The play-offs of the 2022/23 Allianz Premier 15s season take place this weekend, as the pinnacle club competition in women’s club rugby will soon be coming to a close. The stars of the Red Roses will be out in force, with each side ready to leave it all on the line to be crowned champions of England.
The four teams left standing in the competition are Gloucester-Hartpury, Exeter Chiefs, Saracens and Bristol Bears, as rugby in the West Country has been a definitive driving force this Premier 15s season. The action commences with Gloucester-Hartpury hosting the Bears on Saturday, before Exeter Chiefs make the trip to London to face Saracens on Sunday.
Both matches are scheduled for a primetime 15:00 kick-off, and promise the highest calibre of rugby. The matches will be available to watch live on BBC Sport, the BBC iPlayer, BT Sport and also on the official Premier 15s website. So ahead of this weekend’s penultimate round of Premier 15s action, lets preview the semi-final showdowns.
GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY VS BRISTOL BEARS
After a thrilling end to the Premier 15s season, Gloucester-Hartpury end the regular campaign in top spot. After 18 rounds of action, the Cherry and Whites have won 16 matches, however, they took a significant drop in form in the final round of the regular season. Gloucester-Hartpury were well beaten by Exeter Chiefs, as they took a heavy 58-19 defeat at home.
Gloucester-Hartpury have a strong track record against Bristol Bears, having won seven out of their last eight meetings against their West Country rivals. However, fans should in no way expect this to be a walkover, as the last match between the two sides ended with a narrow points margin of just two points. Gloucester-Hartpury won 19-17 back in Round 10, and Head Coach Sean Lynn will be hoping for a more convincing victory this weekend.
Neither Gloucester-Hartpury or Bristol Bears have ever been crowned Premier 15s Champions, as the only two sides to have won the competition are Saracens and Harlequins. The playing field is open for a brand new name to be engraved on the trophy, with both sides also eager to reach their first Premier 15s Final.
Gloucester-Hartpury have only reached the play-off semi finals once before, which saw them beaten by Saracens back in 2018. Bristol Bears have now reached the final four for the second consecutive year, yet lost to Exeter Chiefs 28-24 in last year’s semi-final. Bristol enter the play-offs in inspired form, with eight wins in their last nine games, and having scored over 30 points in each nine of those matches.
Bristol Bears’ not-so-secret weapon is England hooker Lark Davies, who finishes the regular season as the Premier 15s top try scorer, with 21 tries. Davies scored five tries in her last two matches, and also found her way over the line against Gloucester-Hartpury earlier in the season. Gloucester-Hartpury scrum half Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt leads the way with try-assists this season with 26.
EXETER CHIEFS VS SARACENS
This match is a replay of last season’s Premier 15s Final, as Saracens and Exeter Chiefs collided for the ultimate prize in women’s club rugby last year. The result saw Saracens crowned champions for the third time in their history, after a 43-21 triumph over the Chiefs.
Saracens have made the Premier 15s final in every year of the competition, since the league debuted for the 2017/18 season. Exeter Chiefs will be hoping to reach back-to-back finals, after surpassing Bristol Bears at this stage last year (28-24).
Saracens enter the play-offs as the most in-form side left in the competition. Sarries have won each of their last 12 Allianz Premier 15s matches, the longest active streak of any side in the league. In doing so, Saracens presented their fearsome attacking qualities, by scoring 29+ points in each of those matches.
However, Saracens most recent defeat actually came against the Exeter Chiefs. Back in Round 7, Alex Austerberry’s side travelled down to Devon, and were well beaten by the Chiefs 37-19. Exeter Chiefs are amongst the more defensively dominant Premier 15s sides, having conceded seven points or less in nine matches this season.
Exeter Chiefs present a triple threat in attack, as trio Kate Zackary, Hope Rogers and Maisy Allen are three of just five players to have scored 15+ tries in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s. Zackary has scored 18 tries, with Rogers and Allen crossing 15 times each respectively. Zackary has scored at least one try in each of her last four matches (7 in total).
Saracens and England Captain Marlie Packer has won the most turnovers out of any player this season, with 16 successful jackals. The back-rower is also a versatile attacker, as she has made the joint-highest offloads this season with 29.