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Sale Sharks, who won only one game last season, made a strong start to their Premiership Women’s rugby campaign with a 46-17 victory over Leicester Tigers.

A dominant opening-period performance earlier on Saturday earned the Chiefs of Exeter a 24-12 victory over Trailfinders.

As Sale entered half-time leading 34-5, an expert performance before the break changed things.

The hosts also benefitted from a penalty try, which Lizzie Duffy successfully converted, and Amy Cokayne, Erica Jarrell, Holly Thorpe, Rhona Lloyd, Katie Childs, also scored in the opening half.

Tess Feury headed over for Leicester, but Sale quickly responded when Amy Relf converted and added another try in the 43rd minute before Trudy Cowan’s score of 46-5.

After 13 minutes, Liv McGoverne gave Exeter a strong opening lead with a loose ball before Hope Rogers seized a loose ball and headed over with a successful conversion.

Gabriella Nigrelli delivered her team’s third try with the help of Maisy Allen’s excellent quick attack, with McGoverne adding the extras to make it 19-0 at the break.

In the 49th minute, McGoverne’s team scored a looping pass to England’s Claudia Moloney-MacDonald, who had already led 24-0.

Kate Zackary gave the hosts hope when she saw a gap and dived over in the 54th minute, with Meg Jones scoring. Trailfinders appeared to be firmly out of the picture.

However, their encouraging second-half performance saw only five more points as Georgia Ponsonby flung the deficit wide in a packed area.

Rugby World Cup

Cardiff (12) 20

Cons: Lloyd Pen: Lloyd Pen: Mulder, Adams, and Sebastian

Edinburgh (19) 19

Cardiff’s impressive home form continued in the Rugby World Cup (URC) as Ioan Lloyd kicked them to a dramatic one-point victory over Edinburgh.

Lewis Wells, Charlie Shiel, and Ewan Ashman scored five tries for the visitors in the first half, while Johan Mulder and Josh Adams kept Cardiff in the contest.

After the break, Javan Sebastian scored against his former side to make Cardiff closer, and Lloyd scored the winning penalty from the halfway line.

On his first start in Cardiff, the fly half’s player of the match performance was capped by it.

Edinburgh remained in the Welsh capital, filled with internationals, including skipper Magnus Bradbury, who was recalled to Scotland’s squad this week, even though they were without Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham.

And it was the visitors at Arms Park that made it all the way to the end, crossing in the corner and some fans sat in their seats.

Cammy Scott was given a chance to kick in a perfectly weighted kick for Wells to go over with the initial damage from Wes Goosen’s break.

Taulupe Faletau’s dismissal in Cardiff was a further blow to Wales’ autumn internationals, with the number eight without a doubt causing concern.

However, they quickly regrouped when Taine Basham tore down the wing before finding Mulder in support after he was quickest to pounce on a loose ball.

Shiel took route one to the try line after a big carry from D’arcy Rae, and Edinburgh responded almost immediately after the restart.

After the break, Sebastian enjoyed scoring against his former team, the Scotland prop slashing his way past two defenders.

However, Lloyd’s careless maneuver kept Edinburgh within a slim lead of two points.

As the rain started to pour down on both teams, errors began to appear in the stands, and Adams was denied a second try shortly after the hour.

After Ben Thomas’ offload, he appeared certain to score, but Luke Crosby’s late intervention forced a knock-on.

Later, Adams stumbling off the field increased worries about Wales’ injuries.

Eight minutes from time, Thomas’ excellent work at the breakdown gave Cardiff another chance to take the lead.

For the first time in the match, Lloyd, who had missed two more straightforward attempts from the tee, confidently hit a 49-meter penalty.

We discussed a lot about going into the dark and just enjoying it, which is how I know the boys were very tired after all.

“Lineouts are definitely something we need to work on first,” said one person, “but ultimately you can’t coach the fighting spirit.”

Sean Everitt, head coach for Edinburgh, said: “I was let down by the second half.

We made numerous kicking errors, folded when the pressure was on, and perhaps weren’t being patient enough.

