PWR Preview: Bears host Chiefs in crucial Play-Off battle while Trailfinders travel to Sale Sharks hunting a top six spot

There are two matches on offer in Premiership Women's Rugby as the season continues to heat up with play-off places up for grabs.

Action gets underway at lunchtime when Exeter Chiefs travel to Bristol Bears, with both sides fighting it out for a top four berth.

Sale Sharks are then looking to make it back-to-back victories when they take on Trailfinders Women.

Saturday 8 February

Bristol Bears v Exeter Chiefs – Ashton Gate, 12.15pm

Bristol Bears welcome Exeter Chiefs to Ashton Gate in a crunch clash in the race for the PWR play-offs.

Just two points separate the sides heading into the contest, with a win for either side vital in their hopes to extend their seasons.

👋 @avreed12 is 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞!

Check out our @ThePWR Round 1⃣6⃣ team news 📰👇#BRIvEXE | #BristolBears

— Bristol Bears Women 🐻 (@BristolBearsW) February 7, 2025

Bears head coach Dave Ward welcomes back co-captain Amber Reed in the midfield, meaning a switch to the wing for Ilona Maher.

Courtney Keight replaces injured Wales teammate Jasmine Joyce-Butchers at full-back, while Simi Pam comes in at loosehead for Bears.

Chiefs have made three changes of their own following a narrow defeat to Harlequins, with Alex Tessier back at inside centre. Flo Long comes in at tighthead prop, with Maddie Feaunati coming into the back row.

Team News

Bristol Bears

15⁠ ⁠Courtney Keight, 14⁠ ⁠Reneeqa Bonner, 13⁠ ⁠Phoebe Murray, 12⁠ ⁠Amber Reed (cc), 11⁠ ⁠Ilona Maher, 10⁠ ⁠Holly Aitchison, 9⁠ ⁠Keira Bevan; 1⁠ ⁠Simi Pam, 2⁠ ⁠Lark Atkin-Davies, 3⁠ ⁠Sarah Bern, 4⁠ ⁠Hollie Cunningham, 5 ⁠Abbie Ward (cc), 6⁠ ⁠Christiana Balogun, 7⁠ ⁠Alisha Joyce-Butchers, 8 ⁠⁠Evie Gallagher.

Replacements: 16⁠ ⁠Holly Phillips, 17⁠ ⁠Hannah Botterman, 18⁠ ⁠Elliann Clarke, 19⁠ ⁠Delaney Burns, 20⁠ ⁠Gabriella Nigrelli, 21⁠ ⁠Ffion Lewis, 22⁠ ⁠Meg Varley, 23⁠ ⁠Millie David.

Exeter Chiefs

15 Merryn Doidge, 14 Claudia MacDonald, 13 Nancy McGillivray, 12 Alexandra Tessier, 11 Katie Buchanan, 10 Liv McGoverne, 9 Flo Robinson; 1 Hope Rogers, 2 Emily Tuttosi, 3 Flo Long, 4 Poppy Leitch (c), 5 Linde van der Velden, 6 Dorothy Wall, 7 Maddie Feaunati, 8 Rachel Johnson

Replacements: 16 Clara Nielson, 17 Demi Swann, 18 Charli Jacoby, 19 Niamh Orchard, 20 Taz Bricknell, 21 Emily Robinson, 22 Sabrina Poulin, 23 Georgina Tasker

Match Officials

Referee: Hamish Grant

Assistant Referees: Kevin Williams and Simon Adams

This weekend marks our first outing at Ashton Gate 🏟

A @BristolBearsW v @ExeChiefsWomen Derby Day never disappoints!#BRIvEXE | #SheInspires pic.twitter.com/zQZ2gMKNxn

— Exeter Chiefs Women (@ExeChiefsWomen) February 6, 2025

Oval Insights

Bristol Bears

• Sarah Bern made 16 carries into contact (1st), 43 post-contact metres (1st), and beat 11 defenders (2nd) last weekend.
• Lark Atkin-Davies threw the most lineouts (14) in Round 16 - none were lost. She also made the second-most carries into contact (15).
• Bristol Bears beat the most defenders (50) in Round 16 - the most in a single game so far this season. They have averaged the most clean breaks (9.1) and defenders beaten (32.7) per game this season.

