MATCH REPORT | Saracens Women 35-20 Gloucester-Hartpury

Saracens Women confirmed their place at the top of the table with a clinical victory against Gloucester-Hartpury.

Sarries struck twice in the first half through Ella Wyrwas and Mackenzie Carson, but each time the visitors responded, with Lisa Martin’s boot all to separate the sides at half-time.

Gloucester nudged in front for the first time shortly after the break with a penalty, but further Sarries scores from Alysha Corrigan and Kelsey Clifford gave the hosts a 13-point lead.

And a May Campbell try was enough to see them home and send them into the international break knowing they have already secured top spot.

Despite damp conditions from earlier rain, the early stages saw both sides playing with openness and freedom, though it was the visitors who had a slightly stronger first ten minutes.

The hosts made the breakthrough though, a well-built attacking set working them into the 22 before Wyrwas eventually sniped through the guard area and finished clinically from 10 yards out.

The kick sailed over from Martin on the 15-minute mark, but the visitors hit back moments after they had won the ball back from the restart.

The hosts managed to nudge in front less than ten minutes later though, as Carson picked off the back of a Saracens scrum that had driven 10 metres forward, and she needed no support with an excellent finish from 25 yards out.

Once again Martin converted, and it was looking like those would be the last points of the half, but Gloucester put together an impressive set of phases to strike on the stroke of half-time.

Saracens held a narrow lead at the break though, as the ball slipped off Gloucester kicker Daisy Fahey’s tee, and although she hit a well-struck drop-goal conversion attempt, it drifted wide.

The visitors began the second period as they had started and finished the first, on the attack, and Faihey had more luck from the tee with a penalty seven minutes in.

But the trend that had taken place in the first period continued, as one team scored points, the other responded, and it was the hosts who struck next.

The ball was worked down the right-hand side after a series of quick phases, and Corrigan, who has now scored in three consecutive games, showed typically lightning pace to regain the lead.

For the first time, Saracens began to get some kind of cushion as Clifford drove through shortly after the ball was turned over in the Gloucester 22, with the bonus point try converted to maintain Martin’s 100 percent record from the tee.

And though Gloucester looked as if they might strike back, a crucial Campbell tackle saw the visitors spill the ball only a few metres out.

That moment, followed by her try seven minutes from time from the back of a driving maul, would prove decisive in settling the game.

Gloucester came on the attack late on with a try from Ellie Underwood, and nearly had another after winning a 5m scrum into the final minute, but Sarries held on to do enough to claim what was ultimately a comfortable win.

Written by Nick Powell.