News
PWR Round 16 Preview
Round 16 of Premiership Women's Rugby offers a final feast of action before the league breaks for the Women's Six Nations.
Saturday sees Bristol Bears host Harlequins for a Big Day Out at Principality Stadium, before Saracens take on Sale Sharks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for The Showdown 6.
Sunday then kicks off with Trailfinders Women taking on Loughborough Lightning in West London before leaders Gloucester Hartpury welcome Leicester Tigers to Kingsholm.
SATURDAY 28 MARCH
Bristol Bears v Harlequins – Principality Stadium, 12.30pm, Live on YouTube
Harlequins head to Cardiff for a Big Day Out against Bristol Bears, as part of a double header in the Welsh capital.
The PWR fixture gets the action underway before the men’s teams face off later in the afternoon.
The lunchtime kick-off serves up an enticing encounter, as Bears look to make a late push for the play-offs while Quins are just a point away from fourth-placed Sale Sharks.
Liana Mikaele-Tu'u starts in the back row for Quins before she returns to New Zealand, while Ella Cromack starts at full back alongside Freya Aucken and Beth Wilcock on the wings.
For home side Bears, Rownita Marston Mulhearn starts in the back row for the first time after returning from a long-term knee injury, while Rhea Clarke also returns to the bench after recovering from an ankle injury.
Team News
Bristol Bears: 15 Ella Lovibond, 14 Reneeqa Bonner, 13 Emma Orr, 12 Meryl Smith, 11 Millie David, 10 Ruahei Demant (CC), 9 Keira Bevan; 1 Simi Pam, 2 Lana Skeldon, 3 Sarah Bern (CC), 4 Hollie Cunningham, 5 Delaney Burns, 6 Christiana Balogun, 7 Jenny Herring, 8 Rownita Marston-Mulhearn
Replacements: 16 Amy Dale, 17 Maisie Davies, 18 Aisha Jah, 19 Demelza Short, 20 Pamphinette Buisa, 21 Rhea Clarke, 22 Jenna De Vera, 23 Jenny Hesketh
Harlequins: 15 Ella Cromack, 14 Beth Wilcock, 13 Claudia Peña, 12 Sarah Parry, 11 Freya Aucken, 10 Kayleigh Powell, 9 Lucy Burgess; 1 Silvia Turani, 2 Connie Powell, 3 Lizzie Hanlon, 4 Fi McIntosh, 5 Jade Konkel (C), 6 Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, 7 Sara Svoboda, 8 Aoife Wafer
Replacements: 16 Carys Phillips, 17 Jessie Spurrier, 18 Laura Delgado, 19 Danelle Lochner, 20 Maja Meuller, 21 Emma Swords, 22 Coreen Grant, 23 Lauren Torley
Officials
Referee: Hamish Grant
Assistant Referees: Gareth Holsgrove & Simon Adams
Oval Insights
Bristol Bears
- Bristol Bears Women have beaten more defenders than any other team this season with 401 (ranked 1st), averaging 30.8 per match (ranked 1st).
- Evie Gallagher leads the league in turnovers won with 19 this season (ranked 1st) while contributing 19 offloads in attack (ranked 4th).
- Sarah Bern has been a powerful carrier, recording 45 dominant contacts (ranked 3rd) and 232 post-contact metres (ranked 3rd) this season.
- The team showed kicking intelligence in the latest round with 5 box kicks (ranked 1st) and a 12.5% retained kicks percentage (ranked 1st).
Harlequins
- Harlequins Women delivered the best defensive performance last round with 203 successful tackles and an 86.0% tackle success rate (both ranked 1st).
- Liana Mikaele-Tu'u has made the most dominant tackle contacts in the league this season (13, ranked 1st) while contributing significantly to the breakdown with 233 attacking ruck entries (ranked 3rd).
- Aoife Wafer made 26 successful tackles in the latest round (ranked 1st) while ranking 3rd in the league for carries this season with 148.
- The team leads the Premiership with 12 interceptions this season and ranks 2nd for dominant tackle contacts (98).
Saracens v Sale Sharks - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 2.30pm, Live on BBC iPlayer
The next big stadium match sees Saracens host Sale Sharks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A point is enough for Sarries to sew up a home semi-final, while a win for Sale Sharks would put them in pole position to claim the fourth and final Play-Off spot.
Saracens have made four changes to their starting XV, but the biggest team news comes on the bench as Sophie de Goede returns from a lengthy injury lay-off.
Her Canada teammate Alysha Corrigan will make her 50th appearance, while for Sale Sharks, Molly Wright and Evie Roach come into the front row, with Charlotte Fray replacing Morwenna Talling at lock.
