Smith praises ‘23-person performance’ in Lightning’s loss to Gloucester

Head coach Nathan Smith praised the whole squad effort after the Loughborough Lightning bench played a key role in recording a bonus point in a 42-24 defeat to Gloucester-Hartpury.

All eight replacements were deployed in the second half as Lightning managed two tries in the final 13 minutes to make it four for the afternoon after Catherine O’Donnell scored a first-half brace.

“I thought it was one of the first games where we’ve had a 23-person performance where the replacements from around 50 minutes really added to the game,” said Smith. “Every single one of them came on and made an impact and that’s all I can ask for.

“We had moments of brilliance but then moments where we let teams back into the game. There were some really positive patches within the game. I thought our attack functioned probably better than it has done over the last few weeks which really caused Gloucester some problems.”

The positives included a fast start as O’Donnell scored her first try after only four minutes and repeated the trick before half-time as Lightning trailed 28-14 at the break.

Her tries came either side of receiving a yellow card which the hosts capitalised upon but Smith was more than satisfied with the 27-year-old’s shift.

He said: “Cath probably owes me a pint because she got yellow carded so she had to make up for it by scoring two tries. She has been exceptional ever since she has come back from England.

Another Catherine who caught the eye was loosehead prop Wells, who made her Lightning debut after being an unused replacement in the previous two rounds.

It was the 21-year-old’s first top-flight appearance since May 2023 for her former club Worcester Warriors and weighed in with a 50-minute effort that looked like she’d never been away.

“She has not played in so long and has come to one of the best teams in the league, one of the most dominant packs and setpeices, and I thought she equipped herself really well,” explained Smith. “I feel she has got massive growth in her game but she will grow that game, definitely.”

The Allianz Premiership Women’s Round 7 loss to Gloucester-Hartpury came two weeks after a narrow defeat to Exeter Chiefs, at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

Smith’s side tested both of last season’s finalists in successive games and is hopeful a complete performance to deliver a third win of the season is around the corner.

“It feels better getting a bonus point today than it did against Exeter when we didn’t get anything,” said Smith. “Essentially, we do have to be patient. You’re not going to miraculously go from where we have been to turning the champions over away from home.

“I am pretty disappointed that I am not seeing anything in the league that we are not capable of matching and bettering. We’ve got to put an 80-minute performance together. There’s loads of great moments within the games, if we string those together, we’re flying. If we keep doing what we are doing in training away from games, I think we will do.

“How hard the girls are working, how invested they are in the programme and what we want to do here, is brilliant. I can’t fault that. I am just disappointed. I want to come to places like Gloucester and I don’t want to be on the end of a losing performance but I know it is going to take time.”