Saracens Dominate Exeter to Claim Top Spot in Premiership Women's Rugby
Saracens surged to the top of the Premiership Women's Rugby table with a commanding 45-7 victory over Exeter Chiefs, who sat in third place. The match showcased the talents of Poppy Cleall, who scored two tries within the opening 28 minutes. Her teammates, Marlie Packer and Kelsey Clifford, added to the scoreline with tries either side of half-time. In the second half, Alysha Corrigan, Julia Omokhuale, and Tori Sellors, the latter being an England Under-20s scrum-half, further extended the lead for the hosts. Hope Rogers managed to score a consolation try for