Saracens
PWR Round 4 Preview
Early pace-setters Gloucester Hartpury and Saracens are both at home in Round 4 of the PWR while Exeter Chiefs will be eager to take advantage of any slip-ups from the top two.
The Circus welcome Sale Sharks to Kingsholm while Sarries host Leicester Tigers at the StoneX Stadium in two of three Saturday games, with Trailfinders Women taking on Bristol Bears to complete the 3pm triple-header.
The weekend's action concludes in Devon, where Chiefs - who sit third - play host to Harlequins.
SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER
Saracens v Leicester Tigers – StoneX Stadium - 3pm - live on YouTube
Saracens are bidding for a third consecutive win as they welcome bottom side Leicester Tigers to the StoneX Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts have made nine changes to the side which beat Bristol Bears in Round 3, with Charlotte Wright-Haley starting her first PWR game for three years in the back row.
Elsewhere in the pack, Liz Crake makes her first league start for the club while in the backline, there are changes on both wings as Paige Farries and Lotte Sharp come in.
Jemima McCalman will make her Leicester Tigers PWR debut seven changes to the visitors’ XV.
The Australia international joins Georgie Lingham in the centres, with Zoe Evans set to join the action from the bench and Emily Henrich moving to the wing.
There are five changes in the pack, with Hermione Farmer also set for her PWR debut.
Saracens: 15. Jemma-Jo Linkins, 14. Paige Farries, 13. Sydney Gregson, 12. Emma Hardy, 11. Lotte Sharp (cc), 10. Amelia MacDougall, 9. Tori Sellors; 1. Liz Crake, 2. Bryony Field, 3. Donna Rose, 4. Julia Omokhuale, 5. Rosie Galligan, 6. Georgia Evans, 7. Charlotte Wright-Haley, 8. Poppy Cleall (cc)
Replacements: 16. May Campbell (cc), 17. Chloe Flanagan, 18. Carmen Tremelling, 19. Louise McMillan, 20. Marlie Packer, 21. Olivia Apps, 22. Beth Blacklock, 23. Sarah McKenna
Leicester Tigers: 15 Tess Feury, 14 Grace Deane, 13 Jemima McCalman, 12 Georgie Lingham, 11 Emily Henrich, 10 Kristin Bitter, 9 Jenny Maxwell (c); 1 Ellie Smith, 2 Micke Gunter, 3 Lauren Poole, 4 Hermione Farmer, 5 Emerson Allen, 6 Jordan Russell, 7 Morgan Richardson, 8 Tiana Gordon
Replacements: 16 Alana Bainbridge, 17 Danielle Allen Solly, 18 Clodagh Dunne, 19 Leah Heath, 20 Alicia Watkins, 21 Eneka Labeyrie, 22 Zoe Evans, 23 Karolina Kacirkova
Referee: Becky Piddlesden
Assistant Referees: Pedro Diogo and Simon Park
Oval Insights
Saracens
Saracens Women lead the league in defensive efficiency with 82.8% tackle success rate and 504 total successful tackles this season (both 1st).
Zoe Harrison has recorded 3 try assists (joint 1st) and 738 kick metres (3rd) this season.
May Campbell has won 25 lineout throws (3rd) and made 2 lineout steals (2nd) this season.
Saracens Women have made 166 defensive ruck entries this season (1st) and have the highest goal kick success rate at 85.7% (1st).
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers Women lead the league with 2 attacking catch successes this season and have the highest post-contact metres per carry at 1.6 (1st).
Leicester Tigers Women have missed the most tackles with 97 this season and 48.5 per match (both 1st).
Tess Feury made 59 metres, beat three defenders, and made two clean breaks in Round 2.
Georgie Lingham has made more carries (20), post-contact metres (40), and offloads (six) than any other Leicester player this season.
Gloucester Hartpury v Sale Sharks – Kingsholm - 3pm - live on YouTube
Unbeaten Gloucester Hartpury go in search of four wins from four as they take on Sale Sharks at Kingsholm.
The hosts have made three changes to the side that earned a bonus point win at Harlequins last time out, with Sisilia Tuipulotu, Zoe Stratford and Mia Venner coming in.
Sharks have made six changes, two of them in the front row as Gwen Pyrs and Nick James line up either side of Amy Cokayne.
Sharifa Kosolo, Olivia Ortiz, Nikita Prothero and Evie Wills are also handed starts for a Sale side searching for their second win of the season.
