Round 18 Review: Bristol Bears upset Gloucester Hartpury

On the final day of regular season action, most places had been decided and the play-off bracket was already set.

But that didn't stop eight teams from competing for 80 minutes and beyond, producing some surprising results and plenty of try-scoring action before the play-offs get underway.

Here's what happened on the final day.

Bears comeback in frantic finish

Bristol Bears shocked league leaders Gloucester Hartpury 26-21 to inflict the hosts' second defeat in a row heading into the play-offs.

Bears remain in eighth but will be delighted to have got one over their South West rivals as the Circus aim for a fourth title in a row heading into their play-off semi-final with Trailfinders. 

Reneeqa Bonner drove down the right wing to open the scoring and five minutes later she raced away again after claiming an interception.

Soon after she came off the bench, Molly Bunker crashed through for her first try of the season to get Gloucester Hartpury on the board.

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But Sarah Bern earned another score to cap an excellent first half for the Bears as they led 19-7.

The Cherry and Whites did finally click into gear and to why they have dominated the season so far.

Bunker tore through brilliantly to level the scores, but the conversion took the league leaders ahead for the first time in the game.

The decisive moment, however, came from Holly Phillips on her first appearance of the season, as she kept the ball off the back of a driving maul, waiting until it collapsed over the tryline to dot down the winner with less than 10 minutes to go.

Ding-dong in the Midlands

Leicester Tigers gave Loughborough Lightning a fright in a frantic 50-36 East Midlands derby defeat.

Tigers scored within the first two minutes, going through the phases just a matter of metres from Lightning’s tryline.

Haineala Litui and Sadia Kabeya pegged Tigers back, both burrowing through a melee of defenders and squeezing the ball down on the tryline. 

Tigers’ Zoe Evans was first to react after a hopeful chip ricocheted off the base of the post and then they gathered momentum with a wonderful team score down the left side, but Loughborough still led by seven points at the break.

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Both teams got over the line soon after the game resumed, with Leicester’s score prompting a scuffle in the try zone.

The two teams then went toe-to-toe. Meg Davey’s quick-thinking was cancelled out by Micke Gunter, before Daisy Hibbert-Jones grabbed her second, only for Leicester’s Karolina Kacirkova to score six minutes from time. 

Saracens strike fear into play-off opponents

Saracens laid down a marker ahead of the play-offs in their top four clash with a heavily rotated Trailfinders Women, securing a dominant 80-14 win.

Lotte Sharp went in at the corner to open the floodgates, then co-captain Marlie Packer added another try. Sophie Molton dived over to give Trailfinders a glimmer of hope, but Sarries shut it down pretty quickly.

Sophie Bridger, Alysha Corrigan, and Paige Farries all went over before the break to open up a 40-7 lead at half time.

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Trailfinders bit back early in the second period through Niamh Gallagher, but that only seemed to spur the hosts on as they enjoyed a flurry of scores from Corrigan, Sophie De Goede, and then sub Beth Blacklock.

Another De Goede try rounded out the scoring, with Trailfinders needing to pick themselves up before heading to league winners Gloucester Hartpury, despite their recent struggles. 

Efficient Exeter Chiefs overcome Sale’s green shoots

Exeter Chiefs overcame a positive Sale Sharks side 50-24 to enter the play-offs with wind in their sails.

Sale set the tone early. Georgie Perris-Redding crashed over, though Claudia Moloney-MacDonald skipped through on the left wing to bring the scores level for Chiefs, who then hit the front through Emily Tuttosi. 

Despite Red Rose Amy Cokayne’s response for the visitors, Chiefs never relinquished the lead.

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Hope Rogers and Moloney-MacDonald dotted down, the latter chasing down a long kick just before it trickled into touch. 

After half time, Exeter turned the screw - the American Rogers went over again and Moloney-MacDonald grabbed her third and fourth tries of the match as Sharks began to tire.

But the Chiefs seemed to take their foot off the pedal, perhaps saving their efforts for an intriguing play-off semi-final at Saracens.