, but York managed to scramble onto it to stop the attack.
Into the final five minutes, and Saints managed to wrestle some tough control into the game. Casey placed a brilliant kick for Lekuru two metres off her own line, and the chase was strong to bring her down.
Whitfield took up a bursting run up the middle, with three players on her, but she was judged to have knocked on, while we claimed a strip of the ball and used our Captain’s Challenge. It was unsuccessful.
More offloading rugby by York saw them grind close, and Dagger then kicked a short one which ricocheted around and was leapt on by Casey, but was judged to have knocked on. Even more drama with just over two minutes to go.
From the scrum, York went close with Andrade, and then thought they had scored through Marshall with a barge over – but Williams, Rotheram, Casey and Crowl got under her to hold the ball up. The powerful Valk then tried an offload on the last tackle of that set, but Caitlin Casey got to it first to stem the York tide.
As the dying seconds ticked down, Williams was taken high, and calmly we saw out the final moments – and that was it!
The Saints ended York Valkyrie’s reign as Women’s Super League champions and booked their place in the 2025 Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final!
View this post on Instagram
Match Summary
Saints Team: Rebecca Rotheram, Phoebe Hook, Beri Salihi, Luci McColm, Dani McGifford, Jodie Cunningham, Faye Gaskin, Darcy Stott, Katie Mottershead, Channy Crowl, Shona Hoyle, Emily Rudge, Caitlin Casey
Interchanges: Vicky Whitfield, Naomi Williams, Erin McDonald, Hollie Bawden
18th player: Alyx Bridge
Tries: Mottershead (15), Casey (46)
Conversions: Gaskin 2/2
York Team: Eboni Partington, Peace Lekuru, Lisa Parker, Tara Moxon, Emma Kershaw, Ellie Williamson, Tamzin Renouf, Olivia Wood, Georgie Dagger, Isabelle Brennan, Savannah Andrade, Evie Sexton, Jasmine Bell.
Interchanges: Rhiannion Marshall, Isabel Bibby, Agnes Wood, Zoe Hornby
18th player: Adaoha Akwiwu
Tries: Renouf (36), Dagger (66)
Conversions: Marshall 0/1, Brennan 0/1