Gloucester Hartpury: 15 Mia Venner, 14 Rachel Lund, 13 Hannah Dallavalle, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Pip Hendy, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Natasha Hunt (CC); 1 El Perry, 2 Neve Jones, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4 Sam Monaghan, 5 Sarah Beckett, 6 Zoe Stratford (CC), 7 Bethan Lewis, 8 Alex Matthews
Replacements: 16 Lucy Simpson, 17 Erin Bradley, 18 Ranni Samuda, 19 Tabitha Copson, 20 Georgia Brock, 21 Bianca Blackburn, 22 Lizzie Goulden, 23 Nel Metcalfe
Sale Sharks: 15. Lizzie Duffy, 14. Rhona Lloyd, 13. Evie Wills, 12. Katana Howard, 11. Nikita Prothero, 10. Holly Aitchison, 9. Olivia Ortiz ;1. Gwen Pyrs, 2. Amy Cokayne ©, 3. Nick James, 4. Iona Antwis, 5. Morwenna Talling, 6. Sharifa Kasolo, 7. Katie Childs, 8. Erica Jarrell-Searcy.
Replacements: 16. Scarlett Fielding, 17. Tysh Harper, 18. Sophie Benavent, 19. Charlotte Fray, 20. Georgie Perris-Redding, 21. Amy Relf, 22. Beatrice Rigoni, 23. Shona Campbell.
Referee: George Ounsley
Assistant Referees: Jason Garrick and Richard Waller
Oval Insights
Gloucester Hartpury
- Gloucester Hartpury are the top scoring team with 18 tries and 120 points this season (both 1st in league).
- Emma Sing has scored 36 points (1st in league) and made 281 metres (3rd) this season.
- Zoe Stratford led the latest round with 2 lineout steals while contributing 63 attacking ruck entries (3rd) this season.
- Gloucester Hartpury have recorded the most visits to the opposition 22 with 48 this season and 16 in the latest round (both 1st).
Sale Sharks
- Sale Sharks have the highest lineout success percentage at 88.1% this season and 91.7% in the latest round (both 1st).
- Rhona Lloyd is joint top try scorer with 4 tries this season (1st) and scored 2 tries in the latest round (joint 1st).
- Amy Cokayne leads the league with 28 lineout throws won and 6 total turnovers won this season.
- Sale Sharks have scored the most maul tries this season with 4 and are the only team with a maul penalty try (1).
Trailfinders Women v Bristol Bears – Trailfinders Sports Ground – 3pm - live on BBC iPlayer
Trailfinders Women and Bristol Bears have the chance to boost themselves up the table when they face off on Saturday.
Both teams have already had a bye week meaning they form the chasing pack, as Bears sit in seventh, with Trailfinders one place back.
It should be a match-up of all-out attack, with Trailfinders having top-scored in Round 3, while Bears have averaged 43 points per game.
The last time Trailfinders hosted Bears it was a thriller with the London side winning 39-38 as Bears missed a crucial conversion kick in the 72nd minute.
After last weekend’s win over Sale Sharks, the hosts have made no changes, while Bristol Bears have brought in Hollie Cunningham at lock for the injured Abbie Ward as they look to bounce back from their defeat to Saracens.
Trailfinders Women: 15 Julia Schell, 14 Grace White, 13 Meg Jones, 12 Carys Cox, 11 Francesca McGhie, 10 Claire Gallagher, 9 Ella Amory; 1 Alivia Leatherman, 2 Georgia Ponsonby, 2 Maya Montiel, 4 Grace Moore, 5 Alana Borland, 6 Rachel Malcolm, Kate Zackary, 8 Abi Burton
Replacements: 16 Niamh Swailes, 17 Cana Williams, 18 Miça Evans, 19 Emma Taylor, 20 Haidee Head, 21 Brooke Bradley, 22 Niamh Gallagher, 23 Rosie Inman
Bristol Bears: 15 Jenny Hesketh, 14 Reneeqa Bonner, 13 Emma Orr, 12 Ella Lovibond, 11 Millie David, 10 Lucie Skuse, 9 Keira Bevan; 1 Simi Pam, 2 Holly Phillips, 3 Sarah Bern, 4 Hollie Cunningham, 5 Delaney Burns, 6 Christiana Balogun, 7 Jenny Herring, 8 Evie Gallagher
Replacements: 16 Amy Dale, 17 Maisie Davies, 18 Aisha Jah, 19 Talia John, 20 Nicola Beet, 21 Tilly Ryall, 22 Savannah Picton-Powell, 23 Jasmine Joyce
Match Officials
Referee: Benjamin Wood
Assistant Referees: Michael Maple & Darryl Chapman
Oval Insights
Trailfinders Women
- Trailfinders Women were the highest scoring team in the latest round with 10 tries and 64 points (both 1st).
