PWR Round 16 Review: Harlequins and Gloucester-Hartpury claim semi-final spots as Lightning beat Bears and Saraces win at Trailfinders

HARLEQUINS and Gloucester-Hartpury confirmed their places in the Premiership Women’s Rugby semi-finals on a remarkable weekend where we saw all away wins.

The Circus ran in six tries at Mattioli Woods Welford Road before Loughborough Lightning’s defeat of Bristol Bears meant neither Harlequins nor Gloucester-Hartpury can be caught by Bears in fifth.

Quins left it very late to win at 31-20 at Exeter Chiefs with a try from Ellie Kildunne in the 74th minute.

Saracens completed a hat-trick of away victories on Saturday with a win over local rivals Trailfinders Women as they moved up to second.

Top-four guaranteed 🔒

After their victory and other results today, @gloshartpury's place in the semi-finals this season has been confirmed 👏

Congratulations 🥳#PWR | #PoweredDifferently pic.twitter.com/XKMhxsG257

— Premiership Women's Rugby (@ThePWR) February 1, 2025

Saturday 1 February  

Leicester Tigers 7-38 Gloucester-Hartpury – Mattioli Woods Welford Road 

Five different try scorers, plus a penalty try did the damage for Gloucester-Hartpury in a 38-7 win over Leicester Tigers.

Scrum half Meg Davies opened the scoring as she worked herself round the back of a maul to dive over for the visitors. 

Carmen Castellucci made it two for the visitors from a well-worked team try started by an impressive offload from Steph Else.  

Their first-half dominance was rounded out with a penalty try as the Circus took a 19-point lead into the break. 

Leicester Tigers hit back after the break with a stunning intercept by Claire Gallagher in her own 22 before running almost the length of the pitch to score. 

Hannah Jones then secured Gloucester's bonus point before replacements Kathryn Buggy and Gillian Boag added to the final tally. 

Leicester Tigers 7 

Tries: Claire Gallagher 

Gloucester-Hartpury 38 

Tries: Meg Davies, Carmen Castellucci, penalty try, Hannah Jones, Kathryn Buggy, Gillian Boag

Bristol Bears 22-31 Loughborough Lightning – Shaftesbury Park 

Loughborough Lightning provided another upset with a 31-22 win over top-four-chasing Bristol Bears. 

Tentative opening exchanges were brought to life by Krissy Scurfield who chased down a fine grubber kick from Helena Rowland to put the away side ahead. 

Kathryn Treder extended Lightning’s lead from a lineout before Bristol Bears hit back, first through a sprinting Keira Bevan and then a customary Millie David score levelled proceedings heading into half-time. 

Scurfield claimed her second try of the game to move Lightning back ahead before Elis Martin and Alev Kelter looked to have moved the game out of sight. 

Lark Atkin-Davies went over followed by Reneeqa Bonner, the latter running in from 60 metres to set up an exciting conclusion that Lightning were able to weather to claim another impressive win. 

Bristol Bears 22 

Tries: Keira Bevan, Millie David, Lark Atkin-Davies, Reneeqa Bonner 

Loughborough Lightning 31 

Tries: Krissy Scurfield (2), Kathryn Treder, Elis Martin, Alev Kelter 

Pure power from @TrailfindersW 💥

Rori Woods' first-half try from up close and personal 🔍#PWR | #PoweredDifferently pic.twitter.com/Vj9vde2BQa

— Premiership Women's Rugby (@ThePWR) February 1, 2025

Trailfinders Women 17-31 Saracens – Trailfinders Sports Club 

May Campbell’s hat-trick confirmed a 31-17 comeback win for Saracens over neighbours Trailfinders Women. 

Rori Wood put Trailfinders on the front foot with a try in the third minute before Campbell went over for Sarries to equalise the scores. 

Rosie Inman moved the hosts ahead again with a score in the corner but the wing missed the conversion to give Saracens an incentive. 

They took it as Poppy Cleall went over from close range before Amelia MacDougall moved the visitors ahead for the first time. 

Cleall then chased down a Trailfinders kick before finding Georgia Evans who extended Sarries’ lead further. 

The hosts almost closed the gap through Jess Cooksey but the conversion was missed again, and Saracens made them pay as Campbell went over for two more tries to clinch the game. 

Trailfinders Women 17 

Tries: Rori Wood, Rosie Inman, Jess Cooksey 

Saracens 31 

Tries: May Campbell (3), Poppy Cleall, Georgia Evans 

Exeter Chiefs 30-31 Harlequins - Sandy Park

Harlequins narrowly edged out Exeter Chiefs with a dramatic 31-30 win at Sandy Park to clinch a PWR semi-fina spot.

Chiefs went ahead through Hope Rogers, with Quins flanker Maddie Grant offering instant reply minutes later when she stormed over the white line.

Merryn Doidge restored Exeter's advantage before a try each from teammate Claudia MacDonald and Harlequins winger Lisa Neumann saw the two sides enter the break at 19-12.

The restart saw Liv McGoverne score a pair of penalties either side of an Ellie Kildunne score before Claudia Pena narrowed Chiefs' lead to just one point.

MacDonald then bagged her second try of the game when she darted through Harlequins' defence to set up a dramatic finale as Exeter led 30-24 with seven minutes to go.

With the clock ticking, Kildunne was at the centre of attention again when she raced free down the wing before diving under the posts, with Ella Cromack's conversion securing a hard-fought victory.

Exeter Chiefs 30

Tries: Hope Rodgers, Merryn Doidge, Claudia MacDonald (2)

Harlequins 31

Tries: Maddy Grant, Lisa Neumann, Ellie Kildunne (2), Claudia Pena