What to watch in women’s rugby: PWR play-off race heats up in Exeter

The race for the end-of-season Premiership Women’s Rugby play-offs could take a definitive turn in Exeter this weekend, while the Celtic Challenge continues in Caerphilly.

Exeter Chiefs host West Country rivals Bristol Bears at Sandy Park on Sunday with both teams desperate for points as they chase a place in the top four and with it a shot at a first title.

Across the Severn Bridge, meanwhile, Gwalia Lightning welcome winless Glasgow Warriors to Ystrad Mynach hoping to keep up with the early Celtic Challenge pace-setters.

Both matches are available to stream live and for free via RugbyPass TV, except where there is a local broadcast deal in place.

Chiefs host hungry Bears

Two teams in need of a win meet at Sandy Park on Sunday for a mouth-watering PWR West Country derby.

Exeter Chiefs made a blistering start to the season, reeling off eight successive victories but have played only twice since November 24 and suffered their first defeat in their most recent of those.

That 41-12 home loss to champions Gloucester-Hartpury three weeks ago has contributed to their drop to third in the standings ahead of round 13, although they have two games in hand on the teams above them.

Bristol Bears, meanwhile, were also beaten by Sean Lynn’s all-conquering Circus last time out as Gloucester-Hartpury ran out 40-17 winners in front of a PWR record crowd at Ashton Gate, to rain on Ilona Maher’s homecoming parade.

Defeat left Bristol seven points adrift of fourth-placed Saracens, albeit with a game in hand, in the race for the play-offs.

Bears head coach Dave Ward has already poured public doubt on 2023/24 runners-up Bristol’s hopes of making the semi-finals, and a third successive defeat could leave them jettisoned.

“We really do like playing Bristol. There’s definitely a rivalry there,” Chiefs scrum-half Flo Robinson said.

“The league is really close this year. The top five are all competing and so every point matters when you play these teams. If you can get a losing bonus point or a winning bonus point, it’s all really important this year.

“So, getting a win on the board against Bristol, especially because it's the home game where we have that home advantage, is going to be very important for us.”

Following Bristol’s defeat to Gloucester-Hartpury last Sunday, Ward said his side are “running out of games” to force their way back into the top four.

Robinson says Chiefs are under no illusion what this weekend’s game means for their visitors.

“We’re aware of the fact they’re under pressure because they’ve openly said that,” she added.

“They need to win [on Sunday] in order to stay in that top-five race. We're just aware that means they're going to come to the game, there's more pressure on them.

“So, they're going to come to the game with more intent to win and it's going to be a full 80-minute performance.”

Find out which team can best handle that pressure at Sandy Park, and get back to winning ways, live on RugbyPass TV (except in the UK, Ireland, USA and Canada).

Sunday, November 12

15:00 GMT – Exeter Chiefs v Bristol Bears, Sandy Park – WATCH LIVE HERE

Lightning hope to strike Warriors

Gwalia Lightning will hope to get back to winning ways and keep pace with the Celtic Challenge leaders when they host Glasgow Warriors on Sunday.

Lightning head into the match at Ystrad Mynach fourth in the six-team standings but only one point adrift of the three teams above them, Edinburgh, Wolfhounds and Clovers.

Having started the season with back-to-back victories in the Welsh derbies against Brython Thunder, Lightning suffered their first defeat of the season against Clovers in round three.

Morale in the squad remains high, though, ahead of the visit of sixth-placed Glasgow, who are still searching for their first ever win in the competition.

“As a group and as a collective, we're really open and accountable to learning from each game, whether that's our successes or whether it's the areas we need to improve on,” Lightning head coach Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin said.

“So, we're really excited and looking forward to playing against Glasgow and looking to see if we can execute more of our opportunities.”

Nicholas-McLaughlin has attempted to evolve her side’s playing style this season to help ensure her team is playing in the right areas of the pitch.

She is confident progress is being made – even in defeat to Clovers, Nicholas-McLaughlin says Lightning dominated territory – but knows her side cannot take winless Warriors for granted.

“The one thing about Glasgow is they are tenacious, they never go away,” she added.

“In the second half against the Wolfhounds [a 48-7 defeat for Warriors], the score was considerably less, so we are very, very aware that Glasgow will come at us, and they will do so from the first minute to the 80th minute.

“So, we're aware of that battle that we have, and we just have to make sure that we are performing every single minute of that game.”

Sunday, November 12

13:00 GMT – Gwalia Lightning v Glasgow Warriors, Ystrad Mynach – WATCH HERE NOW