PWR Round 2 brings home games for Harlequins, Sale Sharks, Trailfinders and Exeter Chiefs
Premiership Women’s Rugby returned with a bang last weekend with our clubs putting more than 230 points on the board, and now we turn to round two, with the first match for Sale Sharks.
Saturday 12 October
3pm – Harlequins v Gloucester-Hartpury
Twickenham Stoop, Live on Harlequins YouTube
Harlequins vice-captain Harriet Millar-Mills returns at lock alongside Lauren Brooks. Heather Cowell comes into the fold on the wing, as she joins fellow Team GB Sevens members Grace Crompton and Lauren Torley to make up an all-Olympic back three.
Forwards and Transition Coach Steve Halsey said “There were certain aspects of our game from last week that were really strong. We were brave and physical and, judging by the crowd noise at points, we were entertaining as well, which is something we pride ourselves on.”
Harlequins: 15. Lauren Torley; 14. Heather Cowell, 13. Lisa Neumann, 12. Lagi Tuima ©, 11. Grace Crompton; 10. Ella Cromack, Freya Aucken; 1. Jessie Spurrier, 2. Maja Meuller, 3. Lizzie Hanlon, 4. Harriet Millar-Mills (vc), 5. Lauren Brooks, 6. Nicole Wythe, 7. Izzy Hannay, 8. Sara Svoboda. Replacements: 16. Nicola Haynes, 17. Sheree Cooper, 18. Hannah Duffy, 19. Tyla Shirley, 20. Lucy Heryet, 21. Emma Swords, 22. Sarah Parry, 23. Katie Shillaker,
Gloucester-Hartpury field a new-look centre partnership with Jade Shekells picked for her first start in Gloucester-Hartpury colours. Pip Hendy shifts to inside centre. Millie Hyett moves to fly half, and links up with Bianca Blackburn at number nine. Sean Lynn has named the same pack that played in Round 1, with pathway graduate, Steph Else captaining the side again this weekend.
Gloucester-Hartpury: 15 Emma Sing; 14 Charlotte Woodman, 13 Jade Shekells, 12 Pip Hendy, 11 Rachel Lund; 10 Millie Hyett, 9 Bianca Blackburn, 1 El Perry, 2 Amy Dale, 3 Ranni Samuda, 4 Beth Stafford, 5 Gwen Crabb, 6 Steph Else (C), 7 Tabitha Copson, 8 Gwennan Hopkins. Replacements: 16 Lucy Simpson, 17 Alisha Smith, 18 Megan Lewis, 19 Robyn Davies, 20 Gemma Bell, 21 Meg Davies, 22 Charlie-Mai Manns, 23 Carys Williams-Morris
7pm – Sale Sharks v Saracens
CorPacq Stadium, Live on the Global Yo App
Rachel Taylor names her first team of the new Premiership Womens Rugby season as Saracens visit Heywood Road for Sale’s opening fixture.
Sophie Lewis and Detysha Harper (captain) continue at loose and tighthead after the last PWR Up fixture at Leicester Tigers in preseason with England U20s hooker Amelia Hyndman joining them in the front row.
Polly Bowman and Iona Antwis make up the second row with Trudy Cowan, Kay Searcy and Jo Brown rounding out the forwards.
India Perris-Redding returns from a shoulder injury to start at scrum half with Vicky A Irwin outside her and Laura Perrin partners debutant Margot Julia in the centres.
Lauren Delany and Sophie Hopkins will look to use their pace to exploit Sarries out wide with Nikita Prothero making up the fifteen at full back. Off the bench Eloise Hayward will look to make a big impact on her Sale debut.
Sale Sharks: 15. Nikita Prothero; 14. Sophie Hopkins, 13. Margot Julia, 12. Laura Perrin, 11. Lauren Delany; 10. Vicky A Irwin, 9. India Perris-Redding; 1. Sophie Lewis, 2. Amelia Hyndman, 3. Detysha Harper, 4. Polly Bowman, 5. Iona Antwis, 6. Trudy Cowan, 7. Kay Searcy, 8. Jo Brown. Replacements: 16. Amber Schonert, 17. Alice Iwanejko, 18. Nick James, 19. Marion Ridgway, 20. Jasmine Hazell, 21. Eloise Hayward, 22. Alicia Carlton, 23. Isobel McGruire-Evans
Ahead of this one, the Saracens coaching staff have kept a largely consistent squad from that opening round victory.
