PWR Cup Final Preview: Saracens v Harlequins

After a tense weekend of semi-finals, Saracens and Harlequins have emerged as the final two teams in the PWR Cup.

Saracens vs Harlequins (PWR Cup Final) - StoneX Stadium, Sat 11th October, 14:00.

Harlequins faced a strong Bristol Bears side, falling short to them in the first half. In the 65th minute, Bristol were reduced to 14 players after Heidi Pashaei-Tarighoun was shown a red card. The London side capitalised on the advantage and fought back – a nail-biting try from Hannah Sims in the 75th minute, converted by Ella Cromack, sealed the deal. Only five points separated the two sides at the final whistle, with Harlequins winning 41-36.

Saracens hosted Exeter Chiefs at StoneX Stadium, looking to book their place in the final. Deborah Wills opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, giving Saracens an early lead, but Maisy Allen responded quickly for Exeter. In the 5th minute, her try earned them their only points of the match. The North London team dominated the Devon side, securing a convincing 39-5 victory.

Both Harlequins and Saracens went unbeaten in the PWR round stages, marking them as forces to be reckoned with. The two sides met twice during the 2024/25 PWR Season, with each team claiming one win. They faced each other again in the league semi-final, where Saracens beat Harlequins **32-34**, earning a place in the final - where they fell short to three-peat champions, Gloucester Hartpury.

Harlequins will be seeking revenge for last season and aiming to kick off the new campaign on a high. Saracens, meanwhile, will be looking for redemption after finishing as runners-up in the league.

Standout performances from the semi-finals:

• Ella Cromack (Harlequins) was the top points scorer of the round, with 11 points.
• Reneeqa Bonner (Bristol Bears), Deborah Wills (Saracens), Hannah Sims (Saracens) scored the most tries of the round, with 2 each.
• Despite being on the losing side, Jenny Hesketh (Bristol Bears) provided 3 try assists.
• Deborah Wills (Saracens) recorded 166 carry metres, the most of any player.
• Liv McGoverne (Exeter Chiefs) recorded an impressive 251 kick metres.
• Sara Svovoda (Harlequins) was the most successful tackler of the round, making 20 tackles with a 90% success rate. Natasha Logan (Harlequins) followed closely with 17 tackles and an 100% success rate.