Worcester’s unbeaten run ends as Richmond march on at the top

Worcester's unbeaten start to the league came to an end at the weekend as Saracens got their season back on track with a fine win. It was also a good weekend for the other two London sides in the English women's Premiership as both Wasps and Richmond posting convincing results. Old Albanian Saints fell to Lichfield in the other game.

For the league table seeHERE.

(Image: Bristol's Marlie Packer scores a try at the weekend, pic thanks toJohn White Media)

Worcester 7 Saracens 18

A very physical and entertaining game saw Worcester lose their unbeaten record to a hard working Saracens team.

Saracens applied pressure from the kick off and Worcester were forced to defend for the majority of the first half. Saracens dominated at the scrum and the Worcester backs hardly had the ball in hand. It was therefore no surprise that Saracens took an early lead through an April Brown penalty after 8 minutes and added to their lead seven minutes later when Leslie Cripps forced her way over following some frantic mauling on the five metre line. Brown kicked the extras to give her side a 10-0 half time lead.

Whilst the first half was dominated by Saracens, Worcester started the second playing some good rugby and the forwards were able to get a grip on their game. None the less, the backs were still largely starved of good ball but on 50 minutes the trend was reversed with a brilliant individual try from Ceri Large, who even brushed aside the powerful Maggie Alphonsi on her way to the try line. Large converted her try to make the score Worcester 7, Saracens 10.

The try appeared to inspire Worcester and they played some good attacking rugby, but the Saracens defence was equal to this with Alphonsi putting in some characteristic hard hits.

With time running out, and Worcester striving for the next score, Brown cleverly kicked Saracens into the Worcester twenty two in the final minute. The Worcester defence this time was unable to cope with power of Alphonsi, who scored in the corner.

Saracens deserved their victory and it is evident that that after a slow start to the season, they are on the up. Prop Leslie Cripps was powerful in the loose and fly half April Brown both played their best games of the seasons and were central to Saracens victory. Worcester will be disappointed to lose their unbeaten run and for them both Merchant, Large and Rochelle Clarke all impressed. A victory in the next game against league leaders Richmond would be the perfect reply.

Scorers Worcester: Ceri large (1 pen, 1 con)Scorers Saracens: Leslie Cripps (1 try). April Brown (1 con, 2 pens), Maggie Alphonsi (1 try)

Bristol 8 Wasps 31

Wasps' season continues to improve as they came into this game looking for their fourth win in a row, whilst Bristol hoped to bounce back from a defeat at the hands of Richmond two weeks ago. Wasps were able to include two World Cup winners in their squad with Black Fern scrum half Emma Jenson and prop Steph Te Ohaera Fox in the starting line-up.

Both teams threatened early on with clever kicking and strong phases of attack. Jo McGilchrist, playing at no8 for Wasps sparked her team to life with a break from the back of the scrum threatening the Bristol midfield and putting winger Tash Brennan into space out wide but the Bristol defence covered well and managed to hold out.

For Bristol Kim Oliver, Jess Morgan and Sally Tuson were impressing with their strong kick and chase game.

Brennan touched down for the first try soon after that attack after some slick handling from the Wasps backs. Another try came out wide for Charlie Veale, running a superb support line to pick the ball up from Foxs strong break. With Wasps in front and a sin-bin for each side, Bristol came back strongly with breaks from their back row players who impressed throughout - Marli Packer, Izzy Noel-Smith and Cath Spencer

The Bristol try then came from a number of phases of play off a set piece which took Wasps from one side of the field to the other then having stretched the defence some quick ball saw Smith find Packer whose line was majestic as she carved through the Wasps defence and with still a defender to beat there was no doubting that the Bristol 7 would go over the line for her try from 25 metres.

Both teams kicked well in the second half and threatened in attack, but it was the Wasps forwards who stepped up a gear in the final 20 minutes with some excellent phase play and driving mauls. Tries forJenson, Te Ohaera Fox and Laura Quinn finished off the game for Wasps earning them an important bonus point.

For Bristol winger Sally Tuson has proved a real addition to the team and Jess Morgan did well on her first outing at fullback.

Scorers Wasps: Natasha Brennan (1 try), Emma Jenson (1 try). Steph Te Ohaera Fox (1 try), Charlie Veale (1 try), Laura Quinn (1 try), Shelley Rae (3 cons)Scorers Bristol: Marlie Packer (1 try), Kim Oliver (1 pen)

OA Saints 5 Lichfield 19

A grey wet day was the backdrop for the third Premiership fixture to be held at Old Albanian's ground Woollams. On the back of three tough defeats the Saints knew they must up their game against the more seasoned visiting opposition. The visitors made their mark very earlier in the game putting pressure on the home team with the pack battering away at the forwards phase after phase and it was the quick thinking of scrum half Natasha Hunt seeing a gap and darting over the line just 4 minutes into the game.

