Round 18 Preview: Regular season concludes under Friday night lights

The final round of regular season fixtures take place simultaneously on Friday evening with four blockbuster games to look forward to.

The four semi-finalists may be confirmed but the order they will finish in is not, with Saracens and Harlequins both having their sights set on earning a home clash in the play-offs.

Here's what to look forward to in Round 18...

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY

Gloucester-Hartpury v Harlequins, Kingsholm – 7.45pm – Live on TNT Sports and BBC iPlayer

Defending champions Gloucester-Hartpury will host Harlequins in the final round of Premiership Women’s Rugby as both teams tune up for the semi-finals.

The Circus have wrapped up top spot as they sit six points clear in first, and they will host Bristol Bears in the last four.

Meanwhile, Quins need to win and hope that Saracens slip up so that they can host the semi-final meeting between the two teams.

Gloucester-Hartpury welcome back Emma Sing at full-back, meaning that Mia Venner switches to the wing after her hat-trick against Sale Sharks.

Up front, Zoe Aldcroft is switching to lock from No.8, with Alex Matthews filling that spot, while on the bench, Bianca Blackburn prepares for her first outing for the club since October.

Quins have made just one change to the team that lost to Bears last time out, with Harriet Millar-Mills coming into the side at No.8 in place of Jade Konkel as Lagi Tuima takes over the captaincy.

TEAM NEWS

Gloucester-Hartpury: 15.⁠ Emma Sing, 14.⁠ Mia Venner, 13.⁠ Hannah Jones, 12.⁠ ⁠Millie Hyett, 11.⁠ Rachel Lund, 10.⁠ Lleucu George, 9.⁠ Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt (cc); 1.⁠ Ranni Samuda, 2.⁠ ⁠Neve Jones, 3.⁠ Kathryn Buggy, 4.⁠ Sarah Beckett, 5.⁠ Zoe Aldcroft (cc), 6.⁠ Kate Williams, 7.⁠ Bethan Lewis, 8.⁠ Alex Matthews

Replacements: 16.⁠ Gillian Boag, 17.⁠ Erin Bradley, 18.⁠ Lisa Cockburn, 19.⁠ ⁠Steph Else, 20.⁠ Georgia Brock, 21.⁠ ⁠Bianca Blackburn, 22.⁠ Ellie Green, 23.⁠ Pip Hendy

Harlequins: 15. Ellie Kildunne, 14. Beth Wilcock, 13. Clàudia Pẽna, 12. Lagi Tuima (c), 11. Lisa Neumann, 10. Kayleigh Powell, 9. Lucy Packer; 1. Silva Turani, 2. Connie Powell, 3. Lizzie Hanlon, 4. Abbie Fleming, 5. Danelle Lochner, 6. Sarah Bonar, 7. Maddy Grant, 8. Harriet Millar-Mills

Replacements: 16. Carys Phillips, 17. Hannah Sims, 18. Laura Delgado, 19. Tyla Shirley, 20. Maja Mueller, 21. Freya Aucken, 22. Ella Cromack, 23. Sarah Parry

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Nikki O’Donnell

Assistant Referees: Andy Wigley and Ryan Collier

TMO: Rowan Kitt

OVAL INSIGHTS

Gloucester-Hartpury

- Mia Venner scored a hat-trick last weekend and beat a round-high 11 defenders. She has now scored seven tries in her last six appearances.

- Zoe Aldcroft assisted two tries and scored one herself last weekend. She also made 16 successful tackles.

- Emma Sing remains the league’s top point-scorer with 126. She has also made the most carry metres (1,509) and beaten the most defenders (83).

Harlequins

- Jade Konkel-Roberts made 31 tackles in Round 17; only one player has made more in a match this season.

- Claudia Pena has made more offloads than any other PWR player (18). She has scored six tries in ten appearances this season and made an average of 1.4 clean breaks per 80 minutes.

- Ellie Kildunne has made 25 clean breaks this season (2nd) – an average of 2.3 per 80 minutes.

Saracens v Sale Sharks - StoneX Stadium, 7.45pm

Saracens know they will be the home club in their semi-final against Harlequins if they beat bottom side Sale Sharks at StoneX Stadium.

The North London outfit leapfrogged Quins into second last weekend courtesy of their 21-12 win over Exeter Chiefs and will be looking to end the season on a high to take momentum into the play-offs.

Alex Austerberry has made four changes to the starting XV, with Carmen Tremelling, Gabrielle Senft, Tori Sellors and Beth Blacklock - who was this week named in Scotland's training squad for the Guinness Women's Six Nations - coming into the side.

Sale travel to the capital looking for their second win of the campaign but know that whatever happens, it will not be enough to lift them off the foot of the table.

