Gloucester-Hartpury v Saracens
Rosie Galligan points to the Saracens ‘family’ as the key to success. Gloucester-Hartpury will see the game as a final fling before Sean Lynn’s departure.
Which will prove the stronger motivator? Both sides know that keeping emotions under control will be vital.
The Teams:
Gloucester-Hartpury
1 Perry 2 N. Jones 3 Muir 4 Beckett 5 Aldcroft 6 K. Williams 7 Lewis 8 Matthews 9 N. Hunt 10 George 11 Hendy 12 Heard 13 H. Jones 14 Venner 15 Sing
16 Boag 17 Carson 18 Bugby 19 Else 20 Brock 21 M. Davies 22 Green 23 Lund
Saracens
1. Akina Gondwe 2. May Campbell 3. Kelsey Clifford 4. Rosie Galligan 5. Georgia Evans 6. Gabrielle Senft 7. Marlie Packer (Co-captain) 8. Poppy Cleall 9. Ella Wyrwas 10. Zoe Harrison 11. Lotte Sharp (Co-captain) 12. Sophie Bridger 13. Emma Hardy 14. Alysha Corrigan 15. Jess Breach
16. Bryony Field 17. McKinley Hunt 18. Carmen Tremelling 19. Bryony Cleall 20. Louise McMillan 21. Tori Sellors 22. Sarah McKenna 23. Sydney Gregson
That’s two starry line-ups. Glos-Pury win the subsidiary battle of “who’s got more Red Roses on the bench?” by 3-1. They have 14/15 test starters. Sarries have to make do with only 18 test players out of 23.
Of note: El Perry retains the Glos-Pury No 1 shirt over Mackenzie Carson.
What factors will help decide the big game?
Here are a few:
Luck
Home advantage
Card(s)
Bending the referee’s ear
Keeping cool
Coach’s strategy
Adjusting to problems set by the opposition Avoiding unforced errors
Accuracy of handling and kicking
Stopping thedriving maul
Moments of magic
A Bit of History
Only three clubs have won the trophy since 2017. Two of them compete in this year’s final; the third is Harlequins. Since very club is required to be “financially viable”, we can expect little change in the upper layers of this league till another benevolent billionaire pops up.
The Venue
It’s distinctly unfortunate that one of the teams will be playing at home, though it won’t be the first time. At least G-H will be granted use of the home changing-rooms. Sarries have been preparing for this demotion by squatting in the visitors’ accommodation.
The authorities have rarely resolved this problem in eight years. While we wait for the perfect answer – a full house at the Allianz Stadium Twickenham – the next best would be the largest rugby stadium available that is unlikely to be the home ground of a prospective finalist.
So the best choice till now has been Franklin’s Gardens Northampton.
The Officials:
Referee: Joe James
ARs: Alex Thomas and Calum Howard
TMO: Dan Jones
Once more the absence of women in charge is striking. Sara Cox is overseeing the men’s Premiership Cup final; Holly Wood is whistling the Portugal-Brazil international.
The early Build-up
It was amusing to read how the first news of ticket availabilty was trumpeted:
“The likes of England captain Marlie Packer, Canadian captain Sophie de Goede and Red Roses stars Ellie Kildunne and Emily Scarratt will all be hoping to play their part in the showpiece final in March, alongside international stars such as Kate Zackary and Babalwa Latsha.”
That’s how ‘early-bird’ publicity prove wishful thinking. What lay behind the publicist’s thinking in picking the names of Zackary and Latsha out of the hat? The first four are easier to explain; Zoe Aldcroft was not yet the England captain.
Fixture details
Date: Sunday 16 March
Venue: StoneX Stadium Hendon
Kick-off: 15.00
