Sale Sharks vs Trailfinders Women

Kickoff: 3pm, Saturday 8th November

Venue: Morson Stadium

Watch on: Youtube

Sale and Trailfinders find themselves in similar positions coming into round 3 of the PWR season. Both are very ambitions teams that are looking to break into the playoff race. Trailfinder's have only played once this season, and that was a 24-12 defeat to Exeter, whilst Sale have beaten Leicester 46-17 and lost 19-12 to Loughborough. The Leicester victory is a statement, particularly given where they were last season, but Leicester's form so far perhaps devalues that result. Trailfinders have shown plenty of promise also, but this game will be an excellent barometer for where both things are.

The key battles to watch in this game will be at hooker and in the second row. Amy Cokayne and Georgia Ponsonby are England and New Zealand internationals and are star signings for their teams this season. They'll play a large part in determining the set-piece battle in this game. Alana Borland, another Black Fern, will partner with Ireland's Grace Moore to take on England's Morwenna Talling. This battle will be tricky for the Sharks, but they'll have to win it due to the disparity of quality in the back rows that is in the favour of the visitors. Malcolm, Zackary and Burton and an immensely experienced trio who are all internationals. This is the type of game in which Sale's lack of depth could be exposed against a side that has been building for a longer time. Fans should also watch out for Trailfinder's star-studded back-line which includes the likes of: Meg Jones, Julia Schell and Francesca McGhie.

Team news

Sale Sharks

Starting XV

1.Keah Bartlett 2.Amy Cokayne 3.Sophie Benavent 4.Iona Antwis 5.Morwenna Talling

6.Charlotte Fray 7.Katie Childs 8.Erica Jarrell-Searcy 9.Amy Relf 10.Holly Aitchison

11.Holly Thorpe 12.Katana Howard 13.Beatrice Rigoni 14.Rhona Lloyd 15.Lizzie Duffy

Bench

16.Scarlett Fielding 17.Tysh Harper 18.Nick James 19.Eva Donaldson 

20.Sharifa Kasolo 21.Olivia Ortiz 22.Georgie Perris-Redding 23.Evie Wills

Trailfinders Women

Starting XV

1.Alivia Leatherman 2.Georgia Ponsonby 3.Maya Montiel 4.Grace Moore 5.Alana Borland

6.Rachel Malcolm 7.Kate Zackary(C) 8.Abi Burton 9.Ella Amory 10.Claire Gallagher

11.Francesca McGhie 12.Carys Cox 13.Meg Jones 14.Grace White 15.Julia Schell

Bench

16.Niamh Swailes 17.Cana Williams 18.Mica Evans 19.Emma Taylor

20.Haidee Head 21.Brooke Bradley 22.Rosie Inman 23.Niamh Gallagher

Predicted winner: Trailfinders Women

Harlequins vs Gloucester-Hartpury

Kickoff: 12:30pm Sunday 9th November

Venue: The Twickenham Stoop

Watch on: TNT Sports 1

Harlequins seem to be following in the footsteps of the men's team with their lack of consistency and often leaky defence. They managed to beat Loughborough in round one, but conceded 42 points. That was followed by a huge loss to Saracens that brought their points conceded tally up to 89 after 2 rounds. It doesn't look like things are going to get any easier with Gloucester-Hartpury coming to town. Gloucester-Hartpury have started this season where they left off last time by beating both Saracens and Exeter very comfortably. They look like they're going to be very difficult to stop.

Harlequins' pack will find itself under immense pressure in this game and will have to rely on the experience of Turani, Konkel and Powell. They will also be bolstered Liana Mikaele-Tu'u who will make her first start after joining the club after her World Cup journey with New Zealand ended. Claudia Pena and Ellie Kildunne will be hoping to have a few more opportunities in this game, but will likely face similar challenges this week as well. The best position battle will be between the 2 players wearing the 9 shirts for their teams. Lucy Packer and Natasha Hunt are, and have been for years, England's top 2 scrum-halves. They have very different styles of rugby and that clash will be great to watch. However, their success will likely be determined by the battle of the packs in which the away team have the advantage on paper.

Team news

Harlequins

Starting XV

1.Silvia Turani 2.Connie Powell 3.Lizzie Hanlon 4.Fi McIntosh 5.Jade Konkel(C)

6.Nicole Wythe 7.Sara Svoboda 8.Liana Mikaele-Tu'u 9.Lucy Packer 10.Kayleigh Powell

11.Beth Wilcock 12.Sarah Powell 13.Claudia Pena 14.Coreen Grant 15.Ellie Kildunne

