Lynn’s joy as team secure back-to-back titles

Down 17-7 at the break, the Cherry & Whites produced a powerful second half showing to claw their way back into contention and ultimately seal the women’s crown in the glorious Devon sunshine.

Emma Sing, the league’s top points-scorer, was at the heart of the matter for Lynn’s side, claiming a try and adding a further 11 points with her deadly right boot.

However, the Welshman was quick to pay tribute to his whole squad for their seasonal efforts at the final whistle.

“I’m absolutely over the moon, I couldn’t be more prouder of this squad,” said Lynn. “With the amount of injuries that we’ve had, I think we’ve used about 48 players, to go back-to-back is amazing.

“We’ve got internationals out there and we’ve got 18-year-olds out there, so the future is looking very bright.”

Indeed it is, although Lynn may well have thought otherwise after a first period in which his side were distinctly second best.

Bristol, buoyed by the return to the starting line-up for the first time since January of England international Sarah Bern, were immense. She was part of a destructive Bears front-row that ran riot against the defending champions.

Together with Hannah Botterman and Lark Atkin-Davies, the trio led the charge for Dave Ward’s side, who deservedly took the lead on 17 minutes when winger Courtney Keight was able to squeeze over in the left corner for the game’s opening score.

It was no more than the Bears deserved for their fast start, which could have been even better had co-captain Abbie Ward not been held up on the line following a Reneeqa Bonner burst.

Gloucester-Hartpury looked decidedly off the pace, somewhat nervous and certainly ill-disciplined as the Bears looked to ravage them with their expansive, all-court game.

A rare counter from the holders saw Bethan Lewis send Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt in for Gloucester’s opening try on 25 minutes, but that was a rare highlight in which the Bears continued to prowl ominously in all areas.

Botterman was the stand-out figure, closely followed by Bern and Atkin-Davis, who restored their slender lead when she stole over from a close-range maul.

A third try, this time from Botterman, on the stroke of half time stretched their lead to ten points and put them in pole position as they headed into the heat of the second half.

Whatever Lynn said during his half-time pep talk, it clearly had the desired effect. Not only were Gloucester-Hartpury much improved, both in performance and discipline, but their togetherness and physicality were clearly evident.

Lewis saw an early response chalked off on the intervention of the TMO for a brilliant saving tackle from Bristol’s Meryl Smith, but the let-off was only momentary as the champions cranked up the gears to deadly effect.

Pip Hendy grabbed their second of the contest, finishing off a slick move that has been started from No.8 Zoe Aldcroft picking up from the base of a scrum. Then, Sing got in on the try-scoring act, finishing off a slick move that had exposed the Bristol back division out wide.

Another score, their third in the space of eight minutes, this time through Mia Venner edged them further in front, before Hannah Jones snuck over on the blindside to put her side firmly in command of proceedings.

To their credit, the Bears never gave up, their efforts rewarded late on when replacement Ella Lovibond crossed for a converted score.

It was, sadly, a little too late and it was left to Sing to hammer the final nail into the Bristol coffin with a late penalty.

Gloucester-Hartpury: Sing; Venner, Jones, Heard (Hyett 80), Hendy (Lund 73); George, Hunt (cc, Blackburn 80); Carson (Perry 47), Jones (Dale 80), Muir (Tuipulotu 75); Beckett, Monaghan (Williams 18); Brock, Lewis (Else 68), Aldcroft (cc).

Tries – Hunt 25, Hendy 54, Sing 58, Venner 62, Jones 68; Conversion – Sing 26, 55, 59, 64; Penalty – Sing 79

Bristol Bears: Smith; Bonner, Murray, Aitchison (Lovibond 73), Keight (Hesketh 73); Reed (cc), Bevan (Burgess 68); Botterman (Clarke 64), Atkin-Davies (Sprague 80), Bern (Pam 40); Burns (Cunningham 64), Ward (cc); Joyce-Butchers, Gallagher, Marston-Mulhearn (Nigrelli 68).

Tries – Keight 17, Atkin-Davies 32, Botterman 38, Lovibond 75; Conversion – Reed 38, 75

Referee: S Cox

Attendance: 6,934

Player of the Match: Sarah Beckett (Gloucester-Hartpury)

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