English Premiership Round-Up

Richmond 7 Saracens 10

With both teams unbeaten and a large Saturday crowd this promised to be a cracker of a game, however, a worrying injury and an hour and a half pause in the second half, gave it an unsatisfactory end.

The opening exchanges of this London derby were nervous with uncharacteristic mistakes from both teams; passes to no one, kicking away three men overlaps etc.

Richmond looked the more likely to score with the majority of play being in Saracens half. Abi Chamberlain failed to put the first points on the board missing a long distance penalty on fifteen minutes. However, Richmond maintained the pressure from the 22 restart, resulting in a try for Rowena Burnfield. Chamberlain converted and Richmond took a 7-0 lead.

Whilst Richmond had the best of the territory and possession in the first half, with ten minutes remaining Saracens upped their game and entered the Richmond 22 for the first time. They pressured Richmond with repeated pick and goes before Alphonsi crashed over to score. Marchak failed to add the conversion so the teams went in 7-5 at half time.

Saracens started the second half as they finished the first; with a try. Alphonsi took the ball at pace and sliced through the Richmond guards with Hannah Gallagher scoring as a result. Unconverted the away team took the lead 7-10.

Fi Davidson left the field after a knock to the head. However, attention soon turned to Sara Anastasi who had suffered a neck injury. Physios from both sides attended to her whilst the game was suspended and a long and nervous wait for the ambulance followed. The ambulance finally left the Athletic Ground an hour and a half after play stopped.

Credit to the majority of the crowd who remained for the duration, stood and applauded as Sara left the field, and to the players who when asked to complete the game, did so. It resumed two and a half hours after the game kicked off and with another thirty five minutes of play to go.

Saracens returned to the match in a better frame of mind. They were committed in the contact and dangerous in attack. However, Richmond weathered the storm, and ended strongly, working their way up the field through good ball retention and repeated penalties from Saracens. Inevitable a penalty was awarded within kicking distance, but Richmond failed to convert.

Richmond battled for those elusive winning points, but Saracens defended well and the game ended 7-10 with no scores after the injury break.

Darlington Mowden Park Sharks 3 Worcester 30

Worcester visited Darlington Mowden Park off the back of a week of fantastic weather and with the pitch in good shape; the conditions were favouring an open and expansive game.

Both teams came out strongly with some early pressure from the Sharks producing good clean ball for the backs to attack with. Worcesters defence were up to the task though and hit back with some evasive lines through the centre courtesy of Kat Merchant and Jo Watmore. The Sharks back line made some very good cover tackles and scrambled well to deny the opposition runners much ground.

On 22 minutes, Worcester took the lead through a try on the wing through Lydia Thompson, but were unable to convert the score. The home side worked their way back down into opposition territory following the restart however were struggling to control the ball at the breakdown, getting turned over and turned around by the boot of flyhalf Ceri Large.

A mistake by Mowden allowed Worcester their second try through Kat Merchant as half time loomed.

After the break, a period of good pressure and ball retention with Tamara Taylor standing out, resulted in a Sharks penalty which scrumhalf Sam Jaimeson duly accepted to get the home team off the mark at 3-10.

The next 10 minutes saw some exciting exchanges in play with both packs using big runners around the corner effectively and then spreading the play wider to give the gas some room to manoeuvre. Both teams looked dangerous and the Mowden lineout was on top form with Roo Chintoh dominating the air, but ball retention issues were making building phases difficult and Worcester capitalised on this with further tries for Kat Merchant and Lydia Thompson crashed over.

Ceri Large had the final say with a try in the closing seconds of the game following a break by scrumhalf Charlotte Keane ending the game 3-30.

Bristol 22 Lichfield 32

Lichfield won this exciting game which featured seven tries on their home ground.

Bristol started the game strongly and went two tries up early in the game. Good vision from centre Kim Oliver saw her counter attack well linking up with Izzy Noel Smith saw her side take the lead with two excellent finishes out wide from Lucy PascallHowever, a ball taken against the head led to a try for Lichfield and the start of their comeback. Lichfield dominated the next passages of play with tries for Emily Scarratt, Roz Crowley and Harriet Mills. The extras from the boot of Scarratt saw the home team turn around at the break 22-10 ahead.

Bristol then suffered a number of injuries, with Oliver, Amy Wilson Hardy and Sophie Pascale all forced to come off and they were forced to play the second-half with just 14 players.

Lichfield made sure of the win when Saskia Brazier and Liz Pulson added two more tries though Bristol fought back gallantly with a pair of tries from Sally Tulson and Noel Smith but it was too little too late.

Wasps 46 OA Saints 3

Played in weather more suited for 7s, Wasps were prepared for the game against OA's to be a battle up front, especially with the new addition of Elisha Dee to their pack.

OAs didn't disappoint despite the tough season they have had to date with a real battle in the opening exchanges. OAs defence held off Wasps but Laura Quinn powered over to set up the first set of tries that were to follow on this scorching Sunday, one from Davinia Monteiro and the other from Michaela Staniford.

Scottish international Caroline Collie added a penalty for Saints.

Wasps dominated well in the first half, seeing breaks from both sets of wingers, Liz Riley and Natasha Brennan and runs by Staniford exploiting gaps that appeared, some of these resulting in tries as they touched down again through Monteiro and ex- Saints player Sarah McKenna added the extras.

OAs took advantage of some high ball presentation in contact winning the ball back and breaking with the excellent Robyn King in the centre and Captain, back row 8, Leah Carey showing well, threats which Wasps largely managed to contain. Natasha Brennan and Monteiro were on the scoresheet in the second half.

OA's displayed a strong, committed attitude throughout. Wasps secured a good win but face a huge game next weekend against Richmond.