Match report: Exeter Chiefs Women 30 - 31 Harlequins Women

Caroline Moore at Sandy Park

Just as Chiefs Women won by one point earlier in the season as the Twickenham Stoop, Quins came away with the same winning score difference to claim their spot in the top four of the PWR. Chiefs still came away with two bonus points though to edge away from fifth place.

Chiefs were dealt an early blow in the first minute when prop DaLeaka Menin was taken off the field in the first minute following a heavy collision. This resulted in a yellow card for Silvia Turani and a penalty that Chiefs kicked to touch for the lineout. Scrum-half Flo Robinson got the backs moving from the back of the maul only for full-back Merryn Doidge to be held up over the line. But No 8 Rachel Johnson had her back. Her carry helped prop Hope Rogers breach the line for Chiefs’ first try.

The joy was short lived, however, with an interception from Quins flanker Maddie Grant seeing her run half the field with Chiefs players in her wake to score the try reply. Fly-half Ella Cromack stepped up to take the conversion and Quins into a 5-7 lead.

Chiefs suffered more injury woes when centre Gabby Cantorna was helped off the pitch to be replaced by Alex Tessier. The home side began to ramp up their possession but also kicked much if it away when it looked like they had numbers.

However, Chiefs were ready to pounce when a Quins lineout went awry. Hooker Emily Tuttosi passed to winger Katie Buchanan to progress into Quins' 22. Fellow winger Claudia MacDonald offloaded to Rogers to ignite a step and fend from Doidge for try number two.

An immense run from Johnson off the back of the scrum saw Buchanan take off down the wing before Tessier kicked into the hands of Ellie Kildunne. Quins were back in possession and back in Chiefs' 22 before Rogers was shown a yellow card for a high tackle.

Quins’ penalty resulted in a lineout and driving maul. Chiefs pushed them back, but the visitors quickly released the backs and winger Lisa Neumann scored to make it 12-12 with 10 minutes of the first half to go.

Ten minutes later and a Chiefs’ scrum almost on the halfway line saw Tessier close in on a pass from MacDonald. The Canadian then passed back inside for the England winger to go under the posts.

Half-time: 19-12

MacDonald continued to look lively at the start of the second half, but it was fly-half Liv McGoverne who extended Chiefs’ lead after nine minutes played to make the score 22-12.

This seemingly comfortable lead was whittled back down to three when Kildunne literally skipped through the defence in the middle of the field and to run under the posts to make it 22-19.

Another McGoverne penalty in the 62nd minute made it 25-19 but that lead was cut to one point when winger Claudia Pena sliced through Chiefs’ defence for Quins’ fourth try. No conversion this time so the score stood at 25-24.

Chiefs kept pushing and returned to Quins’ 22 for Johnson to set off on another trademark charge. The ball found its way to the wing for MacDonald to skip through for Chiefs’ fourth try. No extras for this one so with seven minutes to go it was a tense 30-24.

With Chiefs standing off their tackles, Kildunne broke Chiefs hearts by being given the space to score. Cromack made sure of the conversion this time to give them a one-point lead.

As the clock ticked down, centre Nancy McGillivray was shown a yellow card for a tackle on Kildunne. Quins got the penalty, kicked for touch and kept the ball tight to see out their win.

Full-time: 30-31

Exeter Chiefs Women: M Doidge; C MacDonald, N McGillivray, G Cantorna (A Tessier 15), K Buchanan (D Swann 40-HT); McGoverne, F Robinson (vc); H Rogers, E Tuttosi, D Menin (F Long 1 (D Swann 64)), P Leitch (c), L van der Velden, D Wall (E Robinson 51), E McMahon (M Feaunati 51), R Johnson

Tries: Rogers, Doidge, MacDonald (2)

Cons: McGoverne (2)

Pens: McGoverne (2)

Yellow cards: Rogers, McGillivray

Harlequins Women: E Kildunne; C Peña, S Parry (J Spurrier 5-12, B Wilcock 46), L Tuima (c), L Neumann; E Cromack, L Packer (vc); S Turani, C Powell (C Phillips 61), L Hanlon (L Delgado 61), A Fleming, K Leaney (vc), M Grant, M Meuller (I Prins 54), H Millar-Mills (S Bonar 46)

Tries: Grant, Neumann, Kildunne (2), Pena

Cons: Cromack (3)

Yellow card: Turani

Referee: A Thomas

Attendance: 1,447