Match Report: Loughborough Lightning 7 - 19 Leicester Tigers

A thunderous PWR Up Series encounter that lasted two-and-a-half hours due to a series of stoppages went the way of Leicester Tigers.

Meg Davey’s try saw Lightning strike first, before lightning literally struck above cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, prompting players to leave the field for their safety. Evie Wills responded on the stroke of half-time to level matters.

The only points of the second half went the way of the visitors as Charlotte Davey and Elin Beaver crossed to see Loughborough’s preseason preparations end in a loss before a strong home crowd of nearly 1,000 people.

FIRST HALF

Strong defence and handling errors from both sides amidst worsening overhead conditions saw the first 15 minutes pass without a scoring action.

With the first spell of conserted pressure in the attacking 22, the hosts landed the game’s opening points that started from a booming Lia Green penalty kick to touch.

Lucy Calladine’s lineout arrows with a slippery ball were accurate and the maul munched its way to within a metre of the line where scrum-half Meg Davey used all of her experience and instincts to snipe over from close range.

Lightning were knocking on the door for a second try with a penalty award five metres out, only for thunder and lightning overhead to bring a lengthy stoppage in play.

Tigers had fleeting moments of attacking from deep that were on more than one occasion thwarted by shuddering hits from teenage fullback Freya MacColl.

However there was no stopping centre Wills when she skilfully intercepted a pass in midfield before sprinting home from halfway, giving Katie Childs a simple chanced to level the scores with the last action of the half.

SECOND HALF

Smith opted to bring on Becky Boyd and Ellie Roberts at half time and it was the latter who produced a key breakdown turnover ten metres from her own line when Tigers were knocking on the door.

The second half was then punctuated by two lengthy stoppages as, on separate occasions ten minutes apart, both doctors were called into medical action that meant they could not be pitch side. It meant the final quarter of the match got underway more than two hours after the game kicked off. 

It was the visitors who restarted the stronger when a probing cross-field kick from Natasha Jones was pulled out of the air by Charlotte Davey and finished clinically under the posts – although the conversion was missed leaving Lightning with a chance to snatch victory.

While some probing chips ahead from Green caused some concern and Evelyn Clarke had some bright moments, struggles at the line out hampered Lightning’s ability to build pressure.

In a cruel late twist chasing the game, Tigers helped themselves to a second interception try when Beaver pulled one in to canter home from 40 metres out.

Lightning return to the Gardens in a fortnight on Saturday 5 October for the kick-off of the 2024/25 Premiership Women’s Rugby season when Bristol Bears are the visitors - tickets are available priced from £7.50 adults and £3* for juniors by clicking HERE.

LINE UPS

LIGHTNING: 15.⁠ ⁠MacColl, 14.⁠ ⁠Clarke, 13.⁠ ⁠Scantlebury, 12.⁠ ⁠Morrall, 11.⁠ ⁠Greensmith, 10.⁠ ⁠Green, 9.⁠ ⁠Davey; 1.⁠ ⁠Curphey, 2.⁠ ⁠Calladine, 3.⁠ ⁠Keates, 4.⁠ ⁠Fitzpatrick, 5.⁠ ⁠Winter, 6.⁠ ⁠Finch, 7.⁠ ⁠Waudby, 8.⁠ ⁠Hibbert-Jones (c).
Replacements: 16.⁠ ⁠Baverstock,  17.⁠ ⁠Williams, 18.⁠ ⁠Adjei-Ansere, 19.⁠ ⁠Boyd, 20.⁠ ⁠Roberts, 21.⁠ ⁠Weaver, 22.⁠ ⁠Luthayi, 23.⁠ ⁠Anstead

TIGERS: 15. Swartz, 14. Daley, 13 Wills, 12. Childs, 11 Beaver, 10. Jones, 9 Relf; 1. Alema, 2. Bainbridge, 3. Jones, 4. Heath, 5. Fray, 6. Russell 7. Richardson, 8. McBrien (c)
Replacements: 16. Simpson, 17. Smith, 18. Vincent, 19. Pohjanheimo, 20. Gordon, 21. Maxwell, 22. Nicholas, 23. Mundy

*All tickets are subject to a £1.50 booking fee.