TWO Drybrook girls took to the field in England shirts last weekend.

Natasha 'Mo' Hunt (pictured) started at scrum-half for England A against the Nomads – the women's equivalent of the Barbarians.

Ceri Large then came off the bench late in the game to make it a memorable day for the Mannings club – who introduced both to rugby.

England A lost the match at Esher RFC by 22-19.

Nomads scored an injury-time try through Pippa Crews.

Natasha suffered a serious back injury during the match but continued to play on.

She said: "Someone came through a ruck and squashed me!

"I managed to keep going but it seized up afterwards and went into spasm. I was in quite a lot of pain. I've either damaged ligaments or muscles. We've got a game against Spain in four weeks so I'm hoping I'll be OK for that one."

Natasha now plays for Lichfield. The former Dene Magna pupil is a PE assistant and rugby specialist at King Edward's School in Birmingham.

It was a great display from a young England team against a side packed with internationals.

England A head coach Mike Barnett said: "I'm obviously disappointed with the result, but I am not disappointed with the performance. We could easily have won this match against a very experienced Nomads team and it was only a move in the last play of the game that changed the result.

"Considering this is a new squad, a young squad, and we have introduced a new structure, I am pleased with the performance. They will learn a lot from this result and that is what's important about games like this. We are working towards the European Trophy and this is one step along the way."

Although Natasha has played most of her senior rugby on the wing, she is adapting well to scrum-half – the position she filled as a youngster with Drybrook.

It was her first game for England in a number nine shirt and the England coaches clearly see her as one for the future.

She could have an all-Drybrook half-back partner in Ceri Large.

Natasha said: "Ceri did really well when she came on and I'm sure she's going to get a lot more game time for England."

Ceri, who now represents Worcester, first started playing for Drybrook's girls when she was seven.

She has three brothers who all still play for Drybrook, Dan, Dean and Ben.