When you add up all three, it’s frustrating because, according to the statistics, we’ve had three away games, one home game, and three home games, and four of those three games have lost four points.

Hughes, Domachowski, Assiratti, Donnell, Lawrence, D Thomas, Davies, and Sheedy are the replacements.

Edinburgh: Goosen, McCann, O’Conor, Lang, Wells, Scott, Shiel, Schoeman, Ashman, Rae, Sykes, Gilchrist, McConnell, Richardson, and Bradbury (capt.).

Harrison, Venter, Hill, Hunter-Hill, Crosbie, McAlpine, Thompson, and Davidson are the replacements.

Andrew Brace (IRFU) as the referee

Referees’ assistants: Carwyn Sion and Craig Evans (WRU).

Jobe Bellingham and Joshua Zirkzee could leave Old Trafford in January, while Tottenham and Manchester City are interested in signing Morten Hjulmand on loan.

Jobe Bellingham, a 20-year-old English Borussia Dortmund midfielder, is on loan at Manchester United at the end of January. (Express)

For 24-year-old Netherlands and Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, West Ham and Sevilla are looking into making a move. (Mirror)

Morten Hjulmand, 26, a midfielder for Sporting and Denmark, and Manchester United are interested in both. (Record in Portuguese)

Anthony Gordon, 24, and Antoine Semenyo, 25, both from Newcastle and England, are thought to be moving to Liverpool. Football Insider

Ezri Konsa, an England defender, has been tracked by Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United over the past 12 months thanks to his efforts at Tottenham and Manchester City. (TBR Football)

Middlesbrough and England Under-21 midfielder Hayden Hackney is a 23-year-old player who has interest in Newcastle, Brighton, Fulham, Fulham, and Brentford. (TBR Football)

Roma want to renegotiate the loan terms for Brighton and Republic of Ireland forward Evan Ferguson, who could make a comeback from the Seagulls in January. (Sport Witnesses’ Gazzetta)

Pierre Kalulu, a 25-year-old Juventus and France defender, is wanted by Tottenham and Newcastle. (TuttoJuve – Italian)

Mason Greenwood, a 24-year-old Marseille international, has been under the radar of Barcelona scouts for some time. (Sun)

An offer for Leeds target Piotr Zielinski, who is currently a Polish midfielder, could cause the 31-year-old to leave in January, would be accepted by Inter Milan. Football Insider

Jobe Bellingham and Joshua Zirkzee could leave Old Trafford in January, while Tottenham and Manchester City are interested in signing Morten Hjulmand on loan.

Borussia Dortmund’s 20-year-old English midfielder Jobe Bellingham is on loan at Borussia Dortmund until January. (Express)

For 24-year-old Netherlands and Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, West Ham and Sevilla are looking into making a move. (Mirror)

Morten Hjulmand, 26, a midfielder for Sporting and Denmark, and Manchester United are interested in both. (Record in Portuguese)

Anthony Gordon, 24, and Antoine Semenyo, 25, both from Newcastle and England, are thought to be moving to Liverpool. Football Insider

Ezri Konsa, an England defender, has been tracked by Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United over the past 12 months thanks to his efforts at Tottenham and Manchester City. (TBR Football)

Middlesbrough and England Under-21 midfielder Hayden Hackney is a 23-year-old player who has interest in Newcastle, Brighton, Fulham, Fulham, and Brentford. (TBR Football)

Roma want to renegotiate the loan terms for Brighton and Republic of Ireland forward Evan Ferguson, who could make a comeback from the Seagulls in January. (Sport Witnesses’ Gazzetta)

Pierre Kalulu, a 25-year-old Juventus and France defender, is wanted by Tottenham and Newcastle. (TuttoJuve – Italian)

Mason Greenwood, a 24-year-old Marseille international, has been under the radar of Barcelona scouts for some time. (Sun)

An offer for Leeds target Piotr Zielinski, who is currently a Polish midfielder, could cause the 31-year-old to leave in January, would be accepted by Inter Milan. Football Insider