Team News
Saracens
15 Jess Breach, 14 Alysha Corrigan, 13 Emma Hardy, 12 Amelia MacDougall, 11 Sydney Gregson, 10 Zoe Harrison, 9 Olivia Apps; 1 Liz Crake, 2 May Campbell, 3 Carmen Tremelling, 4 Poppy Cleall, 5 Laetitia Royer, 6 Julia Omokhuale, 7 Marlie Packer, 8 Gabrielle Senft
Replacements: 16 Bryony Field, 17 Kelsey Clifford, 18 Donna Rose, 19 Louise McMillan, 20 Sophie De Goede, 21 Georgia Evans, 22 Tori Sellors, 23 Lotte Sharp
Sale Sharks
15 Lizzie Duffy, 14 Rhona Lloyd, 13 Beatrice Rigoni, 12 Katana Howard, 11 Shona Campbell, 10 Holly Aitchison, 9 Olivia Ortiz; 1 Tysh Harper, 2 Molly Wright, 3 Evie Roach, 4 Charlotte Fray, 5 Erica Jarrell-Searcy, 6 Eva Donaldson, 7 Georgie Perris-Redding ©, 8 Brittany Hogan.
Replacements: 16 Amy Cokayne, 17 Gwen Pyrs, 18 Nick James, 19 Morwenna Talling, 20 Katie Childs, 21 Amy Relf, 22 Evie Wills, 23 Courtney Keight
Officials
Referee: Nikki O'Donnell
Assistant Referees: Veryan Boscawen and Kieron Henry
Oval Insights
Saracens
- Saracens Women lead the Premiership in scoring with 83 tries and 545 points this season (both ranked 1st).
- May Campbell tops the league's try-scoring chart with 12 tries this season while Zoe Harrison leads all point scorers with 112 points.
- Saracens Women dominate in attack with the most offloads (218) and initial breaks (107) in the Premiership this season.
- The team ranks 1st in carry metres made (7,256) with the highest average metres per carry (4.4) in the league.
Sale Sharks
- Sale Sharks Women lead the league in turnovers won (100) and tackle turnovers (40) this season (both ranked 1st).
- Holly Aitchison has produced the most kicks in play this season with 130 (ranked 1st), accumulating 3,246 kick metres (ranked 5th).
- Rhona Lloyd ranks 2nd in the Premiership with 11 tries scored this season and secured an attacking catch success in the latest round (ranked 1st).
- The team dominated the scrum in the latest round, winning 10 scrums from 12 attempts (both ranked 1st).
SUNDAY 29 MARCH
Trailfinders Women v Loughborough Lightning - Trailfinders Sports Club, 12.15pm, Live on TNT Sports
Following their derby win over Harlequins, Trailfinders Women open up Sunday's games by taking on Loughborough Lightning.
Lightning also got a win over Quins two weeks ago before pushing the unbeaten Gloucester Hartpury all the way in Round 15.
Their play-off dreams are still alive as they sit five points behind Sale Sharks, but will need a win over one of their rivals for that final spot.
Fresh from signing a new contract, Sadia Kabeya starts at flanker, with Kaya Acton making her first PWR start in the second round.
Trailfinders have made one change to the starting XV with Haidee Head coming in at flanker to replace Alana Borland.
Team News
Trailfinders Women: 15 Niamh Gallagher, 14 Grace White, 13 Meg Jones, 12 Emma Uren, 11 Carys Cox, 10 Claire Gallagher, 9 Brooke Bradley, 1 Maya Montiel, 2 Georgia Ponsonby, 3 Tanya Kalounivale, 4 Maia Roos, 5 Emma Wassell, 6 Rachel Malcolm (c), 7 Haidee Head, 8 Abi Burton
Replacements: 16 Cris Blanco, 17 Alivia Leatherman, 18 Cassandra Tuffnail, 19 Emma Taylor, 20 Sally Williams, 21 Ella Amory, 22 Vicky Laflin, 23 Ellie Boatman
Loughborough Lightning
15 Helen Nelson, 14 Fancy Bermudez, 13 Alev Kelter, 12 Carmela Morrall, 11 Bo Westcombe-Evans, 10 Helena Rowland, 9 Lis Maude, 1 Anne Young, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Mae Sagapolu, 4 Lilli Ives Campion, 5 Kaya Acton, 6 Tahlia Brody, 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Haineala Lutui
Replacements: 16 Paige Stathopoulos, 17 Isla Curphey, 18 Christine Belisle, 19 Tamsin Baynes, 20 Kendall Waudby, 21 Meg Davey, 22 Lia Green, 23 Lucia Scott
Officials
Referee: Richard Gordon
Assistant Referees: Matt Sharpe and James Clarke
Oval Insights
Trailfinders Women
- Trailfinders Women excel in kicking efficiency with the highest kick metres per kick in both the season (29.6, ranked 1st) and latest round (27.7, ranked 1st).
