Gloucester-Hartpury 19 Exeter Chiefs Women 58
Gloucester-Hartpury Women 19
Exeter Chiefs Women 58
Jack Lewis at The Alpas Arena
What a way to secure a home semi-final, with a 50-point demolition of the league leaders.
It was just about the perfect performance from Susie Appleby’s side as they ran in eight tries to blow away Gloucester-Hartpury and set up a replay of last season’s final as Saracens make the journey to Sandy Park.
With a balance of some brutal defence and slick attacking play, the visitors secured a commanding victory that will surely put a marker down for the rest of the top four going into the knock out rounds.
The match started at a frenetic pace, and it was all about the ball-carrying of the Chiefs pack. Hope Rogers, Charli Jacoby and Ebony Jefferies all getting their hands on the ball early and denting the Gloucester-Hartpury defensive line.
Liv McGoverne has been imperious from the tee this season and it was the kiwi who secured the opening points with a penalty, as the home team were forced to infringe under the barrage of Chiefs attacking play.
Gloucester-Hartpury aren’t top of this league for nothing, and they came roaring back into the encounter stringing some phases together of their own, before outside half Sophie Bridger sliced through the midfield to dot down for the game’s opening try.
After a frantic opening to the match, both sides began to settle into their rhythm, with Appleby’s Chiefs asserting themselves, dominating possession and territory and dictating the pace of play.
It was loosehead Hope Rogers, returning to the starting line-up after serving a two match ban, who claimed the Chiefs opening try. Finishing off some strong work by the pack, Rogers crashed through the Gloucester line for her first of the afternoon.
Just two minutes later, it was Rogers’ fellow American International Kate Zackary who dotted down, carrying on her incredible try-scoring form of recent weeks. Gloucester-Hartpury spilled the ball just outside the Chiefs 22, and Zackary pounced, gathering possession and scorching away downfield to score in the corner. Liv McGoverne nailed the conversion from out wide to open up a 12 point lead.
Chiefs were now in full flow. Stringing phases together and stressing the home side across the park. Whenever Gloucester-Hartpury managed to get their hands on the ball, they were met with resolute defence, Rachel Johnson in particular putting in some truly monstrous hits!
The penalty count also began to mount for the home side, with the breakdown particularly problematic, as the Chiefs competed hard over the ball at every opportunity.
From one such penalty, McGoverne drove the visitors deep into Gloucester-Hartpury territory and the Chiefs began another brutal onslaught of the home sides line. After several repelled attacks, it was Rogers once again who provided the telling blow, picking up from the base of a ruck and powering over to extend the lead with McGoverne again adding the extras.
It was important for the league leaders to stay in the game, and it was a moment of brilliance that closed the gap. Welsh international, Lisa Neumann, breaking through the Chiefs defence with blistering pace, and after a couple of shotgun handoffs, scoring under the sticks to make the score 12-24 after 37 minutes.
The Chiefs would have the last laugh before the half-time whistle, and it was another double for Zackary, as she cruised through the home defence and neatly rounded the full-back for her second of the day and the Chiefs’ fourth.
Half-Time: Gloucester-Hartpury 12 – 29 Exeter Chiefs
The second-half began as the first ended, with the Chiefs punching holes in the Gloucester defence, and there aren’t many better at punching holes than our totemic loose-head prop! Hope Rogers secured her hat-trick just two minutes into the second-half with another powerful surge from the base of a ruck.
Despite the home team coming back with a third try of their own, the floodgates were now open as Appleby’s visitors ran rampant.
Rogers secured her fourth before Emily Tuttosi and Brooke Bradley rounded out the try scoring as the Chiefs racked up 58 points in a demolition job that will send shock-waves around the league.
The only blot on an otherwise outstanding copy-book for Susie Appleby will be the injury to Nancy McGillivray who made an outstanding impact from the bench and has been superb for the Chiefs all season. The young England U20 star was carried from the field with a nasty looking knee injury that may have ended her season prematurely.
Injury aside, it was a phenomenal performance for the team from Devon, who will now look ahead to June 11th with excited anticipation as they welcome defending champions Saracens to Sandy Park, a venue at which the Londoners have never managed a victory.
Tickets for the Semi-Final will be released on Monday 6th of June at 10:00.
Gloucester-Hartpury: L Goulden; E Rugman (S Tandy 68), R Lund, K Lake (M Venner 22), L Neumann; S Bridger, B Blackburn; M Muir (K Buggy 45), C Powell (N Jones 44), L Delgado (C Hale 45); S Tuipulotu (M Learned 49), S Monaghan (cc); A Matthews, G Brock, S Lillicrap. Replacements (not used): C Cooney, O Jones
Tries – Bridger, Neumann, Tuipulotu; Conversions – Lund (2)
Yellow Card: Lillicrap
Chiefs: B Bradley (L Cramer 76); K Buchanan, K Zackary (N McGillivray 60), G Cantorna, E Sinclair; L McGoverne (R Wilkins 67), F Robinson; H Rogers (S Turani 56), E Tuttosi (C Moloney 60), C Jacoby; P Leitch (capt), N Fryday (L van der Velden 60); E Jefferies, M Allen (E McMahon 55), R Johnson. Replacement (not used): L Hanlon
Tries – Rogers (4), Zackary (2) Bradley, Tuttosi; Conversion – McGoverne (5) Cantorna; Penalty - McGoverne (2)
Yellow Card: Moloney
Referee: S Cox