- Meg Jones made 111 metres (2nd) and topped the carry distance chart with 155 metres in the latest round (1st).
- Abi Burton has secured 6 total turnovers won (joint 1st) and 2 tackle turnovers won (joint 2nd) this season.
- Trailfinders Women led the latest round with 7 retained kicks and a 30.4% retained kicks percentage (both 1st).
Bristol Bears
- Bristol Bears Women have registered 12 total jackals this season (1st in league), with 5 in the latest round (also 1st).
- Millie David has made 334 carry distance (4th) while beating 14 defenders this season (3rd).
- Keira Bevan leads the league with 3 try assists this season while contributing 1 box kick in the latest round (2nd).
- Bristol Bears Women rank 1st in metres per carry (5.2) and 2nd in post-contact metres per carry (1.5) this season.
Sunday 16 November
Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins – Sandy Park – 12.30pm - live on TNT Sports
Exeter Chiefs welcome Harlequins to Sandy Park in a game that could have huge ramifications come the end of the season.
A year ago, it was Quins who finished strongly, including a dramatic 31-30 win away to Exeter that saw them qualify for the play-offs at the expense of the Devon side.
This season, Chiefs have begun the year with a win, a loss and most recently a draw, conceding a last-gasp try to Loughborough Lightning as they let a lead slip away in Northampton.
They will hope to bounce back against a Quins team who have lost their last two games, to Saracens and then Gloucester Hartpury.
Chiefs have made minimal changes from the side that drew with Loughborough, although the return of Hope Rogers at loosehead prop will be very welcome, while Emily Tuttosi and Gabriella Nigrelli are both promoted to start.
The other change to the starting line-up sees Katie Buchanan get the nod on the bench, while the likes of Amy Rule, Dorothy Wall and Gabby Cantorna should all add impact among the replacements.
Quins have made changes of their own, all in the pack, where Hannah Sims starts at loosehead prop and Layla Sae gets a debut in the second row.
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Merryn Elworthy, 14 Katie Buchanan, 13 Nancy McGillivray, 12 Alexandra Tessier, 11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, 10 Liv McGoverne, 9 Flo Robinson; 1 Hope Rogers, 2 Emily Tuttosi, 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Linde van der Velden, 5 Emily Robinson, 6 Gabrielle Nigrelli, 7 Maisy Allen, 8 Maddie Feaunati
Replacements: 16 Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, 17 Demi Swann, 18 Amy Rule, 19 Dorothy Wall, 20 Zoe Dare, 21 Lucy Nye, 22 Gabby Cantorna, 23 Francesca Granzotto
Harlequins: 15 Ellie Kildunne, 14 Coreen Grant, 13 Claudia Pena, 12 Sarah Parry, 11 Beth Wilcock, 10 Kayleigh Powell, 9 Lucy Packer; 1 Hannah Sims, 2 Carys Phillips, 3 Lizzie Hanlon, 4 Layla Sae, 5 Jade Konkel, 6 Nicole Wythe, 7 Sara Svoboda, 8 Liana Mikaele-Tu’u
Replacements: 16 Maja Mueller, 17 Silvia Turani, 18 Jessie Spurrier, 19 Tyla Shirley, 20 Manuqalo Komaitai, 21 Lucy Burgess, 22 Ella Cromack, 23 Lagi Tuima
Match Officials
Referee: Holly Wood
Assistant Referees: Andy Wigley and Mike Woods
TMO: Nikki O’Donnell
Oval Insights
Exeter Chiefs
- Exeter Chiefs dominate the scrum this season with 25 scrums won from 31 total scrums (both 1st in league).
- Maisy Allen topped the latest round with 28 attacking ruck entries and 24 successful tackles (both 1st in round).
- Emily Robinson leads the league in both attacking ruck entries (84) and total ruck entries (92) this season.
- Claudia Moloney-MacDonald ranks 1st in both metres made (330) and carry distance (387) this season.
Harlequins
- Harlequins lead the league with 26 dominant tackle contacts this season and added 10 more in the latest round (2nd).
- Nicole Wythe has made 35 post-contact metres in the latest round (2nd) and ranks 3rd for dominant contacts this season with 13.
- Beth Wilcock leads the league with 2 interceptions this season while beating 10 defenders (10th).
- Lucy Packer topped the latest round with 3 box kicks while recording 2 try assists this season (4th).
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