PWR Semi-Final Preview

The Premiership Women’s Rugby Semi-Finals are upon us as the league looks forward to knockout rugby once more.

Reigning champions Gloucester Hartpury will host semi-final debutants Trailfinders Women in the first crunch clash of the weekend, with the chance of a fourth consecutive final appearance on the line as they chase a fourth title in a row.

And Sunday will then serve up a meeting between Saracens and Exeter Chiefs with the former chasing their second consecutive final and fourth PWR title.

Both games will be available to watch on live broadcast, with Gloucester Hartpury's home tie at Queensholm live across BBC iPlayer and TNT Sports, while the action at the StoneX Stadium will be live on TNT Sports, too.

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Sunday 14 June

Gloucester Hartpury v Trailfinders Women – Queensholm, 2pm – Live on BBC iPlayer & TNT Sports

Gloucester Hartpury hold all the experience in this first versus fourth semi-final, but enter with the worst form of all the top four sides.

The Circus have lost their previous two matches, including 41-39 defeat to Trailfinders on the penultimate weekend of the regular season.

The visitors will be keen to cause an upset in their first appearance in the semi-finals but will also need to turn around a defeat of their own, having lost 80-14 to Saracens on the final day.

With that aim, PWR Director of Rugby of the Season Barney Maddison has made 14 changes from his rotated team last weekend, with Grace White the only player to keep her spot as she moves from right to left wing.

For Gloucester Hartpury, who are looking to sustain an era of dominance and claim the outright most PWR titles, Dan Murphy has made a host of changes of his own.

As they bid farewell to a series of legends, departing Sarah Beckett captains the side from second row in her final home game at Queensholm.

The front row has undergone a revamp from their most recent defeat to Bristol Bears, with Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Jones and Maud Muir all returning to the starting line-up.

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Team News

Gloucester Hartpury: 15 Nel Metcalfe, 14 Mia Venner, 13 Hannah Dallavalle, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Rachel Lund, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Sian Jones; 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 El Perry, 18 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 19 Jorja Aiono, 20 Alaw Pyrs, 21 Bianca Blackburn, 22 Molly Bunker, 23 Lizzie Goulden

Trailfinders Women: 15 Niamh Gallagher, 14 Carys Cox, 13 Meg Jones, 12 Emma Uren, 11 Grace White, 10 Claire Gallagher, 9 Isla Norman-Bell; 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 Cristina Blanco, 17 Annabel Meta, 18 Cassandra Tuffnail, 19 Emma Taylor, 20 Sally Williams, 21 Sophie Molton, 22 Celia Quansah, 23 Rosie Inman

Oval Insights

Gloucester Hartpury

• Gloucester Hartpury are leading the league in post-contact metres this season, having accumulated 2,794 metres after contact across all matches.

• Emma Sing is leading the league in points per 80 minutes at 11.3, and also tops the charts for metres made per 80 minutes at 105.9.

• Gloucester Hartpury are leading the league in visits to the opposition 22, having entered that zone 238 times this season.

• Lleucu George is leading the league in total kick metres this season with 4,013, and also tops the charts for kicks in play per 80 minutes at 10.1.

Trailfinders Women

• Trailfinders Women are leading the league in tackle success percentage at 80.8% and also top the charts for total successful tackles with 2,688 this season.

• Maia Roos is leading the league in lineout steals per 80 minutes at 1.0, having stolen 8 (2nd) lineouts in total this season.

• Georgia Ponsonby had a standout performance in the most recent meeting between these sides, scoring a try and winning 15 lineout throws while making 6 tackles.

• Niamh Gallagher is leading the league in kick metres per kick with 36.1.

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Saracens v Exeter Chiefs – StoneX Stadium, 4.30pm – Live on TNT Sports

While Saracens bring recent experience of PWR Semi-Final triumph, having made it the final last year, it is Exeter Chiefs who enter as the in-form team.

Chiefs have won their last four matches in a row, most recently racing to 50-24 victory over Sale Sharks on the final day of the regular season, and have final history of their own.

The south west outfit reached the decisive game in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 but lost out to this year’s semi-final opponents at the first time of asking before succumbing to Gloucester Hartpury at the second.

With the aim of making it back to that hallowed final for third time lucky, Steve Salvin has made just two changes from the Sale victory.

Sabrina Poulin comes in at full-back and is joined by Katie Buchanan on the right wing, while Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald is also fit to start after coming off with a HIA last weekend.

Saracens, however, have form of their own, having won their last three matches, including an emphatic 80-14 victory over fellow semi-finalists Trailfinders Women last time out.

They will bid to reclaim the outright most PWR titles this year with a second successive final spot as Alex Austerberry makes three changes.

Julia Omokhuale is reunited with fellow Canadian Laetitia Royer in the second row while Sydney Gregson comes into the midfield at outside centre.

And as Jess Breach returns at full-back, there will be added impetus for the home side as they give Marlie Packer a fitting send-off in her final home game at the StoneX.

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Team News

Saracens: 15 Jess Breach, 14 Alysha Corrigan, 13 Sydney Gregson, 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 Laetitia Royer, 6 Gabrielle Senft, 7 Marlie Packer (CC), 8 Sophie de Goede

Replacements: 16 Carmen Tremelling, 17 Kelsey Clifford, 18 Chloe Flanagan, 19 Georgia Evans, 20 Poppy Cleall, 21 Tori Sellors, 22 Amelia MacDougall, 23 Emma Hardy

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Sabrina Poulin, 14 Katie Buchanan, 13 Alex Tessier, 12 Nancy McGillivray, 11 Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, 10 Liv McGoverne, 9 Flo Robinson; 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, 8 DaLeaka Menin

Replacements: 16 Emily Tuttosi, 17 Abby Middlebrooke, 18 Lola Whitley, 19 Gabriella Nigrelli, 20 Zoë Dare, 21 Lucy Nye, 22 Damielle Preece, 23 Merryn Elworthy

Oval Insights

Saracens

• Poppy Cleall leads the league in offloads this season with 28, averaging 3.1 per 80 minutes, contributing to Saracens' position as the top offloading team in the Premiership Women's Rugby with 258 offloads overall.

• Saracens have scored 113 tries this season, more than any other side in the league, and have accumulated 741 points in total, also a league-leading figure.

• Zoe Harrison leads the league in both successful goals with 71 and total points with 146, underlining her status as the most prolific individual scorer in the competition this season.

• Saracens have made 9,319 carry metres this season, more than any other team in the league, and have won 117 turnovers, also a league-leading total.

Exeter Chiefs

• Claudia Moloney-MacDonald was Exeter Chiefs' standout performer in their most recent match vs Sale, scoring 4 tries, making 6 clean breaks, and covering 145 metres.

• Exeter Chiefs lead the league in total scrums with 161, and scrums won with 131 this season, demonstrating a dominant set-piece platform that rivals will need to contain.

• Emily Robinson leads the league in both total ruck entries with 392 and attacking ruck entries with 351.

• Exeter Chiefs lead the league in both kick metres with 9,166 this season and average 29.6 metres per kick.