Germany open Trophy campaign with win
A big win for Germany against Finland opened the 2024/5 European Trophy. In the first half Germany tried to compete with the Finnish forwards allowing them to control too much of the game in the first half, but in the second half they gave their backs free rein and ran in six tries against a tiring Finnish defence.
Published by John Birch, October 19th, 2024
2 minute read
The opening stages of the games were close, and at the mid-point of the first-half Germany lead by just 7-5. Finland’s powerful pack was generally doing well, though the German lineout was looking strong.
Then in the 34th minute a long period of Finnish pressure ended in a second try from Emmi Ovaskainen to take the lead, only for Germany to regain the lead though Mette Zimmat just before the break to go in 12-10 ahead.
After such an even first half the second half was very different. Zimmat was the first to score in the 49th minute finding large gaps in the Finnish defence. In the 58th minute a well placed kick ahead put Germany in for their fourth try and a 22-10 lead.
With Finland now tiring a fifth try from Johanna Hacker extended the lead to 27-10.
The German backline was now pulling the Finnish defence back and forth across the field and in the 65th minute Steffi Gruber added a sixth try (34-10), Charlotte Malaizier a seventh in the 77th minute, before Zimmat completed her hat-trick just before time.
FINLAND: 1 Elisa SALONEN; 2 Sarianna HAAVISTO; 3 Liisa LEMETTILA; 4 Hanna VISURI; 5 Susanna HAAVISTO; 6 Essi KARA; 7 Saara KUKKURAINEN; 8 Anna SOILUVA; 9 Venla LEHTONEN; 10 Heidi HENNESSY; 11 Jenni MAKIRINTA; 12 Emmi OVASKAINEN; 13 Sofia LALLI; 14 Oona TOLPPANEN; 15 Lilli TIKKANEN
16 Milla RYHTÄ; 17 Reetta JOKINEN; 18 Pinja PENNANEN; 19 Ulla TUOMAINEN; 20 Mira LEPPÄLÄ; 21 Johanna LEINO; 22 Elisa KORHONEN; 23 Kaisa KEMPPINEN
GERMANY: 1 Tina SCHUCKER; 2 Emma DEHNERT; 3 Mareike BIER; 4 Luise LAUTER; 5 Salome TRAUTH; 6 Muriel WEIGEL; 7 Joy WEATHERSPOON; 8 Yusra ABDELKARIM; 9 Annika NOWOTNY; 10Charlotte MALAIZIER; 11 Sarah Hiltrud PIEPKORN; 12 Mette ZIMMAT; 13 Johanna HACKER; 14 Steffi GRUBER; 15 Sophie HACKER
16 Esther TILGNER; 17 Annika Solveig BERGEMANN; 18 Melissa PAUL; 19 Nina SCHÄFER; 20 Amelie HARRIS; 21 Ronja HINTERDING; 22 Emilia HACKER; 23 Paula SCHULT