Gloucester-Hartpury vs Ealing Trailfinders

Kickoff: 2pm, Sunday 14th June

Venue: Kingsholm

Watch on: TNT Sports 1

The first PWR semi-final will see the league-leaders try to re-bound after back-to-back losses, including one to their opponents in this game. They did rest several players towards the end of the season, having wrapped up a home semi-final with 14 consecutive wins prior to those losses. Trailfinders will fancy their chances in this one but it's hard to look past the 3-time reigning champions.

Gloucester-Hartpury have an incredibly strong tight five with England internationals Carson and Muir flanking Welsh international Kelsey Jones. Monaghan and Beckett provide incredible international experience behind them and will give Ealing some real problems at set-pieces. Natasha Hunt is still a big miss at scrum-half but this side has plenty of quality to make up for it. Heard and Dallavalle are an excellent centre duo whilst Mia Venner is one of the most dangerous wingers in the World. The bench is also very strong with Tuipulotu, Jones and Perry all held back on the bench.

Trailfinders will be feeling very confident with their own pack in this one. Like their opponents, they have two sets of top-class front-row options which means they have a very strong bench. The Trailfinders back row could be a big strength with American international Kate Zackary captaining the team and the England duo of Abi Burton and Haidee Head joining her in the back row. Like Gloucester-Hartpury, Ealing are missing their first-choice scrum-half which means that  GB sevens star Isla Norman-Bell starts. She'll be helped by a midfield duo of other former sevens stars, Jones and Uren, who are incredible athletes. 

Ealing Trailfinders are a well-funded team with good depth that looks like the next big challenger to the top 2. However, I think this might be one year to early for them and Gloucester-Hartpury will just have too much for them to handle in the end.

Team news

Gloucester-Hartpury

Starting XV

1.Mackenzie Carson 2.Kelsey Jones 3.Maud Muir 4.Sam Monaghan 5.Sarah Beckett(C)

6.Steph Else 7.Bethan Lewis 8.Georgia Brock 9.Sian Jones 10.Lleucu George

11.Rachel Lund 12.Tatyana Heard 13.Hannah Dallavalle 14.Mia Venner 15.Nel Metcalfe

Bench

16.Neve Jones 17.El Perry 18.Sisilia Tuipulotu 19.Jorja Aiono 

20.Alaw Pyrs 21.Bianca Blackburn 22.Molly Bunker 23.Lizzie Goulden

Ealing Trailfinders

Starting XV

1.Alivia Leatherman 2.Georgia Ponsonby 3.Maya Montiel 4.Alana Borland 5.Emma Wassell

6.Haidee Head 7.Kate Zackary(C) 8.Abi Burton 9.Isla Norman-Bell 10.Claire Gallagher

11.Grace White 12.Emma Uren 13.Meg Jones 14.Carys Cox 15.Niamh Gallagher

Bench

16.Cristina Blanco 17.Annabel Meta 18.Cassandra Tuffnail 19.Emma Taylor

20.Sally Williams 21.Sophie Molton 22.Celia Quansah 23.Rosie Inman

Saracens vs Exeter Chiefs

Kickoff: 4:30pm, Sunday 14th June

Venue: StoneX Stadium

Watch on: TNT Sports 1

A classic match-up in both men's and women's rugby will take place once again at StoneX Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Saracens are the strong favourites but Exeter certainly have the players to provide a proper challenge. Saracens won both encounters in the regular season, and won their home match very convincingly, but playoff rugby is a different beast.

Saracens have a very strong, very experienced group going into this game. Marlie Packer captains the team, and is still in top form, having just announced her move to Harlequins at the end of the season. The half backs are the big difference-makers in this team. Olivia Apps has been a revelation this season, bringing Canada's high-pace attack to PWR. Zoe Harrison has made herself the undisputed starter for England at fly-half and has the best kicking game in the English game. The back 3 is electric with Lotte Sharp and Alysha Corrigan providing some North American excellence on the wings and Jess Breach playing very well in her adopted position at fullback.

Exeter will look to counter Saracens with their massive pack. Exeter like to play a physical brand of rugby and will need to slow down the Saracens attack to have any chance in this game. It's difficult to see where Exeter have a proper advantage over Saracens in this game and will need players like Tessier and McGillivray step up more than they ever have.

I can't see anything other than a Saracens win in this game.

Team news

Saracens

Starting XV

1.Liz Crake 2.Bryony Field 3.Donna Rose 4.Julie Omokhuale 5.Laetitia Royer

6.Gabrielle Senft 7.Marlie Packer(C) 8.Sophie de Goede 9.Olivia Apps 10.Zoe Harrison

11.Lotte Sharp 12.Sophie Bridger 13.Sydney Gregson 14.Alysha Corrigan 15.Jess Breach

Bench

16.Carmen Tremelling 17.Kelsey Clifford 18.Chloe Flanagan 19.Georgia Evans

20.Poppy Cleall 21.Tori Sellors 22.Amelia Macdougall 23.Emma Hardy

Exeter Chiefs

Starting XV

1.Hope Rogers 2.Cli Molony-Macdonald 3.Amy Rule 4.Linde van der Velden 5.Dorothy Wall

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

11.Claudia Moloney-Macdonald 12.Nancy McGillivray 13.Alex Tessier 14.Katie Buchanan 15.Sabrina Poulin

Bench

16.Emily Tuttosi 17.Abby Middlebrooke 18.Lola Whiteley 19.Gabriella Nigrelli

20.Zoe Dare 21.Lucy Nye 22.Danielle Preece 23.Merryn Elworthy