PWR Round 18 preview

The final day of the regular PWR season will see play-off positions decided with all four matches kicking off simultaneously in Round 18.

Gloucester Hartpury and Saracens will host semi-finals but who they will face remains uncertain, with Exeter Chiefs and Trailfinders battling over third and fourth.

Elsewhere, there is an East Midlands derby to look forward to as Leicester Tigers host Loughborough Lightning.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Premiership Women’s Rugby (@thepwr)

Sunday 7 June

Exeter Chiefs v Sale Sharks – Sandy Park, 3.30pm – Live on BBC iPlayer

Exeter Chiefs need just one point to make sure of third spot and set up a trip to Saracens in the semi-finals.

Chiefs were comfortable 57-5 victors at Bristol Bears last time out to stretch their winning run to three games, while Sale saw their own four-match run of consecutive triumphs ended by Saracens in Round 16.

Scrum-half Flo Robinson makes her 100th Chiefs appearance, while Liv McGoverne returns from injury to start at fly-half.

She will line up against Holly Aitchison, who joins hooker Amy Cokayne in returning to the Sale line-up.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Premiership Women’s Rugby (@thepwr)

Team News

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Merryn Elworthy, 14 Sabrina Poulin, 13 Alex Tessier, 12 Nancy McGillivray, 11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, 10 Liv McGoverne, 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 Lola Whitley, 18 Abby Middlebrooke, 19 Gabriella Nigrelli, 20 Zoë Dare, 21 Lucy Nye, 22 Danielle Preece, 23 Katie Buchanan

Sale Sharks: 15. Lizzie Duffy, 14. Rhona Lloyd, 13. Beatrice Rigoni, 12. Katana Howard, 11. Shona Campbell, 10. Holly Aitchison, 9. Amy Relf 1. Tysh Harper, 2. Amy Cokayne, 3. Nick James, 4. Erica Jarrell-Searcy, 5. Eva Donaldson, 6. Katie Childs, 7. Georgie Perris-Redding ©, 8. Brittany Hogan.

Replacements: 16. Molly Wright, 17. Leah Bartlett, 18. Sophie Benavent, 19. Charlotte Fray, 20. Sharifa Kasolo, 21. Olivia Ortiz, 22. Laura Perrin, 23. Courtney Keight.

Exeter Chiefs

-       Exeter Chiefs Women lead the league with 2571 total successful tackles this season (1st) and recorded the most team possessions in the latest round with 46 (1st).

-       Alex Tessier dominated the kicking game last round with 430 kick metres (1st) and 6 successful goals (1st).

-       Maisy Allen leads the league with 261 successful tackles this season (1st).

-       DaLeaka Menin has won the most tackle turnovers in the league with 6 this season (joint 1st).

Sale Sharks

-       Sale Sharks Women lead the lineout statistics with 174 lineout throws won (1st) this season.

-       Rhona Lloyd has scored 11 tries this season (joint 3rd) and leads the league with 8 successful attacking catches (1st).

-       Holly Aitchison tops the kicking charts with 137 kicks in play (1st) and 18 retained kicks (joint 1st) this season.

-       Amy Cokayne and Georgie Perris-Redding have both won 6 tackle turnovers this season (joint 1st).

Gloucester Hartpury v Bristol Bears – Kingsholm, 3.15pm – Live on YouTube

Gloucester Hartpury are looking to bounce back from a first defeat of the season as they welcome neighbours Bristol Bears to Kingsholm.

The leaders have long since secured their play-off spot but were unable to keep their invincible campaign going as they narrowly lost out 41-39 in a thriller at Trailfinders last weekend.

Bears also have a point to prove after a heavy home defeat last time out but look set for an eighth-placed finish whatever happens this weekend.

Tatyana Heard and Nel Metcalfe make their returns from injury for the hosts, who give fly-half Ellie Green a first start of the season.

Alisha Joyce makes her final appearance for Bristol Bears, while Evie Gallagher returns from injury to take her place at openside flanker.

