Match Report: Gloucester-Hartpury 36 – 19 Loughborough Lightning

Loughborough Lightning pushed Gloucester-Hartpury all the way in freezing conditions at Kingsholm Stadium but fell short of securing a third successive victory.

Back-to-back Premiership Women’s Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury scored three first-half tries through Sisilia Tuipulotu, Mia Venner and Lucy Simpson, while Bulou Mataitoga’s brilliant finish meant the deficit was 14 at the interval.

Alev Kelter struck for Lightning and Mataitoga got her second after the break but Gloucester-Hartpury remained ahead throughout as MacKenzie Carson got on the scoresheet and George dotted down at the beginning and end of the second period, as Lightning’s attentions now turn to their penultimate home game of the 2024/25 seaason, when Exeter Chiefs visit cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday 19 January (kick-off: 3pm).

FIRST HALF

Two tries arrived in the opening seven minutes as early pressure applied by the hosts saw penalties conceded and prop Tuipulotu powered over.

Lightning responded almost immediately as Krissy Scurfield embarked upon a mazy run down the left wing before play was switched wide as Emily Scarratt and birthday girl Fran Goldthorp combined to free Mataitoga near to the right touchline to reach over and level the contest at five points each.

Buoyed by landing points with their first attacking foray, the visitors went in search of a second with Kelter charging 50 metres upfield. However, disaster struck as home winger Venner read a pass to intercept and score from just outside her own 22.

Emma Sing’s break through centrefield was eventually stopped by a superb Sadia Kabeya covering tackle. Kelter saw yellow for her subsequent breakdown involvement and a try almost immediately followed but Scurfield did well to bundle Venner into touch.

From the subsequent lineout, Simpson scooped an overthrow and did well to muscle her way over the line. Sing added a second successful conversion to open a 14-point lead at the break.

SECOND HALF

Three minutes after the restart and with Sadia Kabeya down receiving treatment for a knock, Sing latched onto her own kick ahead and wicked bounce. Lightning scrambled well but could not stop George landing Gloucester’s fourth try of the afternoon close to the left corner flag.

Lightning’s response was immediate and opportunistic as centre Kelter pounced upon a loose pass from 30 metres out to fly hack ahead and regather to ground under the posts. Helen Nelson’s conversion reduced the deficit to 12.

That so nearly was reduced to single figures, only for a handling error to allow Sing to boom clear and relieve  the pressure for Gloucester-Hartpury.

Momentum swung back the way of the hosts thereafter and a fine Pip Hendy break was eventually finished off by Carson. Sing’s extras saw Lightning trail by 19 with 13 minutes to play.

Lightning emptied their bench as they searched for a route back into the game and worked their way into the attacking 22 on a couple of occasions with Mataitoga, Kelter and Courtney Holtkamp carrying with gusto.

After allowing a few chances to slip through their fingers, Mataitoga took matters into her own hands with a handful of minutes remaining as she stripped an opponent before finishing from 25 metres out. 

Any hopes of scoring a fourth try, that would’ve secured two points from the game, disappeared when Gloucester-Hartpury landed their sixth try of the contest when George forcibly finished from close range.

LINE UPS:

GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY: 15 Sing, 14 Venner,  13 Jones, 12 Heard, 11 Hendy, 10 George,  9 Hunt (cc);  1 Buggy,  2 Simpson, 3 Tuipulotu, 4 Beckett, 5 Aldcroft (cc), 6 Else, 7 Brock, 8 Matthews.
Replacements: 16 Jones, 17 Carson, 18 Muir, 19 Crabb, 20 Copson, 21 Davies, 22 Hyett, 23 Lund.

LIGHTNING: 15 Goldthorp, 14 Mataitoga, 13 Scarratt, 12 Kelter, 11 Scurfield, 10 Nelson, 9 Davey; 1 Young, 2 Treder, 3 Keates, 4 Holtkamp, 5 Ives Campion, 6 Taufoou, 7 Kabeya, 8 Hibbert-Jones (cc).
Replacements: 16 Martin, 17 Williams, 18 Belisle, 19 Duguid, 20 Waudby, 21 Malcolm (cc), 22 Brebner-Holden, 23 Morrall.