MATCH REPORT | Saracens Women 33-31 Gloucester-Hartpury (Allianz PWR Rd 17)
Saracens Women secured a pulsating victory over Gloucester-Hartpury to secure a home semi-final in two weeks’ time.
This was a pulsating game between the two top teams in the league that lived up to its billing as a true Clash of Champions.
Saracens knew they needed to keep up the momentum from the last two weekends, but it was the visitors who started the faster, with Georgia Brock crossing from close range after a Mo Hunt break.
The Cherry and Whites were dominating in the early exchanges, with Saracens needing to rely on some superb defensive interventions to turn the tide.
Gloucester-Hartpury continued to attack, but each time they did, they were forced backwards by waves of Saracens defensive efforts.
It took until ten minutes in for Sarries to get up a head of steam in attack, with Georgia Evans powering down the wing to create the opportunity.
Whilst the visitors held out, eventually the dam burst, as Kelsey Clifford crashed over from close range after a stunning 50:22 from Zoe Harrison had put her side on the front foot.
Harrison was enjoying herself on the pitch, with a chip over the top for Sophie Bridger to latch onto.
Emma Taylor needed to keep her side in the contest with a crucial maul turnover, before Sydney Gregson took advantage of Mia Venner dropping the ball for a second try.
After Marlie Packer had stolen the ball in midfield, Harrison kicked through, with Gregson putting the pressure on to steal the ball and grab the try.
With seconds ticking away on the clock, Coreen Grant went close down the blindside, only to be bundled into touch.
From the lineout though, the visitors threw long, with May Campbell latching onto the ball and muscling over to extend the lead at the break.
Sarries continued to apply the pressure at the start of the second-half, but the visitors continued to keep themselves in the fight.
With fifty minutes on the clock, they narrowed the gap as El Perry bundled over from close-range, before Neve Jones crossed from a maul to level the tie.
Sarries responded well though, stealing the ball back straight from the restart and working their way up the field. With the Gloucester-Hartpury defence struggling to deal with the Sarries pressure, Poppy Cleall eventually found a gap and inched her way over for the bonus-point try and to restore the lead.
The visitors were in no mood to lie down though, as Sarah Beckett parted the Sarries defence to level again with fifteen minutes of the tie left.
Sarries needed another spark and they found it again at the restart, as Marlie Packer put in a ferocious hit to force a turnover.
Harrison kicked to the corner and the maul did the rest, with McKinley Hunt going over after a huge surge from the pack.
Harrison’s conversion edged her side to a 7-point lead but the visitors continued to stick in the fight, as they crashed over from the maul with five minutes left on the clock.
Emma Sing’s conversion crucially hit the upright, as Sarries held onto a two-point lead.
Alex Austerberry’s side thought they’d done enough when they turned the ball over with a minute left on the clock, but a knock-on gave the visitors one final scrum opportunity.
The pack turned up again when it mattered though, with a stunning turnover against the head, allowing Sophie de Goede to boot the ball out and secure a home semi-final on 9 June.
