News
PWR Round 17 Preview
Premiership Women’s Rugby is back after the Red Roses’ successful defence of their Guinness Women’s Six Nations crown and there’s still plenty to play for going into Round 17.
Trailfinders Women host league-leaders and three-time defending champions Gloucester Hartpury to kick off the action on Friday night.
The two matches on Saturday see Bristol Bears face Exeter Chiefs at 1pm followed by Harlequins’ battle with Leicester Tigers at 2.30pm.
The weekend will then be rounded off with Saracens’ visit to the East Midlands to take on Loughborough Lightning.
Here is everything you need to know.
Friday 29th May
Trailfinders Women v Gloucester Hartpury – 7.30pm – Live on BBC iPlayer
Gloucester Hartpury travel to Trailfinders Sports Club knowing a win would secure them top spot in the PWR table heading into the Play-Offs.
The West Country outfit have won all 14 of their regular season matches so far this term and go into the clash in West London as favourites to extend that run to 15.
There is a welcome return from injury for Mackenzie Carson, who is set to make her first appearance in 14 months after a long spell on the sidelines.
Jade Shekells also returns from injury to start in midfield alongside Hannah Dallavalle.
Trailfinders Women meanwhile know that a win at home would see them secure the fourth and final top four spot and are boosted by the return of skipper Kate Zackary.
Team News
Trailfinders Women: 15 Niamh Gallagher, 14 Carys Cox, 13 Meg Jones, 12 Emma Uren, 11 Grace White, 10 Claire Gallagher, 9 Ella Amory; 1 Alivia Leatherman, 2 Georgia Ponsonby, 3 Maya Montiel, 4 Alana Borland, 5 Emma Wassell, 6 Haidee Head, 7 Kate Zackary (C), 8 Abi Burton
Replacements: 16 Cris Blanco, 17 Annabel Meta, 18 Cassandra Tuffnail, 19 Emma Taylor, 20 Sally Williams, 21 Isla Norman-Bell, 22 Vicky Laflin, 23 Rosie Inman
Gloucester Hartpury: 15 Emma Sing, 14 Mia Venner, 13 Hannah Dallavalle, 12 Jade Shekells, 11 Abi Pritchard, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Bianca Blackburn; 1 Mackenzie Carson, 2 Kelsey Jones, 3 Maud Muir, 4 Sam Monaghan, 5 Sarah Beckett (C), 6 Steph Else, 7 Bethan Lewis, 8 Georgia Brock
Replacements: 16 Neve Jones, 17 Niamh O'Dowd, 18 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 19 Alaw Pyrs, 20 Tabitha Copson, 21 Sian Jones, 22 Ellie Green, 23 Molly Bunker
Saturday 30th May
Bristol Bears v Exeter Chiefs – 1pm – Live on YouTube
Bristol Bears’ semi-final hopes may be mathematically over, but they severely dented Harlequins’ in Round 16 and are determined to bloody the nose of playoff-bound Exeter Chiefs.
Watched on by a club-record crowd at Principality Stadium in the last round of games before the Six Nations break, Emma Orr scored two second-half tries to overturn a 14-5 half-time deficit to win 17-14 in Ruahei Demant’s last game.
They are 12 points off the top four with two games to go and are already looking ahead to next season, with fly-half Millie Hyett set for her debut.
The England U20 international, who joined the club from Gloucester-Hartpury in February, starts at No.10 for the clash after Meryl Smith was ruled out through injury.
Simi Pam, fresh from a contract extension, starts at loosehead while on the bench there’s a return for Alisha Joyce, who makes her first appearance for the Bears since returning from maternity leave.
Exeter are third and already assured of a semi-final place, while they are unable to catch high-flying Gloucester Hartpury and Saracens above them.
An ankle sprain in training means Liv McGoverne is out this week and Merryn Elworthy will start in her place.
No.8 Maddie Feaunati will also miss the game with a knee injury. Tighthead prop DaLeaka Menin, famed for her work in the loose, has been selected in the back row to replace her.
Team News
Bristol Bears: 15 Jenny Hesketh, 14 Reneeqa Bonner, 13 Ella Lovibond, 12 Jenna De Vera, 11 Millie David, 10 Millie Hyett, 9 Keira Bevan; 1 Simi Pam, 2 Amy Dale, 3 Sarah Bern (c), 4 Christiana Balogun, 5 Delaney Burns, 6 Demelza Short, 7 Jenny Herring, 8 Rownita Marston-Mulhearn.
Replacements: 16 Jess Sprague, 17 Maisie Davies, 18 Elliann Clarke, 19 Hollie Cunningham, 20 Pamphinette Buisa, 21 Alisha Joyce, 22 Rhea Clarke, 23 Chloe Daniels.
