Gloucester-Hartpury made history by reaching their inaugural Premier 15s final after defeating Bristol Bears 21-12 at Kingsholm. The hosts showcased their dominance early on, with Sarah Beckett scoring within the first two minutes. Kelsey Jones added a second try before halftime, firmly establishing Gloucester-Hartpury’s lead.
Bristol made a spirited comeback in the second half, with Lark Davies scoring two tries. However, Elinor Snowsill’s unsuccessful conversion left them trailing 14-12. Gloucester-Hartpury regained control when Rachel Lund scored with 12 minutes remaining, securing their victory.
The upcoming semi-final between Exeter and Saracens at Sandy Park will be a rematch of the 2022 final, which Saracens won, claiming their third Premier 15s title. Gloucester-Hartpury will face the winner of that match in the final on June 24 at Kingsholm, the host stadium for the event.
Player of the match Alex Matthews expressed the team’s determination, stating, “You can see the emotions, what it means to every one of us. We came here for a purpose – we want to go and win it. We just had to stay patient and break them down eventually.”
Gloucester-Hartpury, having finished at the top of the table after the regular season with 16 wins out of 18 games, showcased their strength throughout the match. The home crowd celebrated as Beckett opened the scoring, followed by a powerful maul leading to Jones’ try.
Bristol fought back in the second half, with Davies capitalizing on driving mauls to score twice. However, Snowsill’s missed conversion prevented them from equalizing at 14-14. Gloucester-Hartpury responded strongly and denied Bristol any further comeback opportunities.
Although Bethan Lewis’ try was disallowed due to an earlier knock-on by Emma Sing, Gloucester-Hartpury persisted and Lund found ample space to secure the match-winning try.
In conclusion, Gloucester-Hartpury’s victory over Bristol Bears propelled them to their first Premier 15s final, marking a significant milestone for the team.
5 comments
Wow, Glouster-Harpury made it to the Premier 15s final! Such an amazin’ achievement for ’em. They showed great dominan’ in the match against Bristol Bears. Can’t wait to see ’em play in the final!
The semi-final between Exeter and Saracens sounds like a nail-biter! It’s gonna be a rematch of last year’s final, and I’m sure both teams will give it their all. Can’t wait to see who comes out on top!
What a match between Glouster-Harpury and Bristol Bears! The comeback from Bristol in the second half was intense, but Glouster-Harpury held their ground and secured the win. Congrats to ’em on reachin’ their first Premier 15s final!
The crowd at Kingsholm must’ve been thrilled seein’ Glouster-Harpury play so well. The team really dominated throughout the game, and those tries were truly impressive. Keep up the great work, Glouster-Harpury!
It’s amazin’ to witness the growth of women’s rugby. The Premier 15s is gettin’ more excitin’ each year, and Glouster-Harpury’s journey to the final is a testament to that. Can’t wait to watch the final showdown!