Saints hit back with a good attack and solid defence from Lichfield saw off a challenge from the Saints 5m lineout as both teams thwarted some good attack play. With some great breaks from the Lichfield midfield they worked deep into the Saints half where Hunt saw another opportunity to cross for her second try at 17 minutes, converted by Emily Scarratt.

Pressure from the Saints resulted in efforts to slow down the home team's attack and a sin binning for Lichfield forward gave the Saints an opportunity to dominate the scrum and turn over several defensive scrums, and set up some good attacks wide with strong running from centres Karina Page and Chloe Allcorn.

The rest of the first half resulted in a stalemate and Lichfield took a 12 point lead at the break.

Both teams made changes at the break but the game continued as it left off with both sides attacking in the forwards followed up with strikes from both backlines. The Saints found their rhythm and camped in the Lichfield 22, phase after phase sucking in the defence, the backs moved the ball wide to full back Caroline Collie, who dived over to break the deadlock 15 minutes in, 5-12.

From the restart it was the Saints who were spurred on and came back with great half breaks from Leah Carey and Lol Kenny in the forwards to keep the Saints on the front foot. Some great switch play saw replacement Fly Half Sarah McKenna attack the blindside and touch down only to be deemed to have brushed the touchline by the referee, though not Lichfield's touch judge!

Defences held firm until injury time when Emily Scarratt cut a great line through the Saints defence to ensure Lichfield had the last word with a converted try, final score 5-19 but it was a much improved performance from the newcomers to the league.

Lichfield scorers: Natasha Hunt (2 tries), Emily Scarratt (1 try, 2 cons)Saints scorers: Caroline Collie

Richmond 41 DMP 11

Richmond put in the hard yards at training this week knowing that they would have to play well at DMP to secure a win after learning from last year's up north last minute close 8-7 win which was a nail biting encounter for both sides.

The away team came out of the blocks firing and were camped in the DMP 22 for the first 10 minutes of the match but failed to capitalise on their pressure, opting not to kick a penalty in front of the posts and having opted for the scrum DMP defended well and managed to hold on and on building several phases towards the Richmond half gained a penalty 35 metres out which fly half Katy McLean cleanly kicked to put DMP 3-0 ahead.

Richmond responded with a fantastic team try that involved linking and good support play from 7 players before winger Fran Mathews finished it off to nudge Richmond 5-3, but only momentarily thanks again to another successful penalty from the boot of MCLean which helped DMP regain a 6-5 lead.

The away team then stepped up a gear. The next 20 minutes of intensity was from Richmond, clinical at breakdown and moving the ball between support runners, resulted in a try out wide from winger Kay Wilson who had to leap frogged her opposite number to get past and secure the score. This was followed by try from captain Amy Turner who showed bursts of powerand go forward from both the 12 and hooker berths during the match, this leading a 15 -6 lead. Richmond's final first half try came from young exciting scrum half Fi Davison, again darting from the base and powering through the midfield to touch down. Fly half Abbi chamberlain converted taking the half time score to Richmond 22 - DMP 6.

Following the half time interval, Richmond's fullback Jackie Shiels increased the score line to 27- 6 finishing off a well worked team try five minutes into the second half, which Chamberlain again converted. Second row Rowena Burnfield, whose physicality was noticeable throughout the entire match, finished off a well worked team try from a lineout ten metres from the DMP tryline, taking the scoreline to 34-6, which was further increased again by a second try from Shiels who had undoubtedly played one of her best matches this season.

DMP however battled back, and put in a good ten minutes of hard effort which resulted in them being encamped in the Richmond 22 for the last period of the match. 'Body on the line' defence prevented several initial close in successive drives from the DMP forwards from crossing the Richmond try line, but DMP's desire and effort held on with a strong line of running at pace from lock Ariba Chintoh eventually breaking the line as the clock wound down.

Richmond remain the team to beat in this league.

Richmond scorers:Jackie Shiels (1 try), Fran Matthews (1 try), kay Wilson (1 try), Fiona Davidson (1 try), Becky Essex ( 1 try), Amy Turner ( 1 try), Rownea Burnfield (1 try) Abi Chamberlain (3 cons)DMP Scorers:Ariba Chintoh (1 try), Katy Mclean (2 pens)