Team news: Squad announced for SuperPWR Weekend game against league leaders

Head coach Susie Appleby has announced her Exeter Chiefs Women’s 23 for tomorrow’s SuperPWR Weekend clash against league leaders Gloucester-Hartpury.

The starting XV is largely unchanged from last weekend’s Allianz PWR game against Harlequins, aside from Linde van der Velden moving into the second row after returning from international duty with the Netherlands. Winger Eilidh Sinclair is also in for Claudia MacDonald who took a knock last Saturday.

Hooker Cliodhna Moloney, scrum-half Olivia Ortiz and fly-half Robyn Wilkins will be hoping to make an impact from the bench.

Reflecting on last weekend’s draw against Harlequins, Appleby said: “We keep creating opportunities and not converting them. Quins are a good side and we let Ellie K (Kildunne) run riot and you cannot do that. We need to be a bit more sensible and look after the ball. It‘s really not complicated, but we need to be better in those pressure moments. We will take the draw and move forward.

“These teams are good that we are playing against. We are playing against international players week in, week out, many of them have been together for a long time for several seasons. No opposition is easy.

“This is a fantastic side we are going up against, into a cauldron at Kingsholm, so everything is piled up against us but sometimes that builds in your favour. We just have to stick together; every point matters into the next few games and play-off territory.”

This weekend will see all four Allianz PWR games played at major stadiums and broadcast live while the men’s game takes a rest at domestic and international level. Billed as the SuperPWR Weekend, Gloucester-Hartpury are hoping to see at least 2,500 supporters at Kingsholm in a repeat of last year’s final.

But prop Hope Rogers is not dwelling on the past: “The final is not in the back of my mind. At the time, the loss was really, really hard for me. I still have not re-watched the game. It was bigger blow than a loss of a game. It’s everything you give your life for to work towards. It was hard but, honestly, it’s in the past. My mind is just set on the coming weekend.”