Match report: Harlequins Women 61 - 29 Chiefs Women

A young Chiefs Women’s team fell to defeat after a dominant second half performance from Harlequins Women in this weekend's opening PWR Cup match.

A total of 13 tries were scored by the two sides in Cobham RFC in London. Chiefs were leading at the break but a resurgent Quins side emerged for the second half and never looked back once they got on the front foot.

The hosts got themselves on the scoreboard first. Heather Cowell spotted space in the five-metre channel. Calling for the ball, she stepped her defender and ran down the wing from halfway to score.

Taz Bricknell levelled the score two minutes later. Former Harlequin, Flo Robinson, was the catalyst for the try when she sniped through the opposition line and broke into their half. With quick offloads in the 22, Liv McGoverne found her flanker with a long pass, and Bricknell stormed over.

Quins scored their second from a lineout on the five-metre line which led to a dominant maul drive. The referee double checked the grounding before awarding the try to Maya Meuller. Her fly-half, Ella Cromack, then added the conversion.

Chiefs soon struck back as Maisy Allen chipped over the defence to find debutant Eva Sterritt on the wing. Halted in the tackle, Sterritt off-loaded the ball to Demi Swann and the loosehead drove for the line. She was wrapped up inches short, but Flo Robinson was quick to pick and go for the try.

Quins centre Sarah Parry found a soft shoulder to run through beneath the posts on 23 minutes played, giving Cromack the simple conversion to take the hosts more than a score ahead.

The gap wasn’t to last as Flo Robinson collected a dropped ball on the halfway line, putting on the backburners to run in her second try. McGoverne’s successful conversion further reduced Quins’ lead.

With eight minutes left in the half, vice-captain Allen put Chiefs in the lead for the first time. A penalty against Quins on the five-metre line beneath the sticks enabled the flanker the chance to tap and carry to the line through the Quins tacklers. McGoverne added the extras.

Half-time: Harlequins Women 19 - 24 Chiefs Women

The hosts put down a marker in the opening minutes of the second half when they regained their lead with a try from former Chief, Lizzie Hanlon. With the conversion from Cromack, the Exeter women knew there was still plenty of work to be done.

A second Bricknell try helped Chiefs get back on the front foot when she handed off her tackler two metres in from the touchline. However, without the conversion added, Chiefs were within a penalty score of being overtaken again.

A converted try on 50 minutes was the beginning of a flood of Quins scores. Battling their way into the Chiefs 22, short recycles and carries put Quin within striking range and flanker Maya Meuller was the one to muscle her way over.

Chiefs’ job was made tougher when full-back Eilidh Sinclair was shown a yellow card for cynical play at the breakdown just shy of an hour played. The hosts made quick use of the advantage as Parry crossed for a try tight to the corner. Cromack once more converted.

Lauren Torley ran in the seventh try for Quins before Sara Svoboda quickly added an eighth as the home side ran away with the encounter with 10 minutes left on the clock. Lagi Tuima, the captain, added the conversion.

A hatrick try from Parry in the 77th minute, converted by Tuima, sealed the fate of the game.

It was a tough first match-up for Chiefs but with nine players gaining their first appearance for the club, there is plenty of room for growth from this young side.

Full-time: Harelquins Women 61 - 29 Chiefs Women

Harlequins Women: L Torley; H Cowell, S Parry, L Tuima (c), F Aucken; E Cromack, L Burgess; J Spurrier, C Powell (Shirley 12’), L Hanlon, S Tansley, F McIntosh, M Page, M Meuller, S Svoboda.

Replacements: Shirley, Green, Winstanley, Logan, Brooks, Swords, Fisher, Shillaker.

Tries: Cowell, Parry 3, Hanlon, Meuller 2, Svoboda Conversions: Cromack 6, Tuima 2

Chiefs Women: E Sinclair; E Sterritt (Hing 66), M Elworthy, N Brennan, D Preece (Langford 69); L McGoverne, F Robinson (vc) (Wong 66); D Swann (Sams 50), S Bekir Fuente (Priest 50), A Skeates (Ward 50), L Whitley (Dare 48), E Robinson (c), T Bricknell (Woodman 66), M Allen (vc), G Nigrelli.

Tries: Bricknell (2), F Robinson (2), Allen Conversions: McGoverne (2)

Yellow card: Sinclair