Strengthened Rezzers Black could cause an upset or two
TEN years have passed since Resolution IT’s formation and they are now firing strongly on both halves of the Premier Division table.
Their primary Green offering may be the team to beat overall, but their B team – Black – are at least confident of contesting the alternative Plate prize after a promising start to their newest Winter League campaign.
Back in 2018, Rezzers B’s ‘Prem’ inauguration, an opening win would have been almost inconceivable.
They have since built on that rocky start and in an expanded eight-team division, the bottom-half Plate provides an appetising incentive.
After they sat out the first league week, an infusion of new talent joined some returning faces as they beat Blaze B 56-32 at Les Beaucamps on Tuesday night.
It was still a creditable performance for their teenage opponents, who joined the top flight last season, yet Rezzers B captain Lois Batiste left feeling encouraged.
She answered ‘with this team, definitely’ when asked about their ambition of challenging for the Plate.
‘If we play like we did [on Tuesday night], there’s no reason we should not be winning against the bottom-four teams and even giving the top teams a bit of a challenge,’ she said.
‘When we first came up to the “Prem”, it was a bit tricky splitting our players over our first team and second team coming up and at the time there was not the number of teams there is now,’ she added of a maiden season where they did not win until March.
‘Even last season, we did struggle a bit as well, but this year we have Claire Green coming back... that makes a massive difference in defence, as she’s an island-level goal defence.’
She also welcomed the addition of youngsters Savannah Goddard, Lauren Coutanche and Liz Mills.
Mills would ordinarily focus on basketball, and the Covid-induced cancellation of that sport’s immediate targets has cemented Verona Tomlin’s star shooting role for the Greens, a knock-on effect being Anna Trump’s increased availability for Black.
This revitalised roster led modestly at the quarter, 12-8, as Trump and the previously-injured Keeleigh Le Tissier took time to find their aim as shooters.
Blaze also proved strong defensively, headed by the GK presence of Codie Ford, termed ‘absolutely fantastic’ and ‘one of the best defenders in her age group’ by coach Nena Copperwaite.
Sharp shooter and player-of-the-match Alicia Bailey gave Blaze further ammo upon her introduction, but the Rezzers attack began to click and, further backed by an excellent defence, they made it 30-15 at half-time.
They entered the final stanza 18 clear and did not look back from there as Rezzers centre Goddard gained ‘PoM’.
With Rezzers Green enjoying a week off, both of the remaining title favourites made it two from two and left the champions playing catch up.
At the Grammar School, T&T Purple carried on their momentum from last week with a hefty 71-33 win over fellow ‘newcomers’ Liberte NGT A.
Young centre Amy Le Tocq took player-of-the-match honours in a match where, in a blistering start, the Titans-and-Thunder merger led 40-14 at half-time.
GD Viv Kemgne starred for the beaten side as they put in two more competitive quarters but could not make headway on the gaping deficit.
The strengthened Blaze A roster continued their early fortunes by beating T&T Blue 55-30.
Blaze did most of the damage in the second half, before which they led 22-17, and have set themselves up nicely for next week’s big meeting with Rezzers Green.
GA Abbie Greening took her second ‘PoM’ in two games, an occurrence mirrored by opposition GD Sophie Cowley.
