News
PWR Round 8 Preview: Sharks meet the Tigers, a re-run of last year's Final and home games for Saracens and Quins
Sale Sharks play their first match of the season at the Salford Community Stadium as they take on Leicester Tigers in a doubleheader.
Round 8 of Premiership Women's Rugby begins with Saracens aiming to get back to winning ways against Loughborough Lightning.
Second-place Gloucester-Hartpury can make ground on leaders Exeter Chiefs who have a bye week, with the defending champions taking on Bristol Bears in a rematch of last year's final, while Harlequins take on Trailfinders Women in a London derby.
SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER – Saracens v Loughborough Lightning – StoneX Stadium - 2pm
Megan Davey is set to become Loughborough Lightning’s second-ever centurion as she wins her 100th cap against Saracens.
The scrum-half made her Lightning debut aged just 17 as the 35th player to suit up for the East Midlands team.
She has been named in an unchanged starting XV to take on Saracens at the StoneX with the game live on the hosts' YouTube channel.
Sadia Kabeya has been named on Lightning's bench for the first time this season as she returns from a hamstring injury.
Lightning 💯 Club
— Loughborough Lightning Rugby ⚡️ (@LightningRugby) November 28, 2024
Katie Trevarthen presents Meg Davey with her specially embroidered match shirt ahead of her 100th appearance against Saracens this weekend ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/bh0lsyldZE
May Campbell has been elevated to start after her star turn from the bench in The Duel last weekend.
Saracens are looking for a response after their narrow defeat to arch-rivals Harlequins left them outside of the semi-final spots.
The three-time champions have made four changes to their starting line-up, with Gabrielle Senft, Bryony Cleall and Emma Hardy all coming into the XV.
Match officials
Referee: Holly Wood
Assistant Referees: John Meredith & Simon Park
Team News:
Saracens
15 Sarah McKenna, 14 Alysha Corrigan, 13 Sydney Gregson, 12 Emma Hardy, 11 Lotte Sharp (cc), 10 Zoe Harrison, 9 Ella Wyrwas; 1 McKinley Hunt, 2 May Campbell, 3 Kelsey Clifford, 4 Georgia Evans, 5 Bryony Cleall, 6 Gabrielle Senft, 7 Sharifa Kasolo, 8 Marlie Packer (cc)
Replacements: 16 Bryony Field, 17 Akina Gondwe, 18 Carmen Tremelling, 19 Louise McMillan, 20 Joia Bennett, 21 Coreen Grant, 22 Amelia MacDougall, 23 Fancy Bermudez
Loughborough Lightning
15 Helen Nelson (cc), 14 Fran Goldthorp, 13 Emily Scarratt, 12 Alev Kelter, 11 Krissy Scurfield, 10 Helena Rowland, 9 Megan Davey; 1 Anne Young, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Isla Curphey, 4 Abby Duguid, 5 Lilli Ives Campion, 6 Hallie Taufoou, 7 Kendall Waudby, 8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones (cc)
Replacements: 16 Elis Martin, 17 Amelia Williams, 18 Laura Keates, 19 Becky Boyd, 20 Sadia Kabeya, 21 Leia Brebner-Holden, 22 Carmela Morrall, 23 Bulou Mataitoga
Oval Insights
Saracens
- Georgia Evans made 33 tackles against Harlequins last weekend - more than any other player has made in a match so far this season.
- May Campbell won three turnovers (1st) and scored a try in her 32 minutes off the bench last weekend.
- Saracens have won an average of 8.8 turnovers per 80 minutes this season – more than any other team.
Loughborough Lightning
- Lightning have made the second-most clean breaks so far this season (60), an average of ten per 80 minutes.
- Lightning have conceded fewer turnovers than any other team, a total of 91.
- 74.8% of Lightning’s passes this season have been long – the second-highest rate in PWR.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙤."#YourSaracens💫 #CraftInCastore@CastoreEngland pic.twitter.com/Nn9bb9P2Iu
— Saracens Women (@SaracensWomen) November 29, 2024
SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER – Gloucester-Hartpury v Bristol Bears – Kingsholm - 2pm
A rematch of last season’s Premiership Women’s Rugby final is sure to whet the appetite with Gloucester-Hartpury and Bristol Bears having enjoyed very similar campaigns to date.
The Circus made it two titles in as many years as they came from 10 points down at half-time against the Bears in a thrilling final in June.
So far this term, both teams have won four games and lost two, with Gloucester-Hartpury coming into this game off a pair of wins before last week’s bye.
Bears, meanwhile, have the best points difference in the entire league, and come into this match fresh from beating Trailfinders Women last weekend.
Gloucester-Hartpury have made two changes from the team that beat Trailfinders Women a fortnight ago, with Sarah Beckett coming into the back row in the only change in the pack.
The other change sees Nel Metcalfe promoted into the starting line-up on the wing while Maud Muir is back on the bench.
For Bears, Dave Ward has made four changes including three to his backline where Courtney Keight comes onto the wing as Jasmine Joyce-Butchers shifts to full-back.
