STATS ATTACK: CAMPBELL AND KONKEL SET NEW RECORDS IN ROUND 17

SARACENS clinched a home Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby semi-final at the weekend with a showstopping victory over our champions, Gloucester-Hartpury at the StoneX.

It ensured that the Saracens squad made a big impact on the weekly Opta Ratings, most prominently May Campbell who was successful from all 16 of her lineout throws against Gloucester-Hartpury, the most by any player in an Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby match this season – previously, no player had attempted more than 13 throws in a single game this term without losing one.

The highlights of the Opta Ratings are below with the full report here if you click this link

• Harlequins’ Jade Konkel-Roberts made 24 carries against Bristol Bears, the most by any player in an Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby match this season – eight of the nine instances of a player making 20+ carries in a league game this term have been recorded by Harlequins players.
• Bristol Bears’ Deborah Wills scored three tries against Harlequins, the only Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby hat-trick at the weekend and the Bears’ first in the competition since Lark Atkin-Davies crossed the line three times against Wasps last June.
• Gloucester-Hartpury lost their first match of the Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby season in what was their 16th game of the campaign (W15 previously), bringing to an end what was the longest-ever winning streak at the start of a new season in the competition.
• Loughborough Lightning have now won each of their last two Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby matches after losing two in a row previously – their 19-18 win against the Trailfinders was their narrowest in the league since a one-point win against Gloucester-Hartpury in September 2018 (41-40).
• Sale Sharks defeated Leicester Tigers (36-21) to pick up their first win since the second matchday of the season (35-31 v Harlequins) and halt a 12-match losing run – it was the Sharks’ first away win in the league this term.
• Bristol Bears have now won each of their last five Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby matches by margins of 16+ points, their third longest-ever winning run in the competition – the Bears have scored 5+ tries in all five matches during that run.
• Gloucester-Hartpury were successful from 94.1% of their tackle attempts against Saracens (159/169), the third highest success rate by any team in an Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby match this season, only behind Harlequins v Leicester Tigers on MD15 (94.8%) and Bristol Bears v the Trailfinders on MD5 (95.2%).
• Sale Sharks made 16 line breaks against Leicester Tigers, the most by any Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby team over the weekend and the third most by any team overall in a match this season; it was also five more than the Sharks’ previous highest tally in a league game this term (11 v Saracens on MD15).