Exeter Chiefs Women v Leicester Tigers Women

Chiefs Women scored seven tries at Mattioli Woods Welford Road to secure their third place in the PWR for another week.

Despite injuries altering the starting line-up and the in-play team formation, Chiefs took away the bonus-point win they needed to stay in the top four.

Some positive early effort from Tigers, multiple Chiefs penalties, and two charged down kicks meant it took the visitors 10 minutes to make it into Tigers’ half. Chiefs’ first lineout saw the ball come back to hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald before passing to flanker Maisy Allen who high-tailed it down the wing, however, the ball was spilled just in front of the posts.

But when Chiefs were awarded a penalty in the same spot, it was, naturally, kicked to touch. The lineout throw found prop DaLeaka Menin at the back who powered over for the first try of the afternoon.

With full-back Merryn Elworthy under the high ball, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald headed back into Tigers’ territory before a rangy carry from Maddie Feaunati saw her set up her own try from close range.

With the momentum firmly with Chiefs, vice-captains Flo Robinson and Maisy Allen combined to break into Tigers' territory. Allen's two carries and offload set up a try for the scrum-half.

Allen was involved again as slick hands through the centres gave winger Katie Buchanan the chance to glide in for Chiefs' fourth try and the bonus point.

Two Chiefs penalties then gave Tigers a chance at lineout time and an interception attempt by Claudia Moloney-MacDonald gave them a scrum on their own 22. All their efforts were thwarted though with Chiefs more dominant in the scrum.

A quickly taken penalty from Chiefs saw Feaunati take a quick one with a second penalty kicked to touch for captain Emily Robinson to set up the maul but ball was ripped from Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald’s hands on the line.

Another quick one though was more fruitful with Menin again ready to get over the line for her second of the day to make the half-time score 0-31.

The Chiefs coaches brought on four replacements at half-time with Emily Tuttosi, Zoë Dare, Gabriella Nigrelli and Lucy Nye all on. Play stopped as Claudia Moloney-MacDonald received treatment, but she bounced back to return to play until she was replaced by Eilidh Sinclair as a precaution.

The first scrum of the second half saw Chiefs continue to exert their dominance with Nigrelli notably eating up space in the loose.

A Tigers penalty was kicked to touch as the game reached its 50th minute where the lineout and drive released their backs, but they lost ground and Dare nipped in to steal the ball and carry towards the 10-metre line.

But then an injury to Gabby Cantorna halted play for several minutes meaning Elworthy had to move to fly-half with Ellen Scantlebury coming onto the wing and Sinclair slipping into the full-back role.

The Tigers scrum after the prolonged break saw them advance into Chiefs’ 22 but a knock-on handed possession back to the visitors after a spell of patient defence. Chiefs got themselves back into Tigers’ half with the new-look backline combining to try to get Scantlebury away but without a result.

A Tigers knock-on gave Chiefs a chance at the scrum. The women in white tried to make progress through the hands but as Tigers stood firm, Elworthy tried a grubber kick that the home side kicked back into touch.

Tigers kept pressing for that illusive try but their attempt was held up, and they lost the ball in the next wave of attack. Tigers were then awarded a penalty inside Chiefs’ 22 and they kicked to touch in an attempt to make headway at the lineout. The throw was too long though as Tigers failed to make their territory and possession pay.

They tried again with another penalty, but Dare stole the lineout throw with Alessia Skeates on standby to snaffle the ball before fellow prop Hope Rogers forged her way through the Tigers’ defence with her head to set up Chiefs’ next wave of attack.

When it looked like the half may end without a score, Chiefs stole a Tigers lineout on their own 22 with a quickly taken penalty seeing Rogers over the line. Nigrelli stepped up to take the conversion and the score to 0-38.

In the last minute of the game, a final flurry from the backs, and flanker Allen, unleashed Dare for her first try of her Chiefs career as she steadfastly stuck to her fellow back-row’s shoulder.

Job done to end the second block of the PWR with Chiefs on a bye week next weekend. See you in May!