Rachel Taylor has made several alterations for her last game as head coach, including Molly Wright coming in to the front row and Molly Morrissey replacing Iona Antwis in the second row.

Olivia Ortiz is back from her concussion absence and takes her place among the replacements.

TEAM NEWS

Saracens: 15. Jess Breach, 14. Sydney Gregson, 13. Emma Hardy, 12. Beth Blacklock, 11. Lotte Sharp, 10. Zoe Harrison, 9. Ella Wyrwas, 1.⁠ ⁠Akina Gondwe, 2.⁠ ⁠⁠May Campbell, 3.⁠ ⁠⁠Carmen Tremelling, 4.⁠ ⁠⁠Rosie Galligan, 5.⁠ ⁠⁠Louise McMillan, 6.⁠ ⁠⁠Gabrielle Senft, 7.⁠ ⁠⁠Marlie Packer (Co-captain), 8.⁠ ⁠⁠Poppy Cleall

Replacements: 16.⁠ ⁠⁠Bryony Field, 17.⁠ McKinley Hunt, 18.⁠ ⁠⁠Maya Montiel, 19.⁠ ⁠⁠Bryony Cleall, 20.⁠ ⁠⁠Georgia Evans, 21.⁠ Ella Wyrwas, 22.⁠ ⁠⁠Amelia MacDougall, 23.⁠ ⁠⁠Sarah McKenna

Sale Sharks: 15. Nikita Prothero, 14. Sophie Hopkins, 13. Beatrice Rigoni, 12. Katana Howard, 11. Rachel Philipps, 10. Robyn Wilkins, 9. Sofia Stefan, 1. Catie Benson, 2. Molly Wright, 3. Detysha Harper, 4. Molly Morrissey, 5. Erica Jarrell, 6. Jo Brown, 7. Niamh Swailes, 8. Morwenna Talling

Replacements: 16. Scarlett Fielding, 17. Amber Schonert, 18. Nick James, 19. Iona Antwis, 20. Polly Bowman, 21. Olivia Ortiz, 22. Laura Perrin, 23. Eva Wood

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Mike Hudson

Assistant Referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys and Veryan Boscawen

OVAL INSIGHTS

Saracens

• May Campbell has scored the joint-most tries in the league this season and the most by a forward outright (16). She has also won five more turnovers than any other player (23) and the most tackles (224).
• Zoe Harrison’s kick success rate is higher than any other player in the top five point-scorers (75.6%). She has also kicked the most retained kicks in the league (14).
• Saracens have the best gainline success rate (55.2%) and have won the most turnovers per 80 minutes this season (8.5).

Sale Sharks

• Beatrice RIgoni has won the third-most turnovers in the PWR this season (13). She has also made more tackles than any other centre (133).
• The Sharks have made a league-high average of 16.9 kicks in play per 80 minutes.
• Detysha Harper has made the most carries (139) and third-most tackles (138) in the Sale Sharks squad.

Loughborough Lightning v Trailfinders Women - cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens, 7.45pm, live on YouTube

Loughborough Lightning and Trailfinders Women will battle it at cinch Stadium at Franklins Gardens to decide who will finish sixth in the table.

Lightning legend Rachel Malcolm will play her last game for the club this weekend as Loughborough hope to avenge their 64-33 loss to Trailfinders in the first game of the season.

Trailfinders lost a brilliant end-to-end contest with Leicester Tigers last weekend, reducing a 16-point deficit to just two, only to be narrowly pipped at the post.

The hosts make four changes from their win against Bristol Bears three weeks ago. Bulou Mataitoga is named on the wing for her 50th Loughborough Lightning cap, taking her place alongside Francesca Goldthorp and Alev Kelter in the back three.

Trailfinders make five changes from their loss at home. Rowena Burnfield starts at blindside flanker for her final game before retirement, joining captain Kate Zackary and Grace Moore in the back row.

TEAM NEWS

Loughborough Lightning: 15 Francesca Goldthorp, 14 Bulou Mataitoga, 13 Emily Scarratt, 12 Carmela Morrall, 11 Alev Kelter, 10 Helena Rowland, 9 Meg Davey; 1 Anne Young, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Christine Belisle, 4 Abby Duguid, 5 Lilli Ives Campion, 6 Rachel Malcolm (cc), 7 Hallie Taufoou, 8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones (cc)

Replacements: 16 Kendall Waudby, 17 Amelia Williams, 18 Laura Keates, 19 Becky Boyd, 20 Haineala Lutui, 21 Leia Brebner-Holden, 22 Ellen Scantlebury, 23 Evelyn Clarke

