Quins & Saracens lead the way

Harlequins 33 - 14 Exeter Chiefs

Harlequins got off to a flying start against Exeter Chiefs, with three tries from their pack in the opening 20 minutes. Sarah Beckett, Shaunagh Brown and Vickii Cornborough all got on the scoresheet before Lagi Tuima scored her first try for the club to secure the bonus point before half time. Half-way through the second half, Lucy Packer darted over for Quins’ fifth after some nice work by Sarah Beckett, but the visitors rallied soon after, as Olivia Demerchant went over after a series of carries from the Chiefs pack. Susie Appleby’s side finished strongly and sealed a spirited performance with a try from debutant Kayleigh Armstrong right at the death.

Worcester Warriors 7 - 22 Wasps

Worcester Warriors welcomed back England international Lydia Thompson for today’s clash against Wasps at a wet and windy Sixways. Heather Kerr powered over with just three minutes on the clock to score her first try in black and gold, and a cagey first half in atrocious conditions saw Wasps lead 0-7 at the break. Megan Jones struck a penalty early in the second half, before Player of the Match Hannah West crashed over from a rolling maul. With 10 minutes to go, Ellie Kildunne’s weaving 40-metre run gave Wasps an unassailable 22-point lead, but it was Worcester who had the last word when their pack crashed over the line with five minutes left on the clock.

Bristol Bears 5 - 12 Loughborough Lightning

Loughborough Lightning edged past Bristol Bears in the driving rain, despite racing into a 12-point lead with just 10 minutes on the clock. Red Roses hooker Lark Davies scored the first from a maul after five minutes, which was followed shortly after by a score from centre Emma Hardy after a quickly taken Lightning penalty. The score remained 0-12 for the vast majority of the match until the hosts conjured up a moment of magic just before full time, when Bears skipper Amber Reed aimed a pin-point cross-field kick at Kyara Martin, who was making a much-anticipated return to the Allianz Premier 15s after 18 months out. The wing collected the ball, darted past the last defender and finished from 40 metres out to salvage a losing bonus point for the hosts.

Saracens 72 - 0 DMP Durham Sharks

The final game of the day saw Saracens post a big win over DMP Durham Sharks. Tamara Taylor scored twice in the opening 20 minutes against her old club, which was followed by a Poppy Cleall score on the half-hour mark after some slick link-up play with Marlie Packer. A formidable Saracens performance saw the two-times champions score twelve tries in total, with Deborah Fleming, Rocky Clark and Emma Uren all crossing twice, as well as scores from Hannah Casey, Marlie Packer and May Campbell.