There have been memorable rounds of the PWR over the past eight years, but few to equal the drama of Round 15 2025.
So dramatic, that I invite you to enjoy a second draught.
In General
There were three outstandingly exciting games to enjoy: only the Welford Road match was the away banker it had always seemed. It’s good for the soul of the PWR that every club has lost a hatful of matches, and all have now won at least one.
Though Sale Sharks still lie eight points behind Leicester Tigers, they now surpass them in having beaten a top-5 side. Tigers’ two wins came unsurprisingly against Sharks.
Let’s try to place the four matches in order of significance.
Sandy Park
First must come Sharks’ defeat of Exeter Chiefs away in some of the bleakest conditions imaginable. Not freezing, just cold, windy, wet and stormy. It’s rare for a match to be halted then restarted.
For a side yet to gain its first point of the season, Sharks played extraordinarily well. No surprise that they managed only two scores; they limited Chiefs to one. The return to full fitness of Molly Wright and skipper Morwenna Talling has made a heap of difference.
The team’s courage was shown after that unscheduled break. They had to sit in their soaking kit – did they manage to dry out? – knowing that a restart could rob them of their 12-7 lead. If Dan Jones had decided to end the game there, we must assume Sharks would have won the points: 71 minutes had already been devoured. “Call it off!” must have been the cry.
But no, they were called to action again and they held out.
As for Chiefs, questions will be asked. You can understand why they made twelve changes, but was it worth the risk? That weather break should have been the chance to regather forces and put the invader to flight, but they couldn’t.
We can’t yet tell how damaging that home loss will prove (table below).
Vallis Way
It was agonisingly close at the end of the Trailfinders-Bears match, one point in 77. But Bears have now lost five games; far too many for comfort. They were short of several leading figures, but then, so was every other club in the league.
For TF this was a crucial victory. They had done well in the past, posting big scores against fearsome opposition; in his pre-match chat Dave Ward mentioned TF’s 2-point loss to the double champions in the previous round.
This was the second win for a side among the bottom four against a play-off contender – a great rarity.
The Stoop
We have yet to discover how significant this home loss for Quins will prove. They have rarely found Sarries an easy opponent, but this latest result did look like the end of a lovely dream. Next week’s challenge will be against Chiefs, who may well have had the odd word thrown their way by then.
Sarries remain a formidable foe, yet they have contrived to lose four games already this season. Next week sees an intriguing contest against the third London side. For once Trailfinders may really fancy their chances, but their defences still need strengthening.
Welford Road
The least dramatic of the four games, I fear. If Tigers want to reproduce Sharks’ triumph next time, they’ll have to do it against the champions. The best of luck. One target for Lightning will be to finish above Trailfinders (though that really shouldn’t figure prominently in the sights of so distinguished a club). They lie two points ahead, but only they have completed 14 matches. Just two left for them. By pure coincidence the clubs meet in the last round of the regular season, in Northampton.
Coverage
We were very fortunate that the three dramatic games were all made available by the home clubs. Our thanks to them. I repeat my one adverse reaction: the lack of an away side’s viewpoint. Of course the club mounting the generous coverage has every right to focus on its own performance.
That’s where the current TV contract falls way short. TNT committed themselves to a single match per week, as if unconvinced by the product on offer. Each round they have had to decide which ground to visit – a real lottery. It so happened that Round 15 proved an unwise choice.
They are responsible too for the highlights review published the following Monday. It’s extremely well edited. Taking the right clips, stitching them together, then adding a linking commentary is no-one’s idea of an easy task.
But it was unfortunate that in this round Claire Thomas’ contribution alongside the TNT cameras was given star-billing. Could somebody advise her that she doesn’t need to add an exclamation-mark after every sentence she utters? The other matches were far more intense.
And, as one commenter has pointed out: how much better if this offering were extended to include more game-time, plus some background material? There’s so much to view and talk about.
Table P W Pts
Glos-Pury 13 10 53
Quins 13 10 50
Saracens 12 9 48
Exeter Chiefs 12 8 43
Bristol Bears 13 8 42
Lightning 14 5 29
Trailfinders 11 3 22
Tigers 13 2 12
Sharks 13 1 4