Trailfinders Women: 15. Chloe Rollie, 14. Rosie Inman, 13. Jess Cooksey, 12. Lisa Thomson, 11. Grace White, 10. Julia Schell, 9. Caity Mattinson; 1. Alivia Leatherman, 2. Paige Stathopoulos, 3. Rori Wood, 4. Tyson Beukeboom, 5. Shya Pinnock, 6. Rowena Burnfield, 7. Grace Moore, 8. Kate Zackary (c)

Replacements: 16. Kat Evans, 17. Kie Tamai, 18. Cassandra Tuffnail, 19. Shannon Ikahihifo, 20. Sara Seye, 21. Ella Amory, 22. Liz Musgrove, 23. Vicky Laflin

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Holly Wood

Assistant Referees: Harry Walbaum and James Clarke

OVAL INSIGHTS

Loughborough Lightning

• Krissy Scurfield has won 18 turnovers so far this season – the most by a back and second-most overall.
• Despite only making ten appearances this season, Alev Kelter has beaten the second-most defenders in the league (66) and scored seven tries.
• Loughborough Lightning have stolen more lineouts than any other team in the league (25). Hallie Taufoou and Lilli Ives Campion have stolen eight and six respectively.

Trailfinders Women

• Grace Moore won a round-high four turnovers at the weekend and made 15 successful tackles, missing none.
• Caity Mattinson has assisted a league-high 13 tries this season. She has also assisted eight breaks.
• Trailfinders have made a league-high average of 7.9 dominant tackles per 80 minutes. Shya Pinnock has made the most in the Trailfinders squad (11).

Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs - Mattioli Woods Welford Road, 7.45pm

Rachel Johnson will make her final start in Premiership Women's Rugby as Exeter Chiefs travel to Leicester Tigers.

Johnson will retire from rugby after this summer's Rugby World Cup, and will bow out from her time at Chiefs from the start at No.8.

She is joined in the back row by Ebony Jefferies, who makes her 100th appearance for the club, and Maddie Feaunati while Charli Jacoby and Dorothy Wall both come into the pack.

Sabrina Poulin starts on the wing in place of Claudia MacDonald, while Kanako Kobayashi continues at outside centre in place of the injured Alex Tessier as Chiefs look to end their season on a high despite missing out on a play-off place.

Tigers give a first start of the season to Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele in the back row, with captain Roisin McBrien moving to second row.

Hat-trick hero Francesca McGhie starts on the wing, with Emily Henrich and Claire Gallagher completing the back three.

TEAM NEWS

Leicester Tigers: 15 Claire Gallagher, 14 Emily Henrich, 13 Meg Jones, 12 Evie Wills, 11 Francesca McGhie, 10 Natasha Jones, 9 Amy Relf; 1 Leah Bartlett, 2 Nikki Simpson, 3 Sophie Benavent, 4 Eva Donaldson, 5 Roisin McBrien (c), 6 Katie Childs, 7 Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele, 8 Tahlia Brody

Replacements: 16 Jordan Russell, 17 Ellie Smith, 18 Nadine Vincent, 19 Leah Heath, 20 Morgan Richardson, 21 Jenny Maxwell, 22 Tess Feury, 23 Amanda Swartz

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Merryn Doidge, 14 Sabrina Poulin, 13 Kanako Kobayashi, 12 Nancy McGillivray, 11 Katie Buchanan, 10 Liv McGoverne, 9 Flo Robinson (vc); 1 Hope Rogers, 2 Emily Tuttosi, 3 Charli Jacoby, 4 Dorothy Wall, 5 Poppy Leitch (c), 6 Ebony Jefferies, 7 Maddie Feaunati, 8 Rachel Johnson

Replacements: 16 Clara Nielson, 17 Demi Swann, 18 DaLeaka Menin, 19 Emily Robinson, 20 Niamh Orchard, 21 Maisy Allen, 22 Lucy Nye, 23 Taylor Perry

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Alex Thomas

Assistant Referees: Neil Chivers and Simon Park

OVAL INSIGHTS

Leicester Tigers

• Francesca McGhie scored three tries in Round 17 - the second hattrick by a Leicester Tiger this season. She also made a round-high six clean breaks and 185 metres.
• Caroline Fray and Julia Omokhuale have made more dominant tackles than any other players this season: 16 and 13 respectively.
• Tigers have the highest scrum success rate in the league: they’ve won 94.2% of their scrums this season.

Exeter Chiefs

• Poppy Leitch has entered the most rucks (428) and made the second-most tackles (211) in the PWR this season.
• Liv McGoverne has made over 30 more kicks in play and 1,200 more kick in play metres than any other player this season.
• Chiefs have made the most tackles per 80 minutes this season (184) at a success rate of 81.9% (2nd). They have also won the second-most turnovers per 80 minutes (8.2).