Sunday (29th February) proved to be a difficult afternoon for the Harlequin Ladies, faced with the strong attacking play from Hove and the changing weather conditions, resulting in a 7-0 defeat, writes Jo Everett.

Having had a few weeks break, Quins made a good start from the kick-off, quickly working their way into Hove's half. The home side challenged hard in the rucks and mauls, making it difficult for Quins to get clean ball. Harlequins driving mauls put pressure on Hove's defence, but they were unable to cross the line.

Once Hove won possession, they made good use of their kicking game to gain a better field position. From here, the pace of their backs soon had Harlequins on the back foot. However, Quins defended well, working hard to cover the defence out-wide, but Hove played a patient game and finally broke through to score the only try of the match.

The second half saw an even more determined attack from Hove and the fine weather gave way to blizzard conditions. The Hove pack repeatedly disrupted Harlequins' scrums and challenged well in the lineouts. Without decent possession, Harlequins were forced into a more defensive game.

When Quins did turn the ball over, they were able to make some strong runs with the ball in hand. However, Hove were then quick to get to the breakdowns and keep Quins from recycling the ball. Unable to string together consecutive phases of play, Quins were denied the opportunity to level the score.

This weekend, the Harlequin Ladies play another friendly; at home against St Albans. They will need to use this opportunity to sharpen up their game, ready to continue their league campaign the following week.