Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby: Round 14 Preview

History will be made once again in another blockbuster weekend of Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby.

Round 14 kicks off at Kingsholm as Gloucester-Hartpury face Harlequins looking to set the league record for the most consecutive wins and confirm their place in the semi-finals.

Up north, Sale Sharks will reach a new milestone as Rachel Taylor’s side play at Salford Community Stadium for the first time on Saturday in their clash against Trailfinders Women.

Exeter Chiefs round off the day against Loughborough Lightning before Sunday hosts a heavyweight fixture between Bristol Bears and Saracens that could see the Londoners also book their ticket to the semi-finals.

FRIDAY 8 MARCH

Gloucester-Hartpury v Harlequins (Kingsholm) - 7:45pm 

To kick-start Round 14, the defending champions have named a strong squad for the visit of Harlequins to Kingsholm.

Lleucu George has started every match this season and this showdown is no different as she pulls the strings at fly half and looks to extend their unbeaten run to 13.

Millie Hyett gets her fifth consecutive start in the centres, where she partners Hannah Jones once again. The team continue to be captained by scrum-half Mo Hunt, who made PWR Team of the Week last time out.

For their trip to the West Country, Harlequins have made five changes and reshuffled their backrow.

Katy Mew returns action from the bench after ten months out with a hip injury.

Red Rose Rachel Burford also returns from injury as she is named among the replacements.

Elsewhere Amy Layzell makes her first Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby start having been named on the wing.

Team News

Gloucester-Hartpury: 15 Emma Sing, 14 Nel Metcalfe, 13 Hannah Jones, 12 Millie Hyett, 11 Pip Hendy, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Natasha 'Mo' Hunt (C); 1 El Perry, 2 Neve Jones, 3 Maud Muir, 4 Sarah Beckett, 5 Kate Williams, 6 Kelsey Jones, 7 Georgia Brock, 8 Bethan Lewis.

Replacements: 16 Gwennan Hopkins, 17 Kathryn Buggy, 18 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 19 Siobhan McCarthy, 20 Steph Else, 21 Caity Mattinson, 22 Kerin Lake, and 23 Lizzie Goulden.

Harlequins: 1 Silvia Turani, 2 Carys Phillips, 3 Babalwa Latsha, 4 Danelle Lochner, 5 Kaitlan Leaney, 6 Abbie Fleming, 7 Emily Robinson (VC), 8 Shaunagh Brown, 9 Lucy Packer, 10 Emily Scott (C), 11 Amy Layzell, 12 Lagi Tuima, 13 Izzy Mayhew, 14 Heather Cowell, 15 Ellie Kildunne

Replacements: 16 Connie Powell, 17 Jessie Spurrier, 18 Hannah Duffy, 19 Katy Mew, 20 Nicole Wythe, 21 Flo Robinson, 22 Ella Cromack, 23 Rachael Burford.

How to Watch

Watch live on TNT Sports and Discovery+. Highlights will be available on the PWR YouTube channel on Monday.

Match Stats

Check out all the pre-match stats by clicking here.

SATURDAY 9 MARCH

Sale Sharks v Trailfinders Women (Salford Community Stadium) - 2:00pm 

Following her recall to the Ireland national team, Sale Sharks co-captain Lauren Delany has returned to the starting line-up for the club’s first ever game at Salford Community Stadium.

In the backline Katana Howard comes in at centre for Beatrice Rigoni, who is with Italy on international duty, and Wales international Sian Jones is named at scrum-half.

Rachel Taylor has otherwise named an unchanged squad to take on Giselle Mather’s squad on Saturday afternoon.

For their trip to the northwest, Trailfinders Women have made six changes to the team that lost to Bristol Bears last time out.

Ellie Green returns at fly-half to renew her partnership with Emma Swords, while in the midfield Carys Cox and Julia Schell combine.

Kate Zackary returns to the back-row following her outing in the backs last weekend, to play alongside Shannon Ikahihifo and Rowena Burnfield.

Team News

Sale Sharks: 15 Lauren Delany (CC), 14 Holly Thorpe, 13 Eti Haungatau, 12 Katana Howard, 11 Hollie Bawden, 10 Vicky A Irwin, 9 Sian Jones; 1 Detysha Harper, 2 Molly Wright, 3 Catie Benson, 4 Erica Jarrell, 5 Iona Antwis, 6 Vicky A Irwin, 7 Georgie Perris-Redding (CC) 8 Jo Brown. 

Replacements: 16 Niamh Swailes, 17 Anne Young, 18 Nick James, 19 Polly Bowman, 20 Jasmine Hazell, 21 Mhairi Grieve, 22 Ellen Ramsbottom, 23 Minori Yamamoto. 

Trailfinders Women: 15 Rosie Inman, 14 Vicky Laflin, 13 Julia Schell, 12 Carys Cox, 11 Abby Dow, 10 Ellie Green, 9 Emma Swords; 1 Liz Crake , 2 Cristina Blanco, 3 Cassandra Tuffnail, 4 Tyson Beukeboom (C), 5 Amelia Buckland-Hurry, 6 Shannon Ikahihifo, 7 Rowena Burnfield, 8 Kate Zackary.

Replacements: 16 Elisa Riffonneau, 17 Amanda McQuade, 18 Andrea Stock, 19 Megan Barwick, 20 Annabel Meta, 21 Abi Burton, 22 Sophie Molton, 23 Jess Cooksey.

How to Watch

Highlights will be available on the PWR YouTube channel on Monday.

