PWR Round 10 preview

Leaders Gloucester-Hartpury head to Sale Sharks in Round 10 in a match which pits two siblings against each other.

Sarah Beckett lines up in the second row for the Circus, while her brother Charlie is part of the Sharks coaching team – read more about the pair here as they look ahead to a clash they are calling ‘dad’s dream’.

Elsewhere, Bristol Bears host Trailfinders, third plays fourth as Harlequins host Exeter Chiefs and second-placed Saracens head to Leicester Tigers.

Saturday 7 February

Bristol Bears v Trailfinders Women – Shaftesbury Park – 12:00pm on YouTube

Both teams were on the opposite sides of thrillers when the PWR returned from the winter break last weekend.

Hosts Bristol Bears scraped a 30-29 victory at home against Sale Sharks thanks to an 82nd-minute Keira Bevan penalty goal to take needed points in the league.

They sit eighth, 12 points behind opponents Trailfinders who will hope to make up for their agonising 27-26 loss at home to local rivals Harlequins last time out.

An 81st-minute converted try saw Trailfinders lose out on the points against Quins, and they have made two changes to try and ensure that does not happen again.

Niamh Gallagher comes in for Rosie Inman at fullback, while Haidee Head starts as captain Kate Zackary covers Abi Burton in the number eight.

Bears make three changes, with Scotland international Lana Skeldon earning her first start of the season at hooker and Jenna De Vera back on the bench after a long spell on the sidelines.

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Team news:

Bristol Bears: 15 Ella Lovibond, 14 Reneeqa Bonner, 13 Emma Orr, 12 Meryl Smith, 11 Millie David, 10 Ruahei Demant (CC), 9 Keira Bevan; 1 Maisie Davies, 2 Lana Skeldon, 3 Sarah Bern (CC), 4 Hollie Cunningham, 5 Christiana Balogun, 6 Demelza Short, 7 Pamphinette Buisa, 8 Evie Gallagher

Replacements: 16 Amy Dale, 17 Aisha Jah, 18 Izzy Van Der Straaten, 19 Nicola Beet, 20 Gwennan Hopkins, 21 Tilly Ryall, 22 Jenna De Vera, 23 Chloe Daniels

Trailfinders Women: 15 Niamh Gallagher, 14 Grace White, 13 Emma Uren, 12 Carys Cox, 11 Vicky Lafflin, 10 Claire Gallagher, 9 Brooke Bradley; 1 Alivia Leatherman, 2 Georgia Ponsonby, 3 Maya Montiel, 4 Maia Roos, 5 Alana Borland, 6 Rachel Malcolm, 7 Haidee Head, 8 Kate Zackary (C)

Replacements: 16 Cristina Blanco, 17 Annabel Meta, 18 Cassandra Tuffnail, 19 Emma Taylor, 20 Grace Moore, 21 Ella Amory, 22 Jess Cooksey, 23 Ellie Boatman

Match officials

Referee: Natarsha Ganley

Assistant referees: Jack Sutton and Simon Adams

Oval Insights

Bristol Bears

• Bristol Bears Women lead the Premiership with 59 total turnovers won and 34 jackals this season, demonstrating exceptional breakdown dominance.
• Reneeqa Bonner has recorded 526 metres made (4th in league) while creating a league-leading 14 initial breaks this season.
• Evie Gallagher leads the team's turnover efforts with 15 total turnovers won (1st in league) while contributing 14 offloads (3rd in league).
• The Bears' scrum has been perfect in the latest round with a 100% success rate, complemented by Sarah Bern who ranks 2nd in the league for post-contact metres per carry (2.4).

Trailfinders Women

• Trailfinders Women boast the league's best tackle success percentage both in the latest round (90.0%) and across the season (81.5%).
• Rachel Malcolm made 30 successful tackles in the latest round (most in round) while Alana Borland has made 122 successful tackles this season (2nd in league).
• Georgia Ponsonby has scored 6 tries this season (3rd in Premiership) and won 6 lineout throws in the latest round (4th most).
• The team won 7 mauls in the latest round (most in league) and has recorded 71 dominant tackle contacts this season (most in Premiership).

Sale Sharks v Gloucester-Hartpury – Morson Stadium – 12:30pm on BBC iPlayer

Sale Sharks are keeping the faith in the side that lost out to the last kick of the game last weekend as Tom Hudson names an unchanged side.

Sharks fell to an agonising 30-29 defeat to Bristol on the road, and face tough opposition in reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury as they aim to bounce back.

While the Circus sit pretty five points clear at the top of the table after their victory over Loughborough Lightning last time out, Sharks sit 26 points behind the league leaders in seventh.

