Matthews hat-trick puts Gloucester-Hartpury back on top

Premiership Women’s Rugby

Saracens (14) 17

Tries: Apps, Hardy. Cons: Harrison (2). Pen: Harrison

Gloucester-Hartpury (12) 22

Unbeaten Gloucester-Hartpury came from behind to snatch a dramatic win over Saracens and return to the top of the Premiership Women’s Rugby table.

Alex Matthews grabbed a hat-trick, with the number eight’s third try in the closing stages clinching a bonus point for the defending champions at the Stone X Stadium.

Saracens were a player down for the last seven minutes after Marlie Packer was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on.

With four matches of their league campaign remaining, Gloucester’s victory put them four points clear of second-placed Saracens – who have played a game more – and secured home advantage in the semi-finals at the end of the season.

The hosts led 14-12 at the break following tries from Liv Apps and Emma Hardy, but could only add a Zoe Harrison penalty after the break despite playing with a strong breeze at their backs.

Apps raced in under the posts early on, but the scrum-half was substituted in the first half following a cut to the head.

Hardy finished off a superb Sarries move that started in their own half to put them ahead again, after Matthews had picked up off a scrum for the first of her treble.

Her second try was a repeat of her first, but her side trailed after Lleucu George missed her drop-kick conversion attempt, the ball having been blown off the kicking tee with the shot clock winding down.

Hannah Dallavalle’s try near the corner after 64 minutes put Gloucester ahead for the first time, before a Zoe Harrison penalty levelled the game at 17-17.

But Packer’s error, which she immediately acknowledged, put Saracens under mounting pressure and Matthews barged over from a ruck at close range for the try that secured a bonus point for the three-time champions.

Saracens: Breach; Corrigan, Hardy, Bridger, Sharp, Harrison (co capt), Apps; Clifford, Campbell (co capt), Rose, Omokhuale, Royer, Senft, Packer, Cleall.

Replacements: Field, Crake, Tremelling, McMillan, Evans, Sellors, MacDougall, Wills.

Gloucester-Hartpury: Sing; Venner, Dallavalle, Heard, Lund; George, Hunt (capt); O’Dowd,Jones, Muir, Monaghan, Beckett, Lewis, Brock, Matthews.