Jenna de Vera gets her chance at inside centre, with Phoebe Murray moving out one to the No.13 jersey, while Holly Aitchison is back at fly-half.
The only change in the back is a big one, with Abbie Ward coming into the second row as she also takes over the captaincy.
With the game taking place at Kingsholm, this has all the makings of another classic between two of PWR's very best.
Locked in 🔒
— Bristol Bears Women 🐻 (@BristolBearsW) November 28, 2024
✍️ Head Coach, Dave Ward
✍️ Assistant Coach, Tom Luke
Our coaching team have signed two-year contract extensions until the end of the 2026/27 season 🐻🤝
Match officials
Referee: Christophe Ridley Assistant Referees: Calum Howard & Kevin Williams
Team News:
Gloucester-Hartpury:
15 Emma Sing, 14 Nel Metcalfe, 13 Hannah Jones, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Ellie Rugman, 10 Millie Hyett, 9 Mo Hunt (cc); 1 Mackenzie Carson, 2 Neve Jones, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 4 Kate Williams, 5 Zoe Aldcroft (cc), 6 Sarah Beckett, 7 Bethan Lewis, 8 Alex Matthews
Replacements: 16 Lucy Simpson, 17 Kathryn Buggy, 18 Maud Muir, 19 Carmen Castellucci, 20 Georgia Brock, 21 Sian Jones, 22 Ellie Green, 23 Mia Venner
Bristol Bears:
15 Jasmine Joyce-Butchers, 14 Courtney Keight, 13 Phoebe Murray, 12 Jenna de Vera, 11 Millie David, 10 Holly Aitchison, 9 Lucy Burgess; 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 Holly Phillips, 19 Delaney Burns, 20 Christiana Balogun, 21 Tilly Ryall, 22 Amber Reed, 23 Jenney Hesketh.
Oval Insights
Gloucester-Hartpury
- Emma Sing is the league’s top point-scorer with 66. She has also made more carries (92), metres (814), and beaten more defenders (40) than any other player this season.
- Gloucester-Hartpury have the highest tackle success rate in the league (82.6%).
- No team has averaged more dominant carries (30.1) or carry metres (595) per 80 minutes than Glouicester-Hartpury.
Bristol Bears
- Amber Reed assisted two tries at the weekend and scored another herself.
- Millie David has scored a league-high ten tries in six appearances this season. She also leads PWR for clean breaks (16).
- Rownita Marston-Mulhearn has made the joint-most dominant carries (31) and the most post-contact metres outright (171) this season.
🗣️ “There’s no more deserving people than those three”
— Gloucester-Hartpury (@gloshartpury) November 28, 2024
Mackenzie Carson on her Gloucester-Hartpury teammates, Alex Matthews, Maud Muir, and Zoe Aldcroft being named in the World Rugby 15s Dream Team of the Year. 🎪
🤝 Pro Global
🎟️ See the world’s best in action this Saturday… pic.twitter.com/2IYoHqV0lU
SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER – Harlequins v Trailfinders Women, Twickenham Stoop – 3pm
Ellie Kildunne returns to the Harlequins starting XV as they seek a sixth successive win when hosting Trailfinders Women at Twickenham Stoop.
Fresh from a one-point win in The Duel over fierce rivals Saracens, Quins are back on home soil and seeking to further close the gap to league-leaders Exeter Chiefs, who they trail by eight points.
Ross Chisholm's side is bolstered by the return of newly crowned World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year Kildunne.
The superstar 25-year-old has been essential to England's successes this year, having scored 14 tries in nine test matches for the Red Roses.
She will be looking to round off a memorable year, which also included an appearance in the Olympic sevens competition at Paris 2024, with a set of strong performances for Quins in the final four rounds before the break.
The hosts' one other change sees Freya Aucken return at scrum-half in the absence of Lucy Packer.
Trailfinders, meanwhile, have made three changes from the side that lost 26-7 to Bristol Bears last time out.
Caity Mattinson returns at scrum-half, with Kendra Cousineau restored to the centres and Kat Evans promoted to start at hooker.
