PWR Round 3: Away day delight as Trailfinders, Gloucester and Saracens all triumph

Trailfinders Women kicked off the weekend with a statement win away to Sale Sharks in round three of Premiership Women's Rugby.

Gloucester Hartpury then made it three wins from three in Sunday's early start as they battled back to beat Harlequins.

In Sunday's later kick-offs, Loughborough Lightning and Exeter Chiefs couldn't be separated after a thriller in the East Midlands while Saracens comfortably beat Bristol Bears

Trailfinders up and running

Trailfinders Women claimed their first win of the season with an emphatic 64-22 win away to Sale Sharks.

Georgia Ponsonby’s early maul try gave the visitors the lead, although that was quickly cancelled out by Rhona Lloyd’s first try of the afternoon.

From there, Trailfinders seized control, Abi Burton running in from nearly halfway before scores from Fran McGhie and Meg Jones brought up the bonus point.

Amy Cokayne responded for Sharks, but further tries from Grace White and Julia Schell made it 36-12 at the break.

Carys Cox added another for the visitors shortly after half-time, but just after the hour, Lloyd got in for her second to cut the deficit.

Any chance of a comeback was quickly extinguished though as Cox and Schell each grabbed their second scores, either side of Rosie Inman to put the game out of sight.

Sharks did nab a late bonus point though, Lloyd completing her hat-trick at the death.

Sale Sharks 22

Tries: Lloyd (3), Cokayne

Conversions: Aitchison

Ealing Trailfinders 64

Tries: Ponsonby, Burton, McGhie, Jones, White, Schell (2), Cox (2), Inman

Conversions: Jones (6), Gallagher

Gloucester fight back to claim bonus-point win

Gloucester Hartpury produced a thrilling second-half comeback to earn a bonus-point victory against Harlequins – fighting back from 26-14 down to win 33-26.

Co-captain Natasha Hunt gave the three-time defending champions the lead early on as she opportunistically crossed over after electing to tap-and-go from a penalty.

Quins levelled through skipper Jade Konkel after a powerful carry from Nicole Wythe got the hosts within metres of the line, before Silvia Turani forced her way over to put the home side ahead.

Momentum regularly shifted between both sides at The Stoop, and it went back the way of the Circus after Emma Sing was able to convert her own try to put the league-leaders 14-12 up.

Hannah Dallavalle was shown a yellow card for obstruction five minutes from the end of the first half and Quins made the most of their numerical advantage as Carys Phillips peeled off the back of a driving maul to score.

Claudia Peña’s second conversion of the afternoon ensured Quins led 19-14 at the break.

Sarah Parry extended Quins’ advantage a minute into the second half, giving them a bonus point in the process, but then Gloucester’s comeback kicked into gear.

Sam Monaghan’ try reduced the deficit to 26-19 before Alex Matthews’ bonus-point effort, and Sing’s conversion, brought parity to the scoreline.

The turnaround was then completed by Mia Venner with nine minutes to go, and despite Quins’ best efforts to snatch something from the clash, the Cherry & Whites held on for their third win of the season.

Harlequins 26

Tries: Konkel, Turani, Phillips, Parry

Conversions: Peña (3)

Gloucester Hartpury 33

Tries: Hunt, Sing, Monaghan, Matthews, Venner

Conversions: Sing (4)

Loughborough and Exeter inseparable during 66-point thriller 

Loughborough Lightning and Exeter Chiefs shared the spoils at cinch Stadium @ Franklin's Gardens after playing out an entertaining 33-33 draw.

World Cup winner Sadia Kabeya put Lightning in front after 10 minutes thanks to a close-range finish following Keia Mae Sagapolu's electric break.

The visitors drew level five minutes later when DaLeaka Menin drove under the posts, but Alev Kelter handed the team in African Violet back the advantage midway through the first half, crossing over after finding a gap before Helen Nelson knocked over the extras.

Exeter refused to lie down and found parity for a second time just before the break as Maisy Allen scrambled over.

Liv McGoverne then added her second conversion of the afternoon to make the score 14-14.

Exeter started the faster of the two sides after the break as Claudia Moloney-MacDonald was involved in two tries within three minutes.

The winger firstly put Exeter ahead when she skilfully scooped up a loose ball on her way over the try line before brilliantly breaking in the build-up to Emily Robinson’s bonus-point score.

Lightning did not roll over however and wiped-out Exeter’s lead through Kelter’s second try – scoring after a glorious fend – and Lucy Calladine’s finish – Lightning’s fourth - in the right corner after a maul.

Menin added her second try of the afternoon which looked to have settled proceedings in favour of Exeter, but Meg Davey crossed over in the 80th minute and Nelson’s fearless conversion ensured the points were shared. 

Loughborough Lightning 33

Tries: Kabeya, Kelter (2), Calladine, Davey

Conversions: Nelson (4)

Exeter Chiefs 33

Tries: Menin (2), Allen, Moloney-MacDonald, Robinson

Conversions: McGoverne (4)

 

Saracens prove too strong for Bristol

Saracens made it two wins from their last two fixtures with a comfortable 33-12 win over Bristol Bears at Shaftesbury Park.

Ella Lovibond gave Bristol the lead after eight minutes but Olivia Apps’ converted effort – scoring from the base of the scrum – handed momentum to Saracens.

That two-point advantage extended to nine midway through the first half when May Campbell crossed over after a driving lineout.

Evie Gallagher crashed over from close range which, combined with Keira Bevan’s conversion, reduced Bristol’s arrears to two points, but Sarries then turned the screw.

After Christiana Balogun was yellow carded on 33 minutes, Alysha Corrigan made the player advantage count when she crossed over in the corner.

Leading 21-12 at the break, the North Londoners scored their fourth converted try through Kelsey Clifford after both Sydney Gregson and Holly Phillips had been sin-binned.

Bryony Field then rounded out the scoring after a dazzling run down the run wing before grounding in the corner.

Bristol Bears 12

Tries: Lovibond, Gallagher

Conversions: Bevan

Saracens 33

Tries: Apps, Campbell, Corrigan, Clifford, Field

Conversions: Harrison (4)