Gloucester flex their depth with four changes as Niamh O’Dowd, Pip Hendy, Sisilia Tuipulotu and Alex Matthews all starting.

Team news:

Gloucester Hartpury: 15 Emma Sing, 14 Mia Venner, 13 Hannah Dallavalle, 12 Jade Shekells, 11 Pip Hendy, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Natasha Hunt (C); 1 Niamh O'Dowd, 2 Kelsey Jones, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4 Sam Monaghan, 5 Sarah Beckett, 6 Steph Else, 7 Georgia Brock, 8 Alex Matthews

Replacements: 16 Lucy Simpson, 17 Ranni Samuda, 18 Maud Muir, 19 Kate Williams, 20 Bethan Lewis, 21 Sian Jones, 22 Tatyana Heard, 23 Rachel Lund

Sale Sharks: 15 Lizzie Duffy, 14 Rhona Lloyd, 13 Evie Wills, 12 Katana Howard, 11 Shona Campbell, 10 Holly Aitchison, 9 Olivia Ortiz; 1 Gwen Pyrs, 2 Milly Hyndman, 3 Nick James, 4 Morwenna Talling, 5 Erica Jarrell-Searcy, 6 Georgie Perris-Redding (C), 7 Katie Childs, 8 Sharifa Kasolo

Replacements: 16 Amy Cokayne, 17 Tysh Harper, 18 Sophie Benavent, 19 Brittany Hogan, 20 Iona Antwis, 21 Amy Relf, 22 Asia Hogan-Rochester, 23 Courtney Keight

Match officials:

Referee: Andrew Jackson

Assistant referees: Calum Howard and Simon Park

Oval Insights

Sale Sharks

• Sale Sharks Women recorded 198 post-contact metres and 1.3 post-contact metres per carry in the latest round (both 1st in league).
• Shona Campbell and Rhona Lloyd have both scored 7 tries this season (joint 1st in league), with Lloyd also recording 4 attacking catch successes (most in Premiership).
• Katana Howard ranks 2nd in the league for carries (94) and has accumulated 651 carry distance (5th in league).
• The team leads the Premiership with 154 possessions in opposition half this season, backed by a league-best 85.0% lineout success percentage.

Gloucester-Hartpury

• Gloucester-Hartpury Women lead the Premiership in both tries scored (55) and points (363) this season.
• Emma Sing has gained more metres than any other player in the league with 810 metres made, including a round-best 166 carry distance in the latest match.
• Nel Metcalfe scored 3 tries in the latest round (most in round) and has accumulated 6 tries this season (3rd in Premiership).
• The team boasts a 91.7% lineout success rate in the latest round (1st in league) and has secured 15 lineout steals this season (most in Premiership).

Sunday 8 February

Leicester Tigers v Saracens, Mattioli Woods Welford Road, 1pm – live on YouTube

Saracens make the trip to Leicester Tigers hoping to return to the top of the table.

Sarries were knocked off the summit in their bye week last weekend, as Gloucester Hartpury made it eight wins from eight to leapfrog them.

They will want nothing less than all five points against bottom side Leicester, who will want to put on a show at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

Tigers make one change to their backline, with Eneka Labeyrie coming in for Jenny Maxwell at scrum half, while Leah Heath comes into the second row alongside Deni Ross.

Jodie Verghese makes her first PWR start for Saracens in the second row, while Marlie Packer will operate at No.8.

Tori Sellors starts at scrum-half alongside Zoe Harrison, while Sophie Bridger and Sydney Gregson combine in the centres.

Leicester Tigers: 15. Tess Feury, 14. Eve Slater, 13. Emily Henrich, 12. Jemima McCalman, 11. Karolina Kacirkova, 10. Kristin Bitter, 9. Eneka Labeyrie; 1. Ellie Smith, 2. Micke Gunter, 3. Nadine Vincent, 4. Leah Heath, 5. Deni Ross, 6. Jordan Russell, 7. Morgan Richardson, 8. Hermione Farmer

Replacements: 16. Alicia Watkins, 17. Beth Cregan, 18. Clodagh Dunne, 19. Tiana Gordon, 20. Phoebe Andrews, 21. Jenny Maxwell, 22. Abileigh Priestnall, 23. Zoe Evans

Saracens: 15 Jess Breach, 14 Paige Farries, 13 Sydney Gregson, 12 Sophie Bridger, 11 Lotte Sharp, 10 Zoe Harrison, 9 Tori Sellors; 1 Liz Crake, 2 May Campbell, 3 Donna Rose, 4 Jodie Verghese, 5 Louise McMillan, 6 Georgia Evans, 7 Julia Omokhuale, 8 Marlie Packer

