PWR Round 13 Preview: Bears head to Sandy Park as champs target top spot

Round 13 gets underway with a blockbuster double header on Saturday as Gloucester-Hartpury take on Loughborough Lightning while Saracens cross swords with Leicester Tigers.

Sunday features another huge clash when Exeter Chiefs welcome Bristol Bears to Sandy Park, with the meeting between Sale Sharks and Trailfinders Women postponed due to the weather.

Saturday 11 January - Gloucester-Hartpury v Loughborough Lightning - Kingsholm, 2pm

Gloucester-Hartpury start the weekend in high spirits and with one eye on overtaking Harlequins at the summit of the league standings when they welcome Loughborough Lightning to Kingsholm.

The second-placed side were ruthless in defeating Bristol Bears last time out, running in six tries to claim a statement win at Ashton Gate and they will be hoping their attack is in similar form when the action starts in the West Country.

They face a Lightning side riding high after stunning Saracens 22-17, with Krissy Scurfield the hero after twice crossing the white line. Nathan Smith's side will be determined that was not a one-off when they travel to the reigning champions, whose co-captain, Zoe Aldcroft, was this week named as Red Roses skipper for 2025.

Our Zoe, England Captain ❤️#GlosHartpury pic.twitter.com/DyfxOn1KB7

— Gloucester-Hartpury (@gloshartpury) January 9, 2025

Team news

Gloucester-Hartpury

15 Emma Sing, 14 Mia Venner, 13 Hannah Jones, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Pip Hendy, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Mo Hunt (cc), 1 Kathryn Buggy, 2 Lucy Simpson, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4 Sarah Beckett, 5 Zoe Aldcroft (cc), 6 Steph Else, 7 Georgia Brock, 8 Alex Matthews

Replacements: 16 Neve Jones, 17 Mackenzie Carson, 18 Maud Muir, 19 Gwen Crabb, 20 Tabitha Copson, 21 Meg Davies, 22 Millie Hyett, 23 Rachel Lund

Loughborough Lightning

15 Francesca Goldthorp, 14 Bulou Mataitoga, 13 Emily Scarratt, 12 Alev Kelter, 11 Krissy Scurfield, 10 Helen Nelson, 9 Megan Davey, 1 Anne Young, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Laura Keates, 4 Courtney Holtkamp, 5 Lilli Ives Campion, 6 Hallie Taufoou, 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones (cc)

Replacements: 16 Elis Martin, 17 Amelia Williams, 18 Christine Belisle, 19 Abby Duguid, 20 Kendall Waudby, 21 Rachel Malcolm, 22 Leia Brebner-Holden, 23 Carmela Morrall

Match officials

Referee: Harry Walbaum

Assistant referees: Charlie Gayther and Ryan Collier

Oval Insights

Gloucester-Hartpury 

- Alex Matthews made 30 tackles in Round 12 - three of which were dominant - and missed none. Only two other players have made more tackles in a match this season.

- Georgia Brock won four turnovers - as many as any other player in Round 12 - in just 34 minutes on the pitch last weekend.

- Emma Sing has scored 27 more points than any other player this season, a total of 114. She is also top of the league for carry metres (1,292), try assists (nine), and defenders beaten (71).

Loughborough Lightning

- Alev Kelter made the most dominant carries (11), post-contact metres (49), and beat the most defenders (nine) in Round 12. No player has made as many dominant carries in a match this season.

- Lightning have stolen a league-high 22 lineouts so far this season. Individually, Hallie Taufoou has stolen as many as any other player (eight).

- A league-high 75.7% of Lightning’s passes have been long this season. Meg Davey has thrown more long passes than any other player (587).

Saturday 11 January - Saracens v Leicester Tigers - StoneX Stadium, 2pm

Saracens welcome Leicester Tigers to StoneX Stadium in search of redemption after falling to Loughborough Lightning in Round 12, though they took some solace in departing cinch Stadium @ Franklin's Gardens with a bonus point.

Last time out against 🐯 certainly delivered! 🙌#YourSaracens💫 pic.twitter.com/Qw9CmPDNSr

— Saracens Women (@SaracensWomen) January 9, 2025

Tigers on the other hand make the trip to the capital on the hunt for a third win of the season after powering past Sale Sharks 38-17 courtesy of a first-half hat-trick from Meg Jones.

The last meeting between the sides ended with Saracens routing Tigers 38-5 all the way back in December and Leicester will be hoping to replicate last week's heroics and inflict revenge.

For Saracens Marlie Packer and May Campbell will both make milestone appearances tomorrow afternoon in front of the home crowd at StoneX Stadium.

Co-captain Packer will make her 100th appearance for the club, whilst Campbell will make her 150th appearance in black and red.

