MATCH REPORT | Saracens Women 54-19 Leicester Tigers Women (PWR Rd 13)
Saracens Women eventually pulled clear from a resilient Leicester Tigers Women’s side to secure an eight-try victory at StoneX Stadium.
In the third game of the SuperPWR weekend, Saracens were buoyed by the return of Zoe Harrison to the starting line-up and the fly-half made her presence felt early doors, as she carried hard through the Tigers defence and crashed over for a superb opening try.
The Tigers refused to let that get them down though, as they powered their way back into the contest through Roisin McBrien, as they managed to muscle their way over from close range.
It was all Leicester at this point, as the visitors continued to press and probe in the Saracens 22.
Amy Cokayne led her side from the front at hooker, but handling errors and miscommunication when it mattered ultimately let the visitors down.
Saracens stuck to task but where routinely put under pressure by the Tigers, but they nearly made their attack count with 30 minutes on the clock. A deft kick through from Harrison was hacked on by Lotte Clapp but the winger agonisingly couldn’t hold onto the ball with the try line begging.
Sarries continued to press and probe though, with May Campbell latching onto an overthrown Tigers lineout.
From there, Sarries looked to find a way back into the lead and, with the clock in the red, Campbell ended up burrowing over from close range to take her side back into the lead,
There was still time for one more moment of action at the end of the half, as Poppy Cleall saw yellow to close out an engrossing opening period.
At the start of the second half, Leicester powered their way back into the contest, as Tahlia Brody crashed over from the back of a scrum to cut the gap to two.
Again, Sarries needed a response and they found it through Leanne Infante, as the scrum-half sniped off the back of a maul to edge her side further ahead.
Harrison again added the extras, but Tigers powered over again from another maul, with Leah Bartlett the player to dot down.
With the conversion, the gap was back to two points heading into the final quarter, as Sarries looked to find a way to accelerate away, with the game on a knife-edge.
They thought they’d found the chance when Sydney Gregson burst free, only for the centre to be adjudged to have knocked the ball on.
From the scrum though, Sarries turned the screw to turn the ball over, with Cleall floating the ball wide to Clapp for the bonus point score.
That try seemed to spur Sarries into life, as they put their foot to the floor and powered away in the last 10 minutes.
With the driving maul working perfectly, Bryony Field dotted down, before Sarries continued to push clear.
A stunning break from Cleall in tandem with Marlie Packer and Georgia Evans but Sarries in the driving seat, before Jess Breach showed incredible strength to ride the tackle and dot down in the corner.
Harrison again converted, but Sarries still had time for another two tries as first, Paige Farries hit the afterburners to race clear, before Cleall combined beuaitfully with Packer to put her side back within reach of the line. From there, the number 8 finished off the move herself, with a typically powerful drive to the line, to take her side past the 50-point mark.
