Player interview | Claudia Moloney-MacDonald | PWR semi-final

With six tries in the last two games, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald seems to have been pouring rocket fuel on her breakfast in the morning, but she says it’s more about the family Chiefs Women have become.

She said: “I’m just enjoying being back with the girls. The tail-end of the season is obviously pretty special; big games, big moments. But I think the big part is that it feels like we've come back to a real sort of family setting. We're working hard for each other. It's just fun.”

The PWR had a two-month break while the Guinness Women’s Six Nations ran its course. Chiefs Women went into the break on the back of two wins against Trailfinders and Leicester Tigers before adding two more victories in recent weeks.

Last weekend saw Moloney-MacDonald score four tries in front of a home crowd for the last game of the regular season following a pre-match brunch attended by the current squad and former players.

“It just felt really special to be honest. Before the game, we had the brunch with the old players and that was really nice to see some of the girls come back. It just felt really good.

“I mean, playing at Sandy Park in front of our fans is always amazing. Thank you to them really for bringing the noise and bringing the atmosphere.”

Saracens will present a different prospect this weekend though. They have won 14 of their 16 games and are just two points behind the three-times champions, Gloucester Hartpury.

Moloney-MacDonald said: “They have got brilliant players across the board, in their forward pack, on the edges, at nine and 10. I mean, Liv Apps and Zoe Harrison at nine and 10 are obviously a formidable combo. They both thrive off fast ball, but also open play. They kind of make decisions on the hoof as well. There's going to be an element of trying to cut them down, slow down their access to the ball, take away some of their options and put them under pressure, naturally.

“But I think if we also hyper focus on them, then we probably allow their forwards free reign through the middle of us! I guess there's an element of putting a lens on them, but also just focusing on ourselves and what we're capable of and going out there and being us and being Chiefs.”

Last time Chiefs Women went to the StoneX Stadium, they were on the end of a significant defeat. Saracens have been piling on the points on their opposition throughout the season and go into the semi-final with a staggering 497 points difference – 213 more than Glocester Hartpury.

But Moloney-MacDonald thinks Chiefs Women are a much-changed side from the team that got beaten so convincingly in February.

“A massive amount has changed. You know, we've probably not had the perfect season, far from it, but in terms of learning, we probably have had a perfect season. Yes, we've had three draws in the season, but the important part of that is that we didn't lose those games. No, that's not the result we wanted, but we found a way not to lose, which actually has given us so much learning to then come into this tail-end of the season.

“The last two games are probably a little skewed. I don't think Bristol or Sale played to the standard that they have played previously in the season, but I think that's also where we are.

“It's about how quickly you can gel back together, having had eight weeks away during Six Nations and we've gelled really well.”

The winger concluded: “I think we've learned so much through the season. I think we're a totally different team to what we were previously. So yeah, I think it's exciting where we are.”

Watch the full interview with Claudia Moloney-MacDonald below.