Match Preview
Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby: Round 17 preview
It's a bumper Saturday of Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby with all four Round 17 clashes taking place on the same afternoon.
The action starts with a cracker between the top two at StoneX Stadium as Saracens welcome leaders Gloucester-Hartpury for an encounter being shown live on TNT Sports and the BBC iPlayer.
Trailfinders host Loughborough Lightning, Harlequins take on Bristol Bears at Twickenham Stoop and Leicester Tigers take to the Mattioli Woods Welford Road pitch to face Sale Sharks in the day's remaining three fixtures.
Saturday 25 May
Saracens v Gloucester-Hartpury
12pm, StoneX Stadium, live on TNT Sports and BBC iPlayer
Defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury are aiming to end the season unbeaten but face a tricky test away to Saracens, who are second in the table.
The Cherry & Whites rested co-captain Natasha Hunt for the win over Trailfinders Women but the scrum-half returns to the backs alongside Lleucu George.
Mia Venner retains her place in the back three after a Player of the Match performance last time out.
Meanwhile, Sarah Beckett is named in the second row having just been nominated for the RPA's PWR Player of the Year alongside Hunt.
Sophie de Goede is back into the fold for Saracens having skippered Canada to a first-ever win over New Zealand last week as she is named on the bench.
A win for Sarries would secure a home semi-final for the three-time champions after beating Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park for the first time in Round 16.
Co-captain Lotte Clapp has also returned from international duty while the only other change to the starting XV sees Kelsey Clifford named in the front row.
Team News
Saracens
15 Jess Breach, 14 Coreen Grant, 13 Sydney Gregson, 12 Beth Blacklock, 11 Lotte Clapp (CC), 10 Zoe Harrison, 9 Ella Wyrwas; 1 Akina Godwe, 2 May Campbell, 3 Kelsey Clifford, 4 Louise McMillan, 5 Emma Taylor, 6 Georgia Evans, 7 Marlie Packer (CC), 8 Poppy Cleall
Replacements: 16 Bryony Field, 17 Mckinley Hunt, 18 Donna Rose, 19 Sophie de Goede, 20 Sharifa Kasolo, 21 Leanne Infante, 22 Sophie Bridger, 23 Paige Farries
Gloucester Hartpury
15 Emma Sing, 14 Mia Venner, 13 Hannah Jones, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Pip Hendy, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Natasha 'Mo' Hunt (CC); 1 Mackenzie Carson, 2 Neve Jones, 3 Maud Muir, 4 Sarah Beckett, 5 Zoe Aldcroft (CC), 6 Georgia Brock, 7 Bethan Lewis, 8 Alex Matthews
Replacements: 16 Amy Dale, 17 El Perry, 18 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 19 Carmen Castellucci, 20 Kate Williams, 21 Bianca Blackburn, 22 Millie Hyett, 23 Rachel Lund
How to Watch
Watch live on TNT Sports and BBC iPlayer on Saturday.
Highlights will be available on the Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby YouTube channel.
Match Stats
Click here to find out all you need to know.
Trailfinders Women v Loughborough Lightning
12.30pm, Trailfinders Sports Club
Giselle Mather has rung the changes for Trailfinders Women ahead of their meeting with Loughborough Lightning.
Tyson Beukeboom returns from international duty having become Canada's most-capped player, with Kate Zackary also selected having helped the USA to a comeback win over Australia.
There is a positional change for Elisa Riffonneau, who will show her versatility as she goes from the back row to hooker.
Loughborough Lightning have also made changes with the chance to sew up fifth spot in the table with victory on Saturday.
Kathryn Treder will look to add to her nine tries in 11 appearances, and she is joined by her fellow returning USA internationals Bulou Mataitoga and Hallie Taufoou who are both on the bench.
Team News
Trailfinders Women
15 Vicky Laflin, 14 Rosie Inman, 13 Julia Schell, 12 Jess Cooksey, 11 Abby Dow, 10 Ellie Green, 9 Ella Amory; 1 Liz Crake, 2 Elisa Riffonneau, 3 Andrea Stock, 4 Tyson Beukeboom, 5 Shannon Ikahihifo (C), 6 Megan Barwick, 7 Abi Burton, 8 Kate Zackary
Replacements: 16 Amanda McQuade, 17 Kie Tamai, 18 Kira Leat, 19 Shya Pinnock, 20 Rowena Burnfield, 21 Thea Sylvester, 22 Emma Swords, 23 Sam Shiels
Loughborough Lightning
15 Chloe Rollie, 14 Georgina Tasker, 13 Emily Scarratt, 12 Carmela Morrall, 11 Bo Westcombe-Evans, 10 Helen Nelson, 9 Meg Davey; 1 Kate Trevarthen, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Laura Keates, 4 Lilli Ives Campion, 5 Cath O’Donnell, 6 Rachel Malcolm (C), 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones
Replacements: 16 Maja Meuller, 17 Amelia Williams, 18 Isla Curphey, 19 Abby Duguid, 20 Hallie Taufoou, 21 Lucy Weaver, 22 Lia Green, 23 Bulou Mataitoga
How to Watch
Highlights will be available on the Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby YouTube channel.