Team News

Gloucester Hartpury: 15 Nel Metcalfe, 14 Mia Venner, 13 Hannah Dallavalle, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Abi Pritchard, 10 Ellie Green, 9 Sian Jones; 1 Ellena Perry, 2 Neve Jones, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4 Steph Else, 5 Sarah Beckett (C), 6 Bethan Lewis, 7 Georgia Brock, 8 Jorja Aiono

Replacements: 16 Lucy Simpson, 17 Niamh O'Dowd, 18 Ranni Samuda, 19 Alaw Pyrs, 20 Kate Williams, 21 Meg Davies, 22 Molly Bunker, 23 Lizzie Goulden

Bristol Bears: 15. Ella Lovibond, 14. Reneeqa Bonner, 13. Millie Hyett, 12. Jenna De Vera, 11. Millie David, 10. Keira Bevan, 9. Rhea Clarke; 1. Simi Pam, 2. Amy Dale, 3. Sarah Bern (c), 4. Hollie Cunningham, 5. Delaney Burns, 6. Alisha Joyce, 7. Evie Gallagher, 8. Row Marston-Mulhearn.

Replacements: 16. Holly Phillips, 17. Maisie Davies, 18. Aisha Jah, 19. Christiana Balogun, 20. Demelza Short, 21. Jenny Herring, 22. Lauren Bailey, 23. Charlotte Woodman.

Oval Insights

Gloucester Hartpury

-       Gloucester-Hartpury Women boast the league's most dominant scrum with a 96.6% success rate this season (1st) and achieved a perfect 100% success rate in the latest round (1st).

-       Emma Sing has gained the most carrying metres in the league with 1067 metres made this season (1st).

-       Natasha Hunt leads the league with 15 try assists this season (1st).

-       Lleucu George has accumulated 4013 kicking metres this season (1st) from 129 kicks in play (2nd).

Bristol Bears

-       Bristol Bears Women have beaten the most defenders in the league: 453 this season (1st).

-       Evie Gallagher leads the league with 19 turnovers won in total (1st), of which 17 were jackals (1st) this season.

-       Keira Bevan recorded 235 kick metres (2nd) and 2 box kicks (1st) in the latest round.

-       Christiana Balogun made 26 attacking ruck entries in the latest round (2nd) and has made 184 total successful tackles this season (6th).

Leicester Tigers v Loughborough Lightning – 3.30pm, Mattioli Woods Welford Road – Live on YouTube

Only regional bragging rights are at stake as Leicester Tigers meet Loughborough Lightning.

Tigers will finish bottom of the table no matter the outcome, though they will hope to claim a morale-boosting first win of the campaign against their local rivals.

Lightning could climb to sixth if they win and Sale are beaten at Sandy Park.

Tigers hand another start to Zara Pickwick, who scored against Harlequins last weekend, while Nadine Vincent comes into the pack.

Daisy Hibbert-Jones returns to captain a Lightning side who also hand starts to Keevy Fitzpatrick and Amelia Williams.

Team News

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. Nadine Vincent, 4. Ali Coleman, 5. Emerson Allen, 6. Jordan Russell, 7. Morgan Richardson, 8. Hermione Farmer

Replacements: 16. Alana Bainbridge, 17. Danielle Allen-Solly, 18. Clodagh Dunne, 19. Tiana Gordon, 20. Rowann Sinclair, 21. Eneka Labeyrie, 22. Charlotte Daley, 23. Phoebe Andrews

Loughborough Lightning: 15 Helen Nelson, 14 Bulou Mataitoga, 13 Alev Kelter, 12 Carmela Morrall, 11 Bo Westcombe-Evans, 10 Helena Rowland, 9 Meg Davey; 1 Amelia Williams, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Christine Belisle, 4 Keevy Fitzpatrick, 5 Becky Boyd, 6 Daisy Hibbert-Jones (c), 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Haineala Lutui
Replacements: 16 Paige Stathopoulos, 17 Isla Curphey, 18 Grace Clifford, 19 Kaya Acton, 20 Tahlia Brody, 21 Aiobhe Kelly, 22 Lia Green, 23 Lucia Scott

Oval Insights

Leicester Tigers

-       Leicester Tigers Women lead the restart statistics with 10 restarts retained (1st) and 6.8% restarts retained (1st) this season.