- Niamh Gallagher combines the league's second-best goal kicking success rate (81.0%) with the highest kick metres per kick average (34.7) this season.
- Maia Roos is the league's most efficient lineout stealer with 1.0 steals per 80 minutes (ranked 1st) and 7 total steals this season (ranked 2nd).
- The team dominated maul play in the latest round with 9 mauls won and 3 maul penalties won (both ranked 1st).
Loughborough Lightning
- Loughborough Lightning lead the Premiership in breakdown activity with 2,878 attacking ruck entries this season and 221.4 per match (both ranked 1st).
- Bo Westcombe Evans has scored 9 tries this season (ranked 3rd) while gaining the most metres in the league with 923.
- Alev Kelter has beaten more defenders than any other player this season with 89 total (ranked 1st) and led the latest round with 10 (ranked 1st).
- Haineala Lutui leads the competition in carries (214) and post-contact metres (334) this season (both ranked 1st)
Gloucester Hartpury v Leicester Tigers - Kingsholm, 2.30pm, Live on YouTube
While Gloucester Hartpury are yet to lose a match this PWR season, and Leicester Tigers remain in search of their first win, stranger things have happened in sport.
The Circus will be bidding to take another step closer to achieving the feat of an invincible season when they welcome Leicester to Kingsholm, having already confirmed their place in the semi-finals.
But the East Midlands outfit, equally, will not want to end the season without a win.
To that end, Leicester make just one change to the side that suffered defeat to Exeter Chiefs last time out as Eneka Labeyrie replaces the now departed Jenny Maxwell at scrum-half.
Gloucester-Hartpury field a host of changes after fighting back to beat Loughborough Lightning last week with Neve Jones returning from injury in the front row, while Kate Williams comes into the back row to captain the side.
Team News
Gloucester-Hartpury: 15 Mia Venner, 14 Abi Pritchard, 13 Hannah Dallavalle, 12 Molly Bunker, 11 Rachel Lund, 10 Lizzie Goulden, 9 Bianca Blackburn; 1 El Perry, 2 Neve Jones, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4 Steph Else, 5 Alaw Pyrs, 6 Kate Williams (C), 7 Bethan Lewis, 8 Tabitha Copson
Replacements: 16 Lucy Simpson, 17 Niamh O'Dowd, 18 Eloise Harris, 19 Sarah Beckett, 20 Sophie McQueen, 21 Sian Jones, 22 Lleucu George, 23 Emma Sing
Leicester Tigers: 15 Kristin Bitter, 14 Georgie Lingham, 13 Emily Henrich, 12 Jemima McCalman, 11 Karolina Kacirkova, 10 Tess Feury (C), 9 Eneka Labeyrie; 1 Katherine Baverstock, 2 Micke Gunter, 3 Nadine Vincent, 4 Deni Ross, 5 Emerson Allen, 6 Jordan Russell, 7 Morgan Richardson, 8 Tiana Gordon
Replacements: 16 Alana Bainbridge, 17 Ellie Smith, 18 Clodagh Dunne, 19 Ali Coleman, 20 Leah Heath, 21 Zara Pickwick, 22 Hermione Farmer, 23 Abileigh Priestnall
Officials
Referee: Tarsh Ganley
Assistant Referees: Rebecca Piddlesden and Emily Hope
Oval Insights
Gloucester-Hartpury
- Gloucester-Hartpury Women achieved a perfect 100% lineout success rate last round (ranked 1st) and lead the league with 23 lineout steals this season.
- Sam Monaghan has secured the most lineout steals in the Premiership with 9 this season, including 2 in the latest round (both ranked 1st).
- Mia Venner has scored 9 tries this season (ranked 3rd) while also beating 56 defenders (ranked 2nd).
- Lleucu George dominated the kicking game last round with 14 kicks in play and 434 kick metres (both ranked 1st).
Leicester Tigers
- Leicester Tigers Women dominated territory in the latest round with 46 total team possessions and 30 possessions in the opposition half (both ranked 1st).
- Jemima McCalman led the latest round with 19 carries (ranked 1st) and has recorded 4 interceptions this season (ranked 1st).
- Emily Henrich dominated the carrying metrics in the latest round with 7 dominant contacts and 31 post-contact metres (both ranked 1st).
- The team secured the most restart retentions last round with 2 (ranked 1st), retaining 28.6% of their restarts (ranked 1st).
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