PREVIEW: Premier 15s Round 10

Round 10 of the Allianz Premier 15s sees five matches across two days, with Exeter Chiefs kicking off the action against DMP Sharks at midday on Saturday, and Harlequins bringing the curtain down against Loughborough Lightning on Sunday afternoon.

As ever, the RFU will live stream two matches this weekend. Bristol Bears vs Gloucester-Hartpury will be shown live on BBCiPlayer, BBC Sport, and on premier15s.com, while Sale Sharks vs The University of Worcester Warriors' will be shown on premier15s.com, following the news this week that both sides have been offered conditional places in the Allianz Premier 15s for the 2023/24 season. 

Here's your guide to the action:

Exeter Chiefs Women Vs DMP Durham Sharks Ladies

●      Exeter Chiefs have won all five of their previous Allianz Premier 15s matches against DMP Durham Sharks by an average margin of 72 points; they have never conceded more than seven points in a single match against the Sharks.

●      Exeter Chiefs have won each of their last eight Allianz Premier 15s games by an average margin of 48 points and haven’t conceded a single point in either of their last two matches, the first time they have ever recorded back-to-back shutouts in the league.

●      DMP Durham Sharks have lost each of their last 27 Allianz Premier 15s games, however, they have scored a try in each of their last three games after failing to do so in either of their previous two; their last win in the league came away from home (34-17 v Bristol Bears in April 2021).

●      Exeter Chiefs have averaged more possession (57%) and territory (58%) than any other side in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s and have also scored more points in the final 20 minutes of games than any other side in the league this term (119).

●      DMP Durham Sharks’ Jasmine Hazell has successfully completed more offloads than any other player in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s (16) and is also one of just four players to have made 100+ carries in the league this term (104).

Bristol Bears Women Vs Gloucester-Hartpury Women

●      Gloucester-Hartpury have won six of their last seven Allianz Premier 15s matches against Bristol Bears (L1) including each of their last two by margins of 22+ points; in fact, all seven of their previous victories against Bristol Bears in the league have come by margins of 17+ points.

●      Bristol Bears lost their most recent Allianz Premier 15s home game (5-36 v Saracens in Round 9) after winning their first four of the campaign by an average margin of 42 points, however, they haven’t lost back-to-back home games in the league since March-April 2021 (L2)

●      Gloucester-Hartpury have won their first nine games of the 2022/23 Allianz Premier 15s season, their longest ever winning streak at the start of the season; in fact, only Saracens have recorded a longer winning streak at the start of the season than Gloucester-Hartpury (12 in 2017/18 and 2019/20).

●      Bristol Bears have registered more carry metres per game than any other side in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s (1015m), with their average carry distance of 8.0 metres also being the highest of any side in the league this term; they’re also one of just two teams to average 10+ successful offloads per game (10.6, Saracens 10.8).

●      Gloucester-Hartpury’s Ellie Rugman has scored more tries than any other player in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s (10), while teammate Natasha Hunt has provided over twice as many try assists as any other player in the league this term (17).

Wasps FC Ladies Vs Saracens Women

●      Saracens have won seven of their last eight Allianz Premier 15s matches against Wasps (L1) including each of their last three; they conceded just 10 points in their most recent match against them (33-10 in Round 2) after conceding 20+ in each of their previous five.

●      Wasps have lost each of their last 10 Allianz Premier 15s games and have failed to score in any of their last three, as many times as in their previous 92 matches in the league combined.

●      Saracens won their most recent Allianz Premier 15’s away match (36-5 v Bristol Bears in Round 9) after losing three in a row previously; their 31-point margin of victory in that game was their largest away from home in the league since September 2021 (75-5 v DMP Durham Sharks).

●      Saracens have completed more offloads than any other side in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s (86) and have also averaged more kicks in play (19.6) and more kicking metres (469m) than any other team in the league this term.

●      Wasps’ Liz Crake has won more jackal turnovers than any other player in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s (12), while teammate Hannah Edwards has made the most kicks in play (8.7) and gained the most kicking metres (264m) per game of any player with 5+ appearances in the league this term.

Sale Sharks Women Vs Worcester Warriors Women

●      Sale Sharks won their most recent Allianz Premier 15s match against University of Worcester Warriors (24-17 in Round 2).

●      Sale Sharks have won four of their last five Allianz Premier 15s home games (L1) after losing eight in a row previously and didn’t concede a single point in their most recent such match (25-0 v Wasps in Round 8), their first ever shutout at home in the league.

●      University of Worcester Warriors have won three of their last five Allianz Premier 15s away matches (L2) after losing five in a row previously; they have conceded just five points or fewer in each of their last two away wins, but have conceded 60+ points in each of their last two defeats on the road.

●      Sale Sharks have made at least four more turnover winning tackles than any other side in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s (34), while University of Worcester Warriors have won at least 11 more turnovers overall than any other side in the league this term (60).

●      Charlotte Wright-Haley is one of just four players to have beaten 30+ opposition defenders in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s (34), while teammate Vicky Laflin has made more turnover winning tackles than any other player in the league this term (7).

Harlequins Women Vs Loughborough Lightning Ladies

●      Harlequins have won four of their previous five Allianz Premier 15s home games against Loughborough Lightning and scored 50 points in their most recent such encounter (50-15 in September 2021), their highest ever tally against Loughborough in the league.

●      Harlequins lost their most recent Allianz Premier 15s home game (22-33 v Gloucester-Hartpury in Round 8) after winning three in a row previously; the 33 points they conceded in that game was their most at home in the league since December 2019 (27-33 v Saracens).

●      Loughborough Lightning have lost each of their last six Allianz Premier 15s away games after going unbeaten in four  previously (W3 D1); they have scored fewer than 20 points in each of their last two away games, as many times as in their previous 10 combined.

●      Harlequins are the only side to have made 100+ dominant tackles in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s (114), while Loughborough Lighting have the third highest tackle success rate (88%) and have successfully completed the most tackles (1649) of any side in the league this term.

●      Harlequins’ Jade Konkel-Roberts has made at least 23 more carries than any other player in this season’s Allianz Premier 15s (128), while Loughborough Lightning’s Bulou Mataitoga has provided the joint-most break assist passes of any player in the league this term (9, level with Phoebe Murray and Amber Reed).