Our 🌟 girl #COYQ pic.twitter.com/0Lvwzxkeyp
— Harlequins Women 🃏 (@HarlequinsWomen) November 25, 2024
Match officials
Referee: Hamish Grant
Assistant Referees: Gareth Holsgrove & Simon Adams
Team News:
Harlequins:
15 Ellie Kildunne, 14 Beth Wilcock, 13 Clàudia Peña, 12 Lagi Tuima (vc), 11 Lisa Neumann, 10 Kayleigh Powell, 9 Freya Aucken; 1 Silvia Turani, 2 Connie Powell, 3 Lizzie Hanlon, 4 Abbie Fleming, 5 Kaitlan Leaney, 6 Nicole Wythe, 7 Alex Callender, 8 Jade Konkel (c)
Replacements: 16 Carys Phillips, 17 Laura Delgado, 18 Babalwa Latsha, 19 Sarah Bonar, 20 Danelle Lochner, 21 Emma Swords, 22 Sarah Parry, 23 Maja Meuller
Trailfinders Women
15 Chloe Rollie, 14 Abby Dow, 13 Lisa Thomson, 12 Kendra Cousineau, 11 Grace White, 10 Julia Schell, 9 Caity Mattinson; 1 Alivia Leatherman, 2 Kat Evans, 3 Cassandra Tuffnail, 4 Tyson Beukeboom, 5 Shya Pinnock, 6 Emma Taylor, 7 Annabel Meta, 8 Kate Zackary
Replacements: 16 Lindelwa Gwala, 17 Kie Tamai, 18 Sara Seye, 19 Grace Moore, 20 Freya McGinlay, 21 Ella Amory, 22 Jess Cooksey, 23 Roșie Inman
Oval Insights
Harlequins
- Beth Wilcock was the only player who scored two tries in Round 7. She made a total of 94 carry metres (2nd).
- Jade Konkel made more dominant carries than any other player last weekend, a total of ten. Her teammate Nicole Wythe made a round-high 49 post-contact metres.
- Lisa Neumann has made the joint-most offloads so far this season (11) and made more post-contact metres than any other back (118).
Trailfinders Women
- Trailfinders have made a league-high average of 8.7 dominant tackles per 80 minutes this season.
- Trailfinders are the second-most efficient team in the opposition 22: they have scored an average of 2.8 points per entry.
- When awarded a penalty in the opposition half, Trailfinders have gone for goal more often than any other team (10.3%).
𝗔 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 😇
— Trailfinders Women (@TrailfindersW) November 27, 2024
Abby Dow 🤝 Dream Team of the Year#FollowTheTrail 💚 pic.twitter.com/AJaRqZRhSF
SUNDAY 1 DECEMBER - Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers – Salford Community Stadium, 12pm
Two sides in search of their first win of the season meet in front of the TNT Sports cameras on Sunday lunchtime as Sale Sharks welcome Leicester Tigers to the Salford Community Stadium.
The first helping in a double header, with the men’s sides to face each other later in the afternoon, will see Sharks look to seize home advantage and climb off the foot of the table.
The hosts pushed unbeaten leaders Exeter Chiefs hard last weekend, eventually succumbing 29-19 after a performance which saw four Sharks players impress enough to earn a place in the Round 7 Team of the Week.
Rachel Taylor, who feels her side’s performances are improving every week, makes just one change, with Eva Wood replaced by Sophie Hopkins on the wing.
Tigers went down 36-24 at local rivals Loughborough Lightning last time out and bring in Natasha Jones for a first appearance of the season at fly-half, while Claire Gallagher moves to full-back and Tess Feury lines up on the wing.
Match Officials
Referee: Jack Makepeace
ARs: Henry Pearson & Jenifer Burrows
TMO: Tom Foley
Team News
Sale Sharks: 15. Nikita Prothero, 14. Sophie Hopkins, 13. Bea Rigoni, 12. Laura Perrin, 11. Holly Thorpe, 10. Lizzie Duffy, 9. Sofia Stefan, 1. Catie Benson, 2. Scarlett Fielding, 3. Detysha Harper, 4. Trudy Cowan, 5. Erica Jarrell, 6. Niamh Swailes, 7. Alba Capell, 8. Jasmine Hazell
Replacements:16. Amber Schonert, 17. Sophie Lewis, 18. Nick James, 19. Iona Antwis, 20. Lucie Sams, 21. Olivia Ortiz, 22. Robyn Wilkins, 23. Vicky A Irwin
Leicester Tigers: 15 Claire Gallagher, 14 Emily Henrich, 13 Meg Jones, 12 Evie Wills, 11 Tess Feury, 10 Natasha Jones, 9 Amy Relf; 1 Leah Bartlett, 2 Amy Cokayne, 3 Sophie Benavent, 4 Eva Donaldson, 5 Charlotte Fray, 6 Julia Omokhuale, 7 Roisin McBrien ©, 8 Tahlia Brody
Replacements: 16 Alana Bainbridge, 17 Abbey Constable, 18 Nadine Vincent, 19 Tiana Gordon, 20 Morgan Richardson, 21 Jenny Maxwell, 22 Amanda Swartz, 23 Nikki Simpson
Oval Insights
Sale Sharks
- Holly Thorpe beat four more defenders than any other player in Round 7, a total of ten. She also made three clean breaks and scored a try.
- Sharks have averaged more kicks in play than any other team so far this season: 18.2 per 80 minutes.
- Nikita Prothero has made the most carries (62), carry metres (545), and clean breaks (six) in the Sharks squad.
Leicester Tigers
- 26.7% of the Tigers’ carries this season have been dominant – the second-highest rate in the league.
- The Tigers’ scrum success rate is a league-leading 95.2%. They have an average of 10.5 per match (1st).
- Charlotte Fray has made the most carries (76) and second-most tackles (56) in the Tigers squad.
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