The front-row remains unchanged, in the second-row, Joia Bennett and Sophie Tansley reprise their partnership, whilst the back-row sees one change, with Lucy Lawford-Wilby coming in for her Premiership Women’s Rugby debut alongside co-captain May Campbell and Cleall.
Leanne Infante gets her first start of the season at scrum-half, partnering Amelia MacDougall, whilst the centre paring of co-captain Sarah McKenna and Emma Hardy remains unchanged.
There is a further change in the back three too, with Sydney Gregson coming in for her first appearance of the season, alongside Isla Alejandro and Jemma-Jo Linkins.
Saracens: 15. Jemma-Jo Linkins; 14. Sydney Gregson, 13. Emma Hardy, 12. Sarah McKenna (Co-captain), 11. Isla Alejandro; 10. Amelia MacDougall, 9. Leanne Infante; 1. Akina Gondwe, 2. Bryony Field, 3. Carmen Tremelling, 4. Joia Bennett, 5. Sophie Tansley, 6. Lucy Lawford-Wilby, 7. May Campbell (co-captain), 8. Poppy Cleall. Replacements: 16. Daisy Fitzgerald, 17. Maya Montiel, 18. Chloe Flanagan19. Bryony Cleall, 20. Cara Wardle, 21. Tori Sellors, 22. Beth Blacklock, 23. Chantelle Miell
Sunday 13 October
12.45pm – Trailfinders Women v Loughborough Lightning
Trailfinders Stadium – Live on TNT Sports
Trailfinders Women make four changes to the starting XV that narrowly lost to Saracens at The StoneX last time out. Sally Williams replaces Rowena Burnfield in the back row, joining Abi Burton and Annabel Meta.
Amy Wilson Hardy joins Kendra Cousineau in the midfield to make up this week’s centre partnership.
Finally, last week’s Arnold Hill Player of the Match Vicky Laflin is joined by Ellie Boatman – who was on the bench last weekend – and Grace White in the back three.
Trailfinders Women: 15.Vicky Laflin; 14.Ellie Boatman, 13. Amy Wilson Hardy, 12. Kendra Cousineau, 11. Grace White; 10. Ella Amory, 9. Brooke Bradley; 1. Liz Crake, 2.Kat Evans, 3.Kira Leat, 4.Emma Taylor (C), 5.Shya Pinnock, 6.Sally Williams, 7.Abi Burton, 8. Annabel Meta. Replacements: 16. Alicia Watkins, 17. Kie Tamai, 18.Mica Evans, 19.Rowena Burnfield, 20.Megan Barwick, 21.Sarah Denholm, 22.Rosie Inman, 23.Emma Uren
Loughborough Lightning’s new signing Francesca Goldthorp makes her second club debut against Trailfinders Women. Head coach Nathan Smith has selected the 21-year-old at fullback for the Premiership Women’s Rugby Round 2 encounter. The England rugby league international has spent two seasons in Australia’s NRL playing for North Queensland Cowboys.
Goldthorp now restarts her rugby union career which previously saw her earn England U20 honours having scored seven tries in 20 appearances during her first spell with Lightning from 2021 to 2023.
England U20 winger Evelyn Clarke comes into the starting line-up on the right wing for her first PWR start, having played twice the Cup towards the end of last season. Wales U20 international Ellie Tromans makes her Lightning debut on the occasion of her first PWR start in the Lightning midfield.
The new arrivals to the run-out side see two starters from the Round 1 loss to Bristol Bears move to their primary positions as Ellen Scantlebury switches to the left wing from centre and Lia Green moves forward from fullback to fly-half.
Scrum-half Alicia Maude and inside centre Carmela Morrall retain their places while Meg Davey and Cieron Bell are rotated to the bench.
There’s two personal changes and three positional switch in the forwards as Amelia Williams starts at loosehead with Isla Curphey moving across the front row to tighthead.
Issy Winter, who scored from the bench on her PWR debut against Bristol, is rewarded with a first league start in the second row alongside Canada international Abby Duguid. Becky Boyd moves from lock to blindside flanker, with Kendall Waudby moving to openside and Daisy Hibbert-Jones captaining the side from number eight.
Keevy Fitzpatrick and Ellie Roberts – Lightning’s top tackler with 14 against Bristol – are among the replacements as is Lucy Finch, who is in-line to make her first PWR appearance having captained Loughborough University to a 67-0 victory over Durham in midweek.