Match Stats

Check out all the pre-match stats by clicking here.

Exeter Chiefs v Loughborough Lightning (Sandy Park) - 2:30pm 

Exeter Chiefs lock forward Nichola Fryday will be making her 50th appearance fort he club this weekend at Sandy Park when Loughborough Lightning come to the south coast.

Named at lock forward, the Ireland international partners Poppy Leitch in a stating team that has seen Susie Appleby shake up her team’s backline.

Robyn Wilkins starts at fly-half, the playmakers introduction to the starting side seeing Alex Tessier switch to full-back and Merryn Doidge switches to outside centre.

After their bonus point victory over Sale Sharks, Nathan Smith has made just one change to his Loughborough Lightning team.

This sole alteration sees Lilli Ives Campion return at lock forward in a forward pack where Sadia Kabeya is earning her 40th appearance for the East Midlands club.

Emily Scarratt continues at inside centre, the England international having spent the start of this week in Red Roses camp as the countdown to the Guinness Women’s Six Nations continues.

Team News

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Alex Tessier, 14 Eilidh McDonald, 13 Merryn Doidge, 12 Gabby Cantorna, 11 Katie Buchanan, 10 Robyn Wilkins, 9 Brooke Bradley; 1 Hope Rogers, 2 Emily Tuttosi, 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Nichola Fryday, 5 Poppy Leitch (C), 6 Ebony Jefferies, 7 Maisy Allen, 8 Rachel Johnson.

Replacements: 16 Cliodhna Moloney, 17 Demi Swann, 18 Lizzie Hanlon, 19 Harriet Millar-Mills, 20 Taz Bricknell, 21 Edel McMahon, 22 Olivia Ortiz, 23 Kanako Kobayashi.

Loughborough Lightning: 15 Helen Nelson, 14 Ellen Scantlebury, 13 Bulou Mataitoga, 12 Emily Scarratt, 11 Bo Westcombe-Evans, 10 Helena Rowland, 9 Lucy Weaver; 1 Katie Trevarthen, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Christine Belisle, 4 Abby Duguid, 5 Lilli Ives Campion, 6 Rachel Malcolm (C), 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones.

Replacements: 16 Kendall Waudby, 17 Amelia Williams, 18 Catherine Wells, 19 Hallie Taufoou, 20 Sara Svoboda, 21 Megan Davey, 22 Carmela Morrall, 23 Carys Williams-Morris.

How to Watch

Highlights will be available on the PWR YouTube channel on Monday.

Match Stats

Check out all the pre-match stats by clicking here.

SUNDAY 10 MARCH

Bristol Bears v Saracens (Shaftesbury Park) - 3:00pm 

After picking up a win a win over Trailfinders Women last week in London, Dave Ward makes two changes to his Bristol Bears team.

One of these changes sees Ella Lovibond return to the back three, where she will combine with Reneeqa Bonner and Jenny Hesketh.

It is in the forwards where the other change has been made, where Elliann Clarke gets the nod at tighthead prop. Courtney Keight is due to make her return from injury from the replacements after missing the past nine moths with injury.

A win this weekend for Saracens at Shaftesbury Park can secure the North London club a semi-final spot.

Alex Austerberry has made a series of changes to his team for their trip to the West Country, with Kelsey Clifford and Rosie Galligan both taking starting spots in the pack.

In the backs there is less rotation as Leanne Infante and Zoe Harrison remain as the half-back partnership, while Jess Breach is restored in the full-back jersey and Paige Farries switches to the wing.

Team News

Bristol Bears: 15 ⁠Jenny Hesketh, 14 ⁠Reneeqa Bonner, 13 Phoebe Murray, 12 Amber Reed (CC), 11 Ella Lovibond, 10 Holly Aitchison, 9 Keira Bevan; 1 Hannah Botterman, 2 Lark Atkin-Davies, 3 Elliann Clarke, 4 Hollie Cunningham, 5 Abbie Ward (CC), 6 Alisha Joyce-Butchers, 7 Evie Gallagher, 8 Rownita Marston-Mulhearn.

Replacements: 16 ⁠Lana Skeldon, 17 ⁠Simi Pam, 18 ⁠Gwenllian Pyrs, 19 ⁠Delaney Burns, 20 ⁠Christiana Balogun, 21 ⁠Lucy Burgess, 22 ⁠Meryl Smith, 23 ⁠Courtney Keight.

Saracens: 15 Jess Breach, 14 Paige Farries, 13 Sydney Gregson, 12 Sophie Bridger, 11 Lotte Clapp (C), 10 Zoe Harrison, 9 Leanne Infante; 1 ⁠Kelsey Clifford, 2 ⁠⁠May Campbell, 3 ⁠⁠Donna Rose, 4 ⁠⁠Fi McIntosh, 5 ⁠⁠Rosie Galligan, 6 ⁠⁠Louise McMillan, 7 ⁠⁠Sharifa Kasolo, 8 ⁠⁠Georgia Evans.

Replacements: 16 ⁠⁠Bryony Field, 17 ⁠⁠Akina Gondwe, 18 ⁠⁠Bryony Cleall, 19 ⁠⁠Emma Taylor, 20 ⁠⁠Grace Moore, 21 ⁠⁠Tori Sellors, 22 ⁠⁠Beth Blacklock, 23 ⁠⁠Coreen Grant.

How to Watch

Highlights will be available on the PWR YouTube channel on Monday.

Match Stats

Check out all the pre-match stats by clicking here.