Team News

Saracens

15 Lotte Sharp (cc), 14 Coreen Grant, 13 Sydney Gregson, 12 Sophie Bridger, 11 Fancy Bermudez, 10 Zoe Harrison, 9 Leanne Infante, 1 Akina Gondwe, 2 May Campbell, 3 Kesley Clifford, 4 Rosie Galligan, 5 Georgia Evans, 6 Gabrielle Senft, 7 Marlie Packer (cc), 8 Poppy Cleall

Replacements: 16 Bryony Field, 17 Maya Montiel, 18 Carmen Tremelling, 19 Louise McMillan, 20 Joia Bennett, 21 Ella Wyrwas, 22 Emma Hardy, 23 Amelia MacDougall

Leicester Tigers

15 Amanda Swartz, 14 Tess Feury, 13 Emily Henrich, 12 Katie Childs, 11 Amelia Tutt, 10 Natasha Jones, 9 Jenny Maxwell, 1 Abbey Constable, 2 Nikki Simpson, 3 Nadine Vincent, 4 Eva Donaldson, 5 Roisin McBrien (c), 6 Tiana Gordon, 7 Morgan Richardson, 8 Tahlia Brody

Replacements: 16 Alana Bainbridge, 17 Ellie Smith, 18 Sophie Benavent, 19 Clodagh Dunne, 20 Jordan Russell, 21 Amy Relf, 22 Sarah Nicholas, 23 Elin Beaver

Match officials

Referee: Dan Jones

Assistant referees: Calum Howard and Veryan Boscawen

Oval Insights

Saracens

- May Campbell won another four turnovers last weekend, extending her lead over the league to ten; she has won a total of 21 turnovers this season.

- Zoe Harrison has made more kicks that have been retained than any other player this season (11). She has also made the most contestable kicks (12).

- Saracens have the best goalkicking success rate in the league (77.2%). They have scored an average of 8.4 points from goal kicks per 80 minutes (1st).

Leicester Tigers

- Meg Jones was the only player to score three tries in Round 12. She has scored seven tries in five appearances so far this season.

- Charlotte Fray and Julia Omokhuale have made more dominant tackles than any other players this season: 14 and 11 respectively.

- Tigers have the best scrum success rate in the league (94.9%). They have also scored the most tries from scrums (seven).

Sunday 12 January - Exeter Chiefs v Bristol Bears - Sandy Park, 3pm

After missing out on Round 12 with a bye, Exeter Chiefs will be raring to go when they welcome Bristol Bears to Sandy Park in the last of this weekend's action.

They face a Bears side determined to bounce back after defeat to Gloucester-Hartpury in front of a record crowd at Ashton Gate last time out, where star signing Ilona Maher made her debut from the replacements bench.

When force meets finesse x2 💥

Two of the most exciting props go head to head this Sunday at home 🏟

🎟 https://t.co/a7MbCuD6um#EXEvBRI | #SheInspires pic.twitter.com/8AUyCUDMWj

— Exeter Chiefs Women (@ExeChiefsWomen) January 7, 2025

Maher will make her first start for Bears this weekend after being named on the wing for the trip to Chiefs in a match that could have major ramifications on the play-off race.

Team News

Exeter Chiefs

15 Alexandra Tessier, 14 Claudia MacDonald, 13 Nancy McGillivray, 12 Liv McGoverne, 11 Katie Buchanan, 10 Taylor Perry, 9 Flo Robinson, 1 Hope Rogers, 2 Emily Tuttosi, 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Poppy Leitch (c), 5 Dorothy Wall, 6 Ebony Jefferies, 7 Maddie Feaunati, 8 Rachel Johnson

Replacements: 16 Cliodhna Moloney, 17 Mikiela Nelson, 18 Charli Jacoby, 19 Linde van der Velden, 20 Maisy Allen, 21 Lucy Nye, 22 Merryn Doidge, 23 Georgina Tasker

Bristol Bears

15 Courtney Keight, 14 Reneeqa Bonner, 13 Meg Varley, 12 Phoebe Murray, 11 Ilona Maher, 10 Holly Aitchison, 9 Keira Bevan, 1 Hannah Botterman, 2 Lark Atkin-Davies, 3 Sarah Bern, 4 Hollie Cunningham, 5 Abbie Ward (c), 6 Alisha-Joyce Butchers, 7 Evie Gallagher, 8 Rownita Marston-Mulhearn

Replacements: 16 Jess Sprague, 17 Simi Pam, 18 Elliann Clarke, 19 Delaney Burns, 20 Gabrielle Nigrelli, 21 Tilly Ryall, 22 Amy Coles, 23 Ella Lovibond

Match officials

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys   

Assistant referees: Iain Kiy and Jonathan Healy

Oval Insights

Exeter Chiefs

- Liv McGoverne has made more kicks in play (99) and kick in play metres (3,288) than any other player this season.

- The Chiefs have the best gainline success rate in the league (58%). Flo Robinson has crossed the gainline more than any other Chiefs player (49).

- The Chiefs have made a league-high average of 181 tackles per 80 minutes at a success rate of 81.2% (2nd).

Bristol Bears 

- Millie David scored a try last weekend, taking her season total to a league-leading 12 tries.

- Amber Reed has assisted six more breaks than any other player – a total of 21 – and the second-most tries in the league (eight).

- The Bears have won 16 more scrum penalties than any other team this season, a total of 38.