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Sabrina Poulin, 14 Katie Buchanan, 13 Alex Tessier, 12 Nancy McGillivray, 11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, 10 Merryn Elworthy, 9 Flo Robinson (vc); 1 Hope Rogers, 2 Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, 3 Amy Rule, 4 Linde van der Velden, 5 Dorothy Wall, 6 Emily Robinson (c), 7 Maisy Allen (vc), 8 DaLeaka Menin
Replacements: 16 Emily Tuttosi, 17 Demi Swann, 18 Abby Duguid, 19 Gabriella Nigrelli, 20 Zoë Dare, 21 Lucy Nye, 22 Naomi Brennan, 23 Francesca Granzotto
Harlequins v Leicester Tigers – 2.30pm – Live on YouTube
Harlequins need to beat Leicester Tigers and hope results go their way in the next fortnight to stand any chance of reaching the semi-finals.
Quins host the Tigers in their final game of the season and sit four points off fourth-place Trailfinders Women. If Trailfinders win either of their remaining games, Quins are out of it – with their surprise defeat to Bristol Bears last time out potentially costly.
Jade Konkel, on the eve of her final home appearance, starts at flanker, while Laura Delgado, who announced her impending retirement from the game earlier this month is on the bench. Sarah Bonar returns from injury to make her first appearance of the season.
For Leicester, who are winless so far this season, scrum-half Zara Pickwick makes her first start for Leicester Tigers in place of Eneka Labeyrie to partner with Captain Tess Feury, while Eve Slater comes in for Georgie Lingham.
Team News
Harlequins: 15 Kayleigh Powell, 14 Lauren Torley, 13 Claudia Peña, 12 Lagi Tuima, 11 Freya Aucken, 10 Ella Cromack, 9 Lucy Packer; 1 Silvia Turani, 2 Connie Powell, 3 Lizzie Hanlon, 4 Fi McIntosh, 5 Danelle Lochner, 6 Abbie Fleming, 7 Sara Svoboda, 8 Jade Konkel (C)
Replacements: 16 Maja Meuller, 17 Zara Green, 18 Laura Delgado, 19 Sarah Bonar, 20 Maja Meuller, 21 Lucy Burgess, 22 Izzy Mayhew, 23 Coreen Grant
Leicester Tigers: 15 Kristin Bitter, 14 Eve Slater, 13 Emily Henrich, 12 Jemima McCalman, 11 Karolina Kacirkova, 10 Tess Feury ©, 9 Zara Pickwick; 1 Katherine Baverstock, 2 Micke Gunter, 3 Clodagh Dunne, 4 Rowann Sinclair, 5 Emerson Allen, 6 Hermione Farmer, 7 Morgan Richardson, 8 Ali Coleman
Replacements: 16 Alana Bainbridge, 17 Ellie Smith, 18 Nadine Vincent, 19 Kat Turner, 20 Jordan Russell, 21 Eneka Labeyrie, 22 Amelie Anstead, 23 Phoebe Andrews
Sunday 31st May
Loughborough Lightning v Saracens – 12pm – Live on TNT Sports & HBO Max
Unless unbeaten Gloucester Hartpury suffer back-to-back defeats to end the season and they win both of theirs, Saracens are locked into second place in the PWR table.
The three-time champions have their minds set on the semi-finals and will be delighted to welcome back No.8 Sophie de Goede for the first time since October – and the first time since she was named World Player of the Year. Marlie Packer, back from an impressive Six Nations, is alongside her in the back row.
Lightning are out of top-four contention but have certainly entertained this season and will be desperate to end on a high.
All four of Loughborough Lightning’s Six Nations Grand Slam‑winning stars start, with Helena Rowland at full-back, Lilli Ives Campion in the second row and Sadia Kabeya PWR Breakthrough Player of the Season (The Rugby Awards) nominee Haineala Lutui in the backrow.
Team News
Loughborough Lightning: 15 Helena Rowland, 14 Fancy Bermudez, 13 Bulou Mataitoga, 12 Carmela Morrall, 11 Bo Westcombe-Evans, 10 Helen Nelson (C), 9 Meg Davey; 1 Isla Curphey, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Christine Belisle, 4 Lilli Ives Campion, 5 Becky Boyd, 6 Alev Kelter, 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Haineala Lutui
Replacements: 16 Paige Stathopoulos, 17 Amelia Williams, 18 Grace Clifford, 19 Keevy Fitzpatrick, 20 Kaya Acton, 21 Kendall Waudby, 22 Aoibhe Kelly, 23 Lucia Scott
Saracens: 15 Jess Breach, 14 Paige Farries, 13 Sydney Gregson, 12 Sophie Bridger, 11 Lotte Sharp, 10 Zoe Harrison (c), 9 Tori Sellors; 1 Liz Crake, 2 Bryony Field, 3 Donna Rose, 4 Julia Omokhuale, 5 Laetitia Royer, 6 Gabrielle Senft, 7 Marlie Packer, 8 Sophie de Goede
Replacements: 16 Daisy Fitzgerald, 17 Chloe Flanagan, 18 Carmen Tremelling, 19 Jodie Verghese, 20 Georgia Evans, 21 Amelia MacDougall, 22 Emma Hardy, 23 Beth Blacklock
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