Bench

16.Carys Phillips 17.Hannah Sims 18.Laura Delgado 19.Tyla Shirley

20.Manuqalo Komaitai 21.Lucy Burgess 22.Ella Cromack 23.Lagi Tuima

Gloucester-Hartpury

Starting XV

1.El Perry 2.Neve Jones 3.Maud Muir 4.Sam Monaghan 5.Sarah Beckett

6.Kate WIlliams 7.Bethan Lewis 8.Alex Mathews 9.Natasha Hunt(C) 10.Leucu George

11.Pip Hendy 12.Tatyana Heard 13.Hannah Dallavalle 14.Rachel Lund 15.Emma Sing

Bench

16.Kelsey Jones 17.Erin Bradley 18.Sisilia Tuipulotu 19.Zoe Stratford

20.Georgia Brock 21.Meg Davies 22.Lizzie Goulden 23.Mia Venner

Predicted winner: Gloucester-Hartpury

Bristol Bears vs Saracens

Kickoff: 2:30pm, Sunday 9th November

Venue: Shaftesbury Park

Watch on: Youtube

This will be a fascinating contest between 2 teams that made the playoffs last season. Saracens rebounded well from an embarrassing first round to comfortably put away Harlequins. Bristol have only played once this season but made it count with a 74-0 win over Leicester. As impressive as that win was, Leicester have been abysmal so far this season so it's hard to judge where Bristol are after that game. This will be a good way of seeing how Bristol are doing.

This is a battle of heavyweight packs with big front rows of Pam and Bern up against Clifford and Campbell. Poppy Cleall and Evie Gallagher will do battle at no.8 whilst Olivia Apps and Keira Bevan will make up a great scrum-half competition. Bristol are now without Holly Aitchison which means that the 10 battle goes from one between England's star fly-halves to a battle that is weighted towards Saracens and Zoe Harrison. The back 3 battle is one between seasoned internationals (Jess Breach and Alysha Corrigan) and young stars (Millie David and Reneeqa Bonner). 

Team news

Bristol Bear

Starting XV

1.Simi Pam 2.Holly Phillips 3.Sarah Bern 4.Delaney Burns 5.Abbie Ward

6.Christiana Balogun 7.Jenny Herring 8.Evie Gallagher 9.Keira Bevan 10.Lucie Skuse

11.Millie David 12.Ella Lovibond 13.Emma Orr 14.Reneeqa Bonner 15.Jenny Hesketh

Bench

16.Amy Dale 17.Maisie Davies 18.Aisha Jah 19.Hollie Cunningham

20.Bryonie King 21.Rhea Clarke 22.Savannah Picton-Powell 23.Jasmine Joyce

Saracens 

Starting XV

1.Kelsey Clifford 2.May Campbell(C) 3.Donna Rose 4.Rosie Galligan 5.Laetitia Royer

6.Julia Omokhuale 7.Marlie Packer 8.Poppy Cleall 9.Olivia Apps 10.Zoe Harrison

11.Alysha Corrigan 12.Beth Blacklock 13.Sydney Gregson 14.Jess Breach 15.Jemma-Jo Linkins

Bench

16.Bryony Field 17.Akina Gondwe 18.Carmen Tremelling 19.Louisa McMillan

20.Georgia Evans 21.Sarah McKenna 22.Amelia MacDougall 23.Lotte Sharp

Predicted winner: Saracens

Loughborough Lightning vs Exeter Chiefs

Kickoff: 2:30pm, Sunday 9th November

Venue: Franklin's Gardens

Watch on: Youtube

Loughborough have made a promising start to the season with a heavily changed squad after a loss to Harlequins and a win over Sale. Exeter have also had a mixed start to the season after a win over Trailfinders and a loss to Gloucester-Hartpury. These are two ambitious teams that both have realistic hopes of making the playoffs, and both have the potential. Even though this game is very early in the season, it could be pivotal in several months when the playoff spots are decided.

The Chiefs have a strong pack that will face a tough test from the likes of Lilli Ives-Campion and Sadia Kabeya. Loughborough will be looking to earn parity up front in order to use their danger-women amongst the backs. Westcombe-Evans and Mataitoga are both incredibly dangerous runners that can change the game at any given moment whilst Helen Nelson will be hoping to get a bit more time on the ball than she has had so far this season.

Team news

Loughborough Lightning

Starting XV

1.Anne Young 2.Kathryn Treder 3.Mae Sagapolu 4.Lilli Ives-Campion 5.Haineala Lutui

6.Tahlia Broady 7.Sadia Kabeya 8.Daisy Hibbert-Jones 9.Lis Maude 10.Helen Nelson

11.Bo Westcombe-Evans 12.Carmela Morrall 13.Alev Kelter 14.Bulou Mataitoga 15.Lia Green

Bench

16.Lucy Calladine 17.Isla Curphey 18.Christine Belisle 19.Becky Boyd 

20.Rachel Ehrecke 21.Kendall Waudby 22.Megan Davey 23.Fancy Bermudez

Exeter Chiefs

Starting XV

1.Demi Swann 2.Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald 3.DaLeaka Menin 4.Linde Van der Velden 5.Abby Duguid

6.Emily Robinson(C) 7.Maisy Allen 8.Maddie Feaunati 9.Flo Robinson 10.Liv McGoverne

11.Claudia Moloney-MacDonald 12.Alex Tessier 13.Nancy McGillivray 14.Francesca Granzotto 15.Merryn Elworthy

Bench

16.Emily Tuttosi 17.Alessia Skeates 18.Abby Middlebrooke 19.Gabriella Nigrelli 

20.lola Whitley 21.Lucy Nye 22.Naomi Brennan 23.Katie Buchanan

Predicted winner: Loughborough Lightning