Match Stats
Click here to find out all you need to know.
Harlequins v Bristol Bears
3pm, Twickenham Stoop
Bristol Bears have been able to call on the big guns for their visit to Harlequins with Holly Aitchison and Hannah Botterman returning.
Neither have featured since helping England to the Women's Six Nations Grand Slam.
Aitchison partners Phoebe Murray in the centres while Reneeqa Bonner returns on the wing.
Bears have the chance to move ahead of Exeter Chiefs and into third with a point on Saturday while Quins are still in the hunt for fifth place.
The hosts, playing in their landmark The Game Changer fixture, have named Ella Cromack at fly-half having filled in at fullback last week.
Silvia Turani also makes her return to the starting XV in an all-international front row with Babalwa Latsha and Carys Phillips.
Team News
Harlequins
15 Emilt Scott, 14 Jade Mullen, 13 Izzy Mayhew, 12 Lagi Tuima, 11 Lisa Neumann, 10 Ella Cromack, 9 Lucy Packer; 1 Silvia Turani, 2 Carys Phillips, 3 Babalwa Latsha, 4 Abbie Fleming, 5 Danelle Lochner, 6 Shaunagh Brown, 7 Emily Robinson, 8 Jade Konkel (C)
Replacements: 16 Rosie Dobson, 17 Jessie Spurrier, 18 Hannah Duffy, 19 Tyla Shirley, 20 Amelia Harper, 21 Flo Robinson, 22 Rachael Burford, 23 Katie Shillaker
Bristol Bears
15 Jenny Hesketh, 14 Reneeqa Bonner, 13 Phoebe Murray, 12. Holly Aitchison, 11 Deborah Wills, 10 Amber Reed (CC), 9. Keira Bevan; 1 Hannah Botterman, 2 Rosie Carr, 3 Elliann Clarke, 4 Delaney Burns, Abbie Ward (CC), 6 Alisha Joyce-Butchers, 7 Evie Gallagher, 8 Row Marston-Mulhearn.
Replacements: 16 Bobby Jackson, 17 Simi Pam, 18 Nicola Beet, 19 Hollie Cunningham, 20 Gabriella Nigrelli, 21 Lucy Burgess, 22 Meryl Smith, 23 Ella Lovibond
How to Watch
Highlights will be available on the Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby YouTube channel.
Match Stats
Click here to find out all you need to know.
Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks
3pm, Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Leicester Tigers have named Tahlia Brody at No.8 for their last home game of the season in one of two changes.
Tess Feury also returns on the wing while the front row stays at the same as Amy Cokayne looks to add to her hat-trick last time out against Bristol Bears.
Sale Sharks have also made just two changes from their Round 15 fixture against Saracens.
The North West side have moved Detysha Harper from tighthead to loosehead prop with Molly Wright moving to hooker and Nick James coming in to complete the front row.
Catie Benson is in line for her 50th cap from the bench as Sharks look to close the gap on Tigers in eighth place.
Team News
Leicester Tigers
15 Amanda Swartz, 14 Tess Feury, 13 Katie Childs, 12 Sarah Nicholas, 11 Francesca McGhie, 10 Natasha Jones (C), 9 Amy Relf' 1 Leah Bartlett, 2 Amy Cokayne, 3 Lisa Cockburn, 4 Becky Noon, 5 Charlotte Fray, 6 Morgan Richardson, 7 Roisin McBrien, 8 Tahlia Brody
Replacements: 16 Alana Bainbridge, 17 Jade Jones, 18 Ofure Ugiagbe, 19 Julia Omokhuale, 20 Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele, 21 Elis Martin. 22 Lucy Nye, 23 Claire Gallagher
Sale Sharks
15 Lauren Delany (CC), 14 Holly Thorpe, 13 Beatrice Rigoni, 12 Laura Perrin, 11 Hollie Bawden, 10 Sarah Law, 9 Sian Jones; 1 Detysha Harper, 2 Molly Wright, 3 Nick James, 4 Elizabeth Shermer, 5 Sara Tounesi, 6 Jo Brown, 7 Rachel McLachlan, 8 Morwenna Talling (CC)
Replacements: 16 Niamh Swales, 17 Anne Young, 18 Catie Benson, 19 Erica Jarrell, 20 Lucie Sams, 21 Georgie Perris-Redding (CC), 22 Jess Taylor-Roberts, 23 Vicky A Irwin
How to Watch
Highlights will be available on the Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby YouTube channel.
Match Stats
Click here to find out all you need to know.
Partners
