Results:
Leicester Tigers 14 Trailfinders 29
Bristol Bears 33 Loughborough Lightning 17
Table (as of 23 February)
Table P W L Pts
Glos-Pury 10 10 0 49
Saracens 10 9 1 45
Exeter 10 7 3 38
Bears 11 7 4 36
Lightning 10 4 6 22
Harlequins 10 3 7 20
Trailfinders 10 3 7 18
Tigers 11 2 9 8
Sale 10 1 9 3
NB: Tigers and Sharks docked 5 points
Bristol Bears v Loughborough Lightning
The most important news is that Emily Scarratt completed 47 minutes with her brand-new neck. But the rest of it was less bright for Lightning. They lost convincingly to Bears, who were delighted to welcome a crowd of over 3,000 to Ashton Gate. The gap between them and Lightning now looks unbridgeable.
Simi Pam knew she had only limited time available on her return to the colours; Hannah Botterman was waiting impatiently for her turn. But Pam made the most of her 53 minutes on board, opening the scoring with a try off a rolling maul on seven minutes. Hallie Taufoou brought Lightning back on terms.
When Katie Trevarthen suffered a yellow, Lana Skeldon, a fellow front-rower, took her chance to add to her bank of tries this season. The game seemed to be slipping away from Lightning as Abbie Ward scored a third with a lovely give-and-take, but Sadia Kabeya renewed their hope with a second try. (19-12)
From there Bears dominated proceedings, adding a further fourteen points and renewing confidence for the rest of the season.
Lightning’s current record, 4W, 6L, proves that even top players (Scarratt, Helena Rowand, Sadia Kabeya) can’t ensure victory on their own. They were coming off an unpalatable loss to next-door neighbours Tigers, This defeat, though less of a surprise, leaves them far short of pre-season expectations.
It sums up the way things are going that Rowland ran in a fine third try just before the close, but they couldn’t manage that vital bonus-point.
Are any Bristolian fans complaining that forwards scored all Bears’ tries? No, I thought not. It was Evie Gallagher who completed the fifth.
Bears: 15 Ella Lovibond, 14 Reneeqa Bonner, 13 Meryl Smith, 12 Amber Reed (co-captain), 11 Meg Varley, 10 Holly Aitchison, 9 Keira Bevan; 1 Simi Pam, 2 Lana Skeldon, 3 Elliann Clarke, 4 Delaney Burns, 5 Abbie Ward (co-captain), 6 Alisha Joyce-Butchers, 7 Evie Gallagher, 8 Rownita Marston-Mulhearn
Bench: 16 Lark Atkin-Davies, 17 Hannah Botterman, 18 Holly Phillips, 19 Hollie Cunnigham, 20 Christiana Balogun, 21 Lucy Burgess, 22 Phoebe Murray, 23 Jenny Hesketh
Lightning: 15 Helen Nelson, 14 Ellen Scantlebury 13 Bulou Mataitoga 12 Emily Scarratt 11 Bo Westcombe-Evans 10 Helena Rowland 9 Megan Davey; 1 Katie Trevarthen 2 Kathryn Treder 3 Christine Belisle 4 Lilli Ives Campion 5 Hallie Taufoou 6 Rachel Malcolm (captain) 7 Sadia Kabeya 8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones
Bench: 16 Maja Meuller 17 Amelia Williams 18 Catherine Wells19 Abby Duguid 20 Sara Svoboda 21 Jess Weaver 22 Carmela Morrall 23 Carys Williams-Morris
Attendance: 3,056, a matter for huge congratulation
Leicester Tigers v Trailfinders Women
I got half my predictions right, Bears did get their honey, but Tigers didn’t continue the advance I had expected. Instead, TF completed a satisfying double over their fellow newcomers.
They raised the bonus point by half-time. Liz Crake had the first of her pair in the opening minutes, but before you could accuse the visitors of leaning heavily on forward power, Vicky Laflin put Julia Schell away with a smart move, then Abby Dow produced another special. Schell converted all but one of these, giving her nine points in 40 minues. Up to the break Tigers’ only riposte was an effort by Elis Martin.
They started the second half more positively, Tahlia Brody going over. But TF kept up the pressure, Tyson Beukeboom wisely opting for a kick at the sticks. (14-29) The scoreboard remained stuck there, though Crake almost had a hat-trick as Laflin gave her another chance, but Tigers held her up.
Vicky Macqueen can’t be happy with the penalties her side gave away. They lost them possession and territory all too easily.
Two points of interest for the visitors: Schell has taken over from Ellie Green as first-choice place-kicker – Green was top of the kicking charts from her early days at Quins. And Dow was entrusted with the touch-kicks. Her days as a full-back may not be over.
Tigers: 1 Leah Bartlett, 2 Elis Martin, 3 Lisa Cockburn, 4 Catha Jaobs, 5 Becky Noon, 6 Morgan Richardson, 7 Roisin McBrien, 8 Tahlia Brody, 9 Amy Relf, 10 Natasha Jones (captain), 11 Francesca McGhie, 12 Claire Gallagher, 13 Meg Jones, 14 Amelia Tutt, 15 Tess Feury
Bench: 16 Amy Cokayne 17 Churchy Knight, 18 Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele, 19 Julia Omokhuale, 20 Eva Donsldson, 21 Zoe Warrington, 22 Eloise Hayward, 23 Sarah Nicholas
Trailfinders: 1 Liz Crake, 2 Cristina Blanco, 3 Andrea Stock, 4 Tyson Beukeboom (captain),, 5 Amelia Buckland-Hurry, 6 Rowena Burnfield, 7 Megan Barwick, 8 Shannon Ikahihifo, 9 Emma Swords, 10 Ellie Green, 11 Rosie Inman, 12 Julia Schell, 13 Carys Cox, 14 Vicky Laflin, 15 Abby Dow
Bench: 16 Elisa Riffonneau, 17 Cassandra Tuffnail, 18 Sara Seye, 19 Shya Pinnock, 20 Charlotte Cheshire, 21 Ella Amory, 22 Jess Cooksey, 23 Ellie Lennon
Still to come
Saturday 24 February
Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins
Sunday 25 February
Sale Sharks v Gloucester-Hartpury
