GLOUCESTER-Hartpury will be aiming to secure back-toback Premiership Women’s titles at Sandy Park on Saturday but standing in their way are a Bristol Bears side that appear to be peaking at the right time.
Bristol are appearing in their first PWR final but will have to make do without 14-try winger Deborah Wills after she suffered a significant leg injury in last weekend’s win over Saracens.
Table-toppers Gloucester-Hartpury will go into the final as overwhelming favourites given they’ve been beaten just once all season, against Saracens by just 33-31 on the final day of the regular season, and finished 16 points clear of third-place Bristol.
However, both previous meetings were closely fought affairs going the way of Gloucester-Hartpury as the visitors won 12-0 at a shudderingly cold Shaftesbury Park in December, while in February’s meeting at Kingsholm the scoreline was 24-19.
Bristol head coach Dave Ward is embracing the underdog tag but says his side can take heart from their close contests considering other teams in the PWR have felt the wrath of the champions’ power, admitting there’s a reason why they are the league’s pacesetters once again.
Ward, right, told The Rugby Paper: “The stats speak for themselves, they are a formidable opponent and almost achieved the impossible by doing as they reached the big an invincible season. dance courtesy of a 29People keep asking me 21 victory at the StoneX what are their weaknesses? There aren’t many, if Saracens, which was the against four-time winners any. They are very fortunate they have the squad win in PWR history. first ever away semi-final they’ve got due to the way However, Ward says the college and university it’s time for his side to works together. They are put their groundbreaking win behind them and the team to beat.
“The odds are stacked start to focus on the big against us, we’ll be long job at hand. odds to win, but as long as He said: “We’ve got to we know our capabilities move on from the semifinal. It was great but of winning, that’s all that counts. it took a lot out of the “We can take positives girls not just physically from our two games but emotionally as well. though. The 12-0 is a bit of We’ve got to make sure an anomaly, the coldest I we’re ready to go and not think I’ve ever seen a rugby match been played but ing our final because we fall into a trap of that be the game at Kingsholm were so emotionally invested in it. is more of a reflection of how the game might go. “It’s funny with all It’s going to be nip and that build up, we’re eight tuck all the way. As long points up with two minutes to go and me and as we’re in front on the scoreboard at the my assistant coaches look at each oth-end, that’s all that counts.” er daring to dream, Bristol made i
