As November draws to a close, both women’s teams find themselves on the cusp of an important Candlemas Semester.
With one game to go apiece, both St Andrews women’s rugby teams can leave this semester on a high note. Both the 1XV and the 2XV have an immense amount of potential, but the all-important Candlemas semester will prove whether this will manifest in actual results.
The 1XV still sit third in the table after a 33-12 loss away against Glasgow, and an impressive 48-0 win at home against Heriot-Watt. On the 27th of November, they have a chance to win against the Edinburgh 2XV, who beat them previously 17-51. However, there are only 5 points between Glasgow 1XV in first and St Andrews in third on 20 points — tied also with Edinburgh.
This makes the game against Edinburgh crucial. The game will be tough, but the team’s track record shows there is a strong likelihood that they can match last year’s second place finish.
Team captain Lily Paterson spoke of their desire to better this, but usurping Glasgow for the league victory is a different beast. Glasgow has been incredibly dominant, having not lost a single game, and a possible victory against Edinburgh might be the bellwether of the 1XV's capacity to go for the title.
The St Andrews 2XV also have a game on the 27th of November, this time against Glasgow Caledonian 1XV. After this, there are only two more league fixtures. Fewer games in the second tier of the BUCS Rugby Union league means that the 2XV can focus on more non-league opportunities, such as the BUCS cup and a friendly against Dundee.
The 2XV are yet to bag a victory, but both the captain (Kylie Chryss-Connell) and vice-captain (Taz Madan) have gone on record that they want to leave this semester on a high note. Hopefully, the elusive win comes soon for them. Because of their rapid upward trajectory, it is only deserving.
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