PWR semi-final preview: Gloucester-Hartpury v Bristol Bears

Mo Hunt is not letting talk of a hat-trick of PWR titles distract her focus ahead of Gloucester Hartpury's semi-final clash with Bristol Bears.

The scrum-half was part of the team that came back from 17-7 at half-time to beat Sunday’s opponents 36-24 in last year’s final and expects another close encounter with Dave Ward’s team.

“We can talk about that (three in a row) after Sunday,” said Hunt.

"It’s one game at a time. We are not going to get carried away with the whole ‘three-peat’ thing. We have got a massive, massive job to do this weekend. All our eyes are on that.

“At the minute, we are not looking past Bristol because there is a danger when you look past games, you get carried away and you are not in the moment, and we need to be in the moment this week.”

England international Hunt scored a try in last year’s showpiece and did likewise when the two sides met in early January in front of a record PWR crowd at Ashton Gate.

🎟️ 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝟰,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗 🎟️

We’ve sold over 4,000 tickets for our @ThePWR semi-final against @BristolBearsW at 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗼𝗱𝗮𝗳𝗼𝗻𝗲 🙌

They’re going quick! Get yours now ➡️ https://t.co/oFFUkQaXYY

🤝 @VodafoneUK

🍒🐻 #GLOvBRI pic.twitter.com/e6i65f4LcF

— Gloucester Hartpury (@gloshartpury) February 26, 2025

That match followed a similar pattern to last year's final, with the visitors overturning a half-time lead to run out comfortable 40-17 winners, but Hunt is acutely aware of the threats Bristol can pose.

“We need to be on it from the first minute,” she continued. 

“They’ve got star quality across the board, and we know they will bring physicality [to the game]. 

"But we need to get our game right, which is being clinical when we go forward, keeping hold of the ball and making sure our kick execution is on the money.”

With a home World Cup on the horizon, Hunt knows the importance of players being exposed to the pressures associated with knockout rugby, and thinks the fixture is an ideal opportunity for those looking to get into John Mitchell’s squad.

She said: “There is a lot of us who need to learn who to control games of knockout rugby and how to get the win, however that comes.

"It is really important [preparation], we will learn so much from it whether we win or lose. Hopefully it will make us better as that England squad moves forward.”

Sunday’s semi-final will be head coach Sean Lynn’s last game at Queensholm and he is fully confident his side has what it takes to win, especially if the game becomes close.

He said: “If you are asking a side to go out there and have that grit, I would not pick anyone else. I’m all about having warrior queens and these individuals will just go out and fly into Sunday’s game.”

Earlier in the week, Bristol Bears inside centre Amber Reed highlighted Hunt as one of Gloucester-Hartpury’s key players and Hunt has nothing but respect for her England teammate.

“What a career she has had,” she added. “I genuinely cannot speak highly enough of her.

"She is a phenomenal baller and what she has done for Bristol since coming back from injury, she is definitely someone who has made them tick a lot more since coming back into the fold.”

Reed, for her part, knows 'you don't get any second chances' in knockout rugby and believes a strong defence will be crucial for Bears.

Dave Ward’s side travel to Queensholm looking to avenge their defeat in last season’s final having finished fourth, earning them a fourth consecutive play-off appearance, and inside centre Reed feels ready for the challenge that will be provided by their opponents on Sunday.

“It's a challenge that we're going to get after," she said. "It being a semi-final definitely gives a bit more spice and you don't get any second chances.

"I said to the team yesterday, it's about growing throughout this week. So, if we get our details right by Sunday, we don't need a second chance, we can go out and execute everything we want to. We're ready for it.”

Last time out at Queensholm ⏪

That @avreed12 x @phoebemurray99 connection 🔗 pic.twitter.com/6JR9tqVNIl

— Bristol Bears Women 🐻 (@BristolBearsW) February 25, 2025

Speaking about where the game might be won and lost, Reed stressed the importance of stemming any Gloucester-Hartpury momentum in front of their home crowd.

She continued: “Our defence is a massive one. Gloucester [-Hartpury] have got some really good ball carriers and they rely on that momentum game and a really quick ruck to allow Mo [Natasha Hunt] to shine and do what she does.

“Obviously [she’s] a world-class player who loves to play with tempo, loves to have a little look for herself and then put others into space. So, if we can get our defence right, if we can stop the momentum, it makes rugby a much harder game to play on the back foot. That'll be a massive challenge for us.

“Then, just playing in the right areas and trying to minimize our error counts so we don't give them cheap ball. We're a possession-based team. We love to play with the ball. We love to make it exciting, but it's about doing that in the right areas of the pitch as well.”

Reed and her teammates are also striving to ensure this is not Ilona Maher's last game in a Bears shirt.

The American signed a three-month deal in January and Reed praised the impact she’s had both on the squad and the game in general.

“I think the impact that's had on the game as a whole is pretty phenomenal,” added Reed. “She wants to grow the game, but she just wants to make an impact with this squad, and she definitely has.

“She grafts, she's so strong in the gym, works hard, ask questions to know her detail and I think, with all the buzz around it [her arrival], that’s the most impressive thing.

"We've got lots of talented players in this side with lots of youngsters coming through and she's been sharing her experiences with them as well, which is awesome. She's just a class teammate.

“Our ticket sales have dramatically increase from where they were last season, and it would be pretty remiss of me to not give her credit for that too.”

Sunday 2nd March 2025

Gloucester-Hartpury v Bristol Bears - Queensholm Stadium - 3pm

Live on TNT Sports and BBC Sport

Match Officials

Referee: Alexa Thomas

Assistant Referees: Nikki O'Donnell and Calum Howard

TMO: David Rose

TEAM NEWS

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 El Perry, 2 Neve Jones, 3 Maud Muir, 4 Sarah Beckett, 5 Zoe Aldcroft (cc), 6 Kate Williams, 7 Bethan Lewis, 8 Alex Matthews

Replacements: 16 Gillian Boag, 17 Mackenzie Carson, 18 Kathryn Buggy, 19 Steph Else, 20 Georgia Brock, 21 Meg Davies, 22 Millie Hyett, 23 Rachel Lund

Bristol Bears: 15 Courtney Keight, 14 Jasmine Joyce-Butchers, 13 Phoebe Murray, 12 Amber Reed (cc), 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 (cc), 6 Alisha Joyce-Butchers, 7 Christiana Balogun, 8 Evie Gallagher

Replacements: 16 Holly Phillips, 17 Simi Pam, 18 Elliann Clarke, 19 Delaney Burns, 20 Row Marston-Mulhearn, 21 Ffion Lewis, 22 Meg Varley, 23 Millie David

Oval Insights

Gloucester-Hartpury

• Emma Sing made nine dominant carries, 191 metres, 61 post-contact metres, beat 14 defenders, and made five clean breaks in Round 18. No player has beaten as many defenders in a match this season as she did last weekend.
• Mia Venner made four clean breaks, 111 metres, beat 11 defenders, and scored a try in Round 18.
• Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury) made a round-high 27 tackles - three of which were dominant - and scored two tries last weekend.

Bristol Bears

• In Round 17, Sarah Bern made the most carries (23), dominant carries (11), and post-contact metres (55). She also beat eight defenders and scored a try.
• Pheobe Murray has made as many carries as any other player this season, a total of 202 and an average of 14 per 80 minutes.
• Millie David has made the most clean breaks (28) and scored the joint-most tries so far this season (16).