Exeter Chiefs

• Rachel Johnson made more dominant carries than any other player last weekend (eight), 40 post-contact metres (2nd), and 17 tackles.
• Alex Tessier assisted three tries in Round 16 - more than any other player. She has assisted the most tries in the Chiefs’ squad this season (six) and scored the joint-most (three).
• Claudia Macdonald beat more defenders than any other player in Round 16, a total of 12. She was also the only player who made five clean breaks.

Sale Sharks v Trailfinders Women – CorpAcq Stadium, 2pm

Trailfinders Women travel to Sale Sharks in a bid to get back to winning ways, after defeat to Saracens last time out.

They face a Sharks side buoyant from their 12-7 victory of Exeter Chiefs two weeks ago, meaning it will be no easy task for Trailfinders.

Make sure you secure your seat for our last two home games of the season and we’ll see you for another huge Heywood Road clash tomorrow! 💥

🎟️ https://t.co/POrFzCYbax
⏰ 2pm Kick off#SharkTime #WomensRugby #NorthernRugbyMatters pic.twitter.com/7MGiY9vh6U

— Sale Sharks Women (@SaleSharksWomen) February 7, 2025

Sale have stuck with the same pack that was victorious in that game, but there is plenty of change in the backline.

Vicky A Irwin shifts to fly-half, while Beatrice Rigoni will start at outside centre alongside Katana Howard, promoted from the bench.

Trailfinders have also rung the changes following their defeat to Saracens last weekend.

Among the changes, there is a new front row with Liz Crake and Cassandra Tuffnail packing down either side of Lindelwa Gwala.

Team News

Sale Sharks

15 Nikita Prothero, 14 Sophie Hopkins, 13 Beatrice Rigoni, 12 Katana Howard, 11 Eva Wood, 10 Vicky A Irwin, 9 Olivia Ortiz, 1 Catie Benson, 2 Scarlett Fielding, 3 Detysha Harper, 4 Iona Antwis, 5 Erica Jarrell, 6 Jo Brown, 7 Niamh Swailes, 8 Morwenna Talling (c)

Replacements: 16 Scarlett Fielding, 17 Amber Schonert, 18 Nick James, 19 Molly Morrissey, 20 Polly Bowman, 21 Sofia Stefan, 22 Robyn Wilkins, 23 Rachel Philipps

Trailfinders Women

15 Niamh Gallagher, 14 Vicky Laflin, 13 Kendra Cousineau, 12 Lisa Thomson, 11 Grace White, 10 Julia Schell, 9 Caity Mattinson; 1 Liz Crake, 2 Lindelwa Gwala, 3 Cassandra Tuffnail, 4 Grace Moore, 5 Shya Pinnock, 6 Rowena Burnfield, 7 Abi Burton, 8 Kate Zackary (c)

Replacements: 16 Paige Stathopoulos, 17 Alivia Leatherman, 18 Rori Wood, 19 Tyson Beukeboom, 20 Sara Seye, 21 Ella Amory, 22 Jess Cooksey, 23 Rosie Inman

Match Officials

Referee: Andy Wigley

Assistant Referees: Rebecca Rees and Simon Park

𝙏𝙀𝘼𝙈'𝙎 🆙

Here's how we line-up against Sale Sharks tomorrow 🦈

Team news 🔗 https://t.co/acPOnRUdP1#SALvTFW | #FollowTheTrail 💚 pic.twitter.com/Kk3wWALtqc

— Trailfinders Women (@TrailfindersW) February 7, 2025

Oval Insights

Sale Sharks

• Among the Sale Sharks squad, Detysha Harper has made the most carries (131), dominant carries (25), and offloads (12) so far this season. She has also made 115 tackles (3rd).
• Sale Sharks have averaged the second-most penalties (11.9) and turnovers (16.7) conceded per game so far this season.
• Sale Sharks have won the most tackle turnovers (22) so far this season. Beatrice Rigoni has won the third-most turnovers (12) amongst the players, including five one-on-one strips (1st).

Trailfinders Women

• Trailfinders Women made 13 22m entries (2nd) in Round 16, and conceded only nine (2nd). However, they averaged just 1.3 points per visit (7th).
• Abi Burton made the joint-most carries (14) and the second-most tackles (15) for Trailfinders in Round 16. Seven of her carries were over the gainline (1st), and five were dominant (1st); she also didn’t miss a tackle.
• So far this season, Trailfinders Women have scored 8.1% of their points in overtime (40+ and 80+ minutes) - more than any other team.