Replacements: 16 Bryony Field, 17 Kelsey Clifford, 18 Carmen Tremelling, 19 Charlotte Wright-Haley, 20 Poppy Cleall, 21 Sarah McKenna, 22 Emma Hardy, 23 Amelia MacDougall

Referee: Charlie Gayther

Assistant Referees: George Ounsley and Jenny Burrows

Oval Insights

Leicester Tigers

• Leicester Tigers Women made 31 kicks in play and gained 824 kick metres in the latest round (both most in round).
• Micke Gunter leads the league with 56 lineout throws won this season and secured 9 in the latest round (most in round).
• Kristin Bitter made 64 kicks in play this season (6th in league) and retained 4 kicks in the latest round (most in round).
• The team recorded 11 total turnovers won and 6 jackals in the latest round (both most in round), with Emily Henrich contributing 3 turnovers won (most in round).

Saracens

• Saracens Women lead the league with 160 offloads while scoring 50 tries (2nd in Premiership) this season.
• Poppy Cleall tops the individual offload rankings with 19 this season while averaging 2.1 post-contact metres per carry (6th in league).
• Zoe Harrison has attempted more kicks in play than any other player (84) and accumulated 2,528 kick metres (3rd in league).
• The team has generated 323 points this season (2nd in Premiership) with May Campbell contributing 5 tries (8th in league) while also securing 4 lineout steals (joint 1st).

Harlequins v Exeter Chiefs – Twickenham Stoop, 3pm, live on TNT Sports

In-form Harlequins are seeking a fifth straight win when they welcome Exeter Chiefs for a Sunday afternoon clash in front of the TNT Sports cameras.

Aoife Wafer’s hat-trick and a late score from Alex Callender helped Quins edge out neighbours Trailfinders Women 27-26 last time out and both start in the back row this weekend alongside Sara Svoboda, who comes in as one of two changes.

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The other sees Silvia Turani start at loosehead prop, while scrum-half Lucy Packer will make her 100th appearance for the club.

Chiefs got back to winning ways against Leicester Tigers last weekend, beginning 2026 with a 36-0 success, and hand a first start to wing Ellen Scantlebury in the capital.

Demi Swann comes in at loosehead while Flo Robinson starts at scrum-half.

Harlequins: 15 Ellie Kildunne, 14 Lauren Torley, 13 Claudia Pena, 12 Sarah Parry, 11 Freya Aucken, 10 Ella Cromack, 9 Lucy Packer; 1 Silvia Turani, 2 Carys Phillips, 3 Lizzie Hanlon, 4 Fi McIntosh, 5 Jade Konkel (c), 6 Sara Svoboda, 7 Alex Callender, 8 Aoife Wafer

Replacements: 16 Maja Meuller, 17 Jessie Spurrier, 18 Laura Delgado, 19 Abbie Fleming, 20 Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, 21 Emma Swords, 22 Lagi Tuima, 23 Beth Wilcock

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Francesca Granzotto, 14 Katie Buchanan, 13 Alex Tessier, 12 Gabby Cantorna, 11 Ellen Scantlebury, 10 Liv McGoverne, 9 Flo Robinson; 1 Demi Swann, 2 Emily Tuttosi, 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Linde Van Der Velden, 5 Dorothy Wall, 6 Emily Robinson, 7 Maisy Allen, 8 Maddie Feaunati

Replacements: 16 Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, 17 Hope Rogers, 18 Amy Rule, 19 Abby Duguid, 20 Zoë Dare, 21 Lucy Nye, 22 Nancy McGillivray, 23 Eilidh Sinclair

Match officials

Referee: Andy Wigley

Assistant Referees: Michael Lamb and Ryan Collier

TMO: Stuart Terheege

Oval Insights

Harlequins

• Harlequins Women recorded 7 tackle turnovers won in the latest round (most in round) and lead the Premiership with 24 for the season.
• Aoife Wafer scored 3 tries in the latest round (joint most) while also making 8 dominant contacts (most in round).
• Lucy Packer has provided 7 try assists this season (2nd in league) and made 6 box kicks in the latest round (2nd most).
• The team made 306 total ruck entries in the latest round (most in league), including a league-leading 250 attacking ruck entries.

Exeter Chiefs

• Exeter Chiefs Women lead the Premiership in carries (1,226), kick metres (4,924), and kicks in play (167) this season.
• Liv McGoverne has accumulated more kick metres than any other player with 2,606 this season and 670 in the latest round (most in round).
• Maisy Allen has scored 6 tries this season (3rd in Premiership) while making 135 successful tackles (most in league).
• The team made 779 carry metres in the latest round (most in round) while creating 10 initial breaks (most in round).