-       Jemima McCalman topped the latest round with 3 turnovers won (1st) and scored 2 tries (joint 3rd).

-       Micke Gunter has thrown 116 successful lineouts this season (1st).

-       Kristin Bitter recorded the best goal kick success percentage in the latest round at 80% (1st).

Loughborough Lightning

-       Loughborough Lightning lead the competition with 3261 attacking ruck entries this season (1st).

-       Alev Kelter has beaten the most defenders in the league with 100 this season (1st).

-       Haineala Lutui leads the carrying stats with 234 carries (1st) and 339 post-contact metres (1st) this season.

-       Helen Nelson has retained the most kicks with 18 this season (joint 1st) and recorded the second-most kicking metres with 3894.

Saracens v Trailfinders Women – StoneX Stadium, 3.15pm – Live on TNT Sports

Two sides bound for the play-offs meet in a London derby to round off the regular season at StoneX Stadium.

They could yet meet again but that would take an unlikely set of circumstances, with Trailfinders five points behind Exeter Chiefs. They would need a bonus-point victory, Chiefs to record no points, and a 101-point swing.

Saracens know they will be back on home turf in the semi-finals and are bidding for a third consecutive win.

Paige Farries, who scored a hat-trick against Loughborough Lightning last time out, switches from wing to full-back while Sophie de Goede makes her first StoneX appearance for more than two years.

Five players are set to make their PWR debuts for Trailfinders. Lauren Leone starts on the wing, with Mikiela Nelson, Gabby Brown, Scarlet Down and Poppy Love named among the replacements.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Premiership Women’s Rugby (@thepwr)

Team News

Saracens: 15. ⁠Paige Farries, 14. ⁠Alysha Corrigan, 13. ⁠Emma Hardy, 12. ⁠Sophie Bridger, 11. ⁠Lotte Sharp, 10. ⁠Zoe Harrison (cc), 9. ⁠Olivia Apps; 1. ⁠Liz Crake, 2. ⁠Bryony Field, 3. ⁠Donna Rose, 4. ⁠Julia Omokhuale, 5. ⁠Louise McMillan, 6. ⁠Gabrielle Senft, 7. ⁠Marlie Packer (cc), 8. ⁠Sophie de Goede

Replacements: 16. ⁠Carmen Tremelling, 17. ⁠Chloe Flanagan, 18. ⁠Kelsey Clifford, 19. ⁠Georgia Evans, 20. ⁠Poppy Cleall, 21. ⁠Amelia MacDougall, 22. ⁠Beth Blacklock, 23. ⁠Jess Breach

Trailfinders: 15. Rosie Inman, 14. Grace White, 13. Vicky Laflin, 12. Celia Quansah, 11. Lauren Leone, 10. Niamh Gallagher, 9. Sophie Molton; 1. Annabel Meta, 2. Cristina Blanco (C), 3. Cassandra Tuffnail, 4. Amelia Buckland-Hurry, 5. Emma Taylor, 6. Niamh Swailes, 7. Sally Williams, 8. Grace Moore

Replacements: 16. Amanda McQuade, 17. Mikiela Nelson, 18. Maya Montiel, 19. Gabby Brown, 20. Scarlet Down, 21. Hayley Jones, 22. Poppy Love, 23. Carys Cox

Oval Insights

Saracens

-       Saracens Women lead the league with 101 tries and 661 points this season.

-       Sydney Gregson dominated the latest round with 5 tries scored and 5 initial breaks (both ranked 1st).

-       May Campbell tops the league's try-scoring chart with 12 tries this season (joint 1st).

-       Zoe Harrison created 3 try assists (1st in round) while converting 5 successful goals (2nd in round).

Trailfinders Women

-       Trailfinders Women lead the defensive stats with 81.6% tackle success (1st) and 118 dominant tackle contacts (1st) this season.

-       Georgia Ponsonby threw the most successful lineouts in the latest round with 15 (1st).

-       Alana Borland led the round with 27 attacking ruck entries (1st) and has recorded 12 dominant tackle contacts this season (4th).

-       Carys Cox and Meg Jones both secured 2 retained kicks in the latest round (joint 1st), with Cox also beating 8 defenders (2nd) and Jones making 16 carries (2nd).