MATCH REPORT | Saracens Women 38-31 Gloucester-Hartpury (AC - Rd 5)

Saracens Women confirmed a semi-final berth, as they topped Pool B of the Allianz Cup, as they held on to secure victory over Gloucester-Hartpury.

In a repeat of last season’s semi-final, it was Saracens who raced out of the blocks, as Gloucester-Hartpury struggled to deal with the pressure being exerted on them.

With Flo Williams pinning the visitors back in their 22, an overthrown lineout allowed May Campbell to crash over for her second try in as many games, much to the delight of the Sarries faithful.

It was all Saracens at this point, as Sydney Gregson continued to ask questions of the visiting defence.

However, it was the visitors who would strike next, as Sophie Tandy latched onto a floated pass to dive over out wide.

Sarries were not going to lie down easily though, as Gregson regathered from the restart and the pack went to work metres out from the Gloucester line.

With the pressure mounting on the Cherry and Whites, Poppy Cleall found a gap in the defence to crash over and restore the lead.

For all Saracens’ attacking endeavour though, penalties were counting against them, as the visitors continued to apply the pressure.

With Sonia Green seeing yellow for an infringement at the breakdown, the dam eventually burst, as Tandy crossed for her second to level the match.

Saracens were in no mood to lie down though and, in similar fashion to earlier in the match, they responded almost instantly, as the pack set to work again after a surging maul.

From there, they kept it tight, with Campbell again popping up for her second of the match.

With time ticking away in the first half, there was still time for Saracens to score their fourth and what a try it was!

This was some score too, as Poppy Cleall and May Campbell combined with a move that most back three players would be proud of, before Cleall fed Green, who just had the legs to burst over from twenty metres.

With that try, the bonus point was secured and with it, a semi-final berth.

Sarries though, were in no mood to let-up after the break, as they again raced out of the blocks.

The fifth try was all about the forwards again, as they surged towards the line, with Mica Evans the one to dot down from close range.

The conversion from Flo Williams should have taken the game out of sight, but the visitors would stage a comeback of their own in the second period.

First, Tandy was denied her hattrick by the touchline, but the visitors continued to pound away at the Saracens defence.

For the most part, the effort from the black and red wall was superb, as they repeatedly halted the Gloucester charge, with Jeanina Loyola popping up with some crucial interventions.

Eventually though, the visitors managed to break through, as Joia Bennett saw yellow, and Rachel Lund skated over out wide.

Moments later, they were in again, after Lizzie Goulden finished out wide following an intercepted pass, to narrow the gap to seven points.

Sarries needed a big response and they found it, as Cleall popped up with a huge turnover for her side.

From there, Sarries turned on the style again, with Gregson latching onto an inch-perfect kick through from Amelia MacDougall, before the forward built the phases and Loyola pounced for a try on her fiftieth appearance in Sarries colours.

Gloucester hit back immediately from the restart, to add to the tension in the final few minutes, but Sarries did enough to hold on and clinch the win, to finish the cup campaign top of the tree in Pool B.