An overwhelming defeat for Quins at Kingsholm makes a third consecutive trophy win for Glos-Pury all the more likely.
Results
Gloucester-Hartpury 52 Harlequins 12
Leicester Tigers 19 Exeter Chiefs 24
Loughborough Lightning 36 Trailfinders Women 34
Saracens 66 Sale Sharks 14
Matches
Gloucester-Hartpury v Quins
Till very recently Quins were sitting second in the league, yet in their final blast of the regular season they conceded a whopping 50 points to the champions.
Both head coaches had an eye on coming events, the play-offs. That played its part in team selections, but it’s not as if Ross Chisholm sent out his second XV. There were eight test players in the pack, both half-backs, and four out of five backs.
Early on there was a worrying moment when Nikki O’Donnell halted play to ask Zoe Aldcroft to leave the field for an HIA. Fortunately for her, her club and England she did return.
It was noticeable from the start how accurate Glos-Pury support positions were. At every breakdown the first to arrive would anchor the position firmly, to ensure quick ball and no turnovers.
It took 20 minutes to manufacture a score. Mo Hunt profited from an overthrow, but was held up on the line. A little later a similar event, and she was over. On her performance today she certainly earned the right to another No 9 shirt, painted white.
By half-time G-H had manufactured three tries to lead 21-5, just enough to calm nerves in the crowd. But few would have predicted them more than doubling that score.
While we can’t be sure of Quins’ approach to this game, we might guess they viewed the result as far less important than what they need in the next game, an unlikely win against Sarries at the StoneX.
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The rot started early, when they were on the wrong end of an unstoppable drive.
Young Sarah Parry did manage an excellent try later on, but for most of the half Quins were starved of ball and space. The ease with which Mia Venner was put through a gap to score was a measure of the hosts’ quality.
Result: Gloucester-Hartpury 52 Harlequins 12
Player of the Match: Sarah Beckett
Loughborough Lightning v Trailfinders
Two enterprising sides put on a dramatic end-of-season show at Franklin’s Gardens.
These were the two middle-of-the-table teams (placed sixth and seventh); it is their quality that best reveals the standing of the PWR. For TF this was a typical match; they scored almost as they pleased, but still lost by a hair’s breadth.
They went straight on the attack; a drivng maul had them on the scoreboard in three minutes. The game changed when Rosie Inman (last-minute replacement for the unwell Chloe Rollie) dropped a long kick. Lightning built up such steam that they were offered a choice of penalties. An accurate catch-and-drive saw Kathryn Treder dive over. 7-5
An astonishing first phase move followed. Emily Scarratt gave her usual no-look pass to Fran Goldthorp. From there she ran clean through to the 5m, and Scaz was on hand to pick up the bits. TF had just tried a silky set-move of their own; it had brought a knock-on, and they paid the price. 14-5.
Now different players, but the same brilliant interchange: Rowland-Morrall-Rowland, and the Red Rose was in for a third try. 19-5
Caity Mattison made up for kicking a useful ball out, by tapping and gaining a penalty close in. TF ran the ball wide; Julia Schell drew the last defender to let Inman in. 19-10. But sadly she left the field in distress.
TF scored next, using their inbuilt attacking options one after the other. A penalty tap close in and Kate Zckary suddenly switched to drive over. 19-17
All the first-half scores came in the first 30 minutes, Treder adding her second from a clinical line- out drive.
Half-time: 26-17
TF went on making uncharacteristic handling errors. Scaz injected a fabulous 50-22 deep into their zone, but Alev Kelter was deprived of an outstanding try by a forward-pass verdict by Holly Wood.
Schell made another of her remarkble escape acts and ran far. She then seemed to drop on Rowland as she harvested the ball but was not penalised. Rowland hurt a shoulder in the process.
On 66 minutes Rachel Malcolm left the field to the warmest applause. Rowena Burnfield was another to bow out.
As in their last match TF allowed the opposition too many chances before making a valiant comeback. Here 33-17 became a dramatic 33-34. Then, with a minute to go, Lightning attacked to the line, and we returned to that forgotten feature (in women’s rugby), the drop-goal. Helena Rowland, outstanding all through, aimed true to ensure five points and sixth place.
Before her, I can think only of Ellie Green in her Quins days dropping goals at will.
Result 36-34
Player of the Match: Helena Rowland
Until Trailfinders sort out their defensive systems, they can’t hope to climb the table. But that is where player-transfers may play a decisive role before the 2025-26 season starts. A number of USA players have announced their departure from England to join the new WER in the States. More may well follow, and might even Canadians give it a try? That would weaken many a PWR club, Trailfinders not least.
The other two games
Saracens had no trouble in seeing off Sale Sharks, who couldn’t repeat their triumphs of Sandy Park.
In stark contrast, Chiefs struggled to defeat Tigers at Welford Road 24-19. Certainly Tigers are on the upward path, but the losing bonus they gained is a measure of how far Chiefs have fallen.
Final Table
P W Pts
Glos-Pury 16 13 69 – Champions
Saracens 16 12 62
Quins 16 11 55
Bristol Bears 16 9 53
Exeter Chiefs 16 9 51
Lightning 16 6 39
Trailfinders 16 5 36
Tigers 16 3 18
Sharks 16 1 4
Life isn’t fair
Two possibilities:
Win 16/16 matches – gain nothing
Come fourth in the table – win the trophy
This is the situation when a regular season is combined with a knock-out trophy. The winner of the pot needn’t win the league. It’s happened only once since 2017, when Quins won their two knock-out matches. For a year they could proclaim themselves the champions.
I still don’t approve of it.
