MATCH REPORT | Bristol Bears 35-10 Saracens Women (PWR Rd 14)
Saracens Women ended up on the wrong side of the result, as Bristol Bears pulled clear to secure a comprehensive victory at Shaftesbury Park.
Sarries can have no complaints about the result, as Bristol continued to attack with intent throughout, putting Alex Austerberry’s side under constant pressure.
Saracens were looking for a fast start but instead, they came out to an onslaught from the Bears, who pounced on ill-discipline to build pressure and momentum.
With less than 5 minutes on the clock, the Bears had their first as Phoebe Murray latched onto an offload to run in under the posts and they had a second shortly after, as Reneeqa Bonner found space out wide to run in and leave Sarries with an uphill battle.
Bristol were attacking with freedom and this point, but a superb Sarries defensive effort forced a knock-on, as they looked to find a way into the match.
With the scrum working in unison, the front-row were able to secure multiple penalties against the Bears, allowing Zoe Harrison to kick her side out of danger.
Sarries still needed a spark though and they found one as May Campbell and Georgia Evans burst free from a clever lineout move.
Sarries continued to work their way into the Bears 22, but a knock-on halted their charge.
A response duly followed though from a quickly taken penalty. With Infante sharp to opportunity, she released Campbell who found Evans to power over and reduce the deficit.
It was proving to be a tough afternoon for Sarries, but Donna Rose was continuing to put herself about in defence, with a series of huge tackles to force the Bears backwards.
Harrison then cut the gap to 4 with a well-struck penalty, before Paige Farries tracked back to snuff out another Bears attack.
If Sarries were looking for a fast start in the second-half, they were unable to find out, as consecutive penalties allowed the Bears to work their way into the 22, with Lark Atkin-Davies then crossing from a maul to increase the lead.
It was all Bristol again at this point, as Sarries were unable to find the momentum they craved to find a way back into the contest.
With penalties again coming back to haunt the side, Bristol rode out the Sarries attacking pressure and then worked their way back into the 22, with Aitchison chipping through for Murray to score her second of the afternoon.
Alex Austerberry's side then lost Bryony Field to a yellow card, as the pressure built up.
Sarries continued to stick to task in defence though, as they marshalled the threats of the Bears upfront, but they were unable to find a killer blow of their own that would have drawn them back into the contest.
Grace Moore added impetus from the bench with a crucial turnover in midfield, but Sarries were never able to make the most of the half opportunities that came their way.
A scrum deep inside the Bears 22 looked to be something to build from, but again, poor execution came back to haunt the side.
In the end, it was the Bears who would have the final say, as Bonner ran in out wide for her second, to hand the Bristolians a big victory.
This is by no means a season-defining game though for Alex Austerberry’s side. With the Six Nations break and cup action to follow, they will know that they need to use the frustration of this afternoon and channel it into their performance when Allianz PWR action resumes in May.