Lightning team: 15 Francesca Goldthorp; 14 Evelyn Clarke, 13 Ellie Tromans, 12 Carmela Morrall, 11 Ellen Scantlebury; 10 Lia Green, 9 Alicia Maude (vc), 1 Amelia Williams, 2 Lucy Calladine, 3 Isla Curphey, 4 Abby Duguid, 5 Issy Winter, 6 Becky Boyd, 7 Kendall Waudby, 8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones (c). Replacements: 16 Katherine Baverstock, 17 Laura Keates, 18 Tiwaah Adjei-Ansere, 19 Keevy Fitzpatrick , 20 Lucy Finch, 21 Ellie Roberts, 22 Megan Davey , 23 Cieron Bell
3pm – Exeter Chiefs v Leicester Tigers
Sandy Park, Live on Chiefs YouTube
Great news from Exeter Chiefs this week as Nancy McGillivray returns for her first match in 17 months. The England transition player suffered a massive knee injury in the league semi-final of the 2022/23 season against Bristol Bears Women. She has been through a cycle of surgery and rehabilitation ever since, but now gets her chance to play after 17 months out of action.
McGillivray’s inclusion at outside centre sees Naomi Brennan switch to the 12 jersey. The rest of the team remains unchanged to the side that began last weekend’s game against Harlequins.
Prop Flo Long gets another start following her Player of the Match performance last weekend while fellow front-row Stef Evans and scrum-half Lucy Nye will be hoping to get a run-out against their former club.
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Merryn Doidge; 14 Eilidh Sinclair, 13 Nancy McGillivray, 12 Naomi Brennan, 11 Georgina Tasker; 10 Liv McGoverne, 9 Flo Robinson (vc); 1 Demi Swann, 2 Clara Nielson, 3 Flo Long, 4 Poppy Leitch (c), 5 Niamh Orchard, 6 Ebony Jefferies, 7 Maisy Allen, 8 Emily Robinson. Replacements: 16 Millie Whitehouse, 17 Mikiela Nelson, 18 Stef Evans, 19 Taz Bricknell, 20 Zara Feaunati, 21 Lucy Nye, 22 Ellie Cunningham, 23 Sabrina Poulin
Leicester Tigers summer signing Jenny Maxwell will captain the team in her first start for the club, one of seven changes to the starting side made by Head Coach Tom Hudson from last weekend’s league opener against Gloucester-Hartpury.
Joining Maxwell in a first Premiership start for Leicester Tigers are Ellie Smith, Nadine Vincent, Eeva Pohjanheimo and Rowann Sinclair, while Alana Bainbridge and Zoë Evans are included for their first league appearances of the season. Bainbridge will make her 20th senior appearance on Sunday.
Amy Relf, if used from the bench, will become just the third woman to make 40 appearances for the club.
Summer recruits Sophie Benavent and Abi Bowes are in line for club debuts from the bench.
The match will be available to watch live on Exeter Chiefs YouTube on Sunday (October 13) at 3pm.
Leicester Tigers: 15. Amanda Swartz; 14 Zoë Evans, 13 Evie Wills, 12 Katie Childs, 11 Elin Beaver; 10 Sarah Nicholas, 9 Jenny Maxwell (c); 1 Ellie Smith, 2 Alana Bainbridge, 3 Nadine Vincent, 4 Leah Heath, 5 Eeva Pohjanheimo, 6 Jordan Russell, 7 Morgan Richardson, 8 Rowann Sinclair. Replacements: 16 Nikki Simpson, 17 Zainab Alema, 18 Sophie Benavent, 19 Charlotte Fray, 20 Abi Bowes, 21 Amy Relf, 22 Charlotte Daley 23 Celia Quansah.
Round One saw a number of new stars emerged in the Oval Insights Women’s Rugby Rankings. You can see the full rankings by clicking here but the standout performances included:
Player of the Week – Emma Sing (above, top)
Most Carries – Nicole Wythe (22)
Most Metres Gained – Millie David (208)
Most Defenders Beaten – Lauren Torley (10)
Most Try Assists – Ella Lovibond (4, above, left)
Most Tackles – Niamh Orchard (27)
Most Metres Kicked – Ella Cromack (429, above, right)
Most Lineouts Won – Steph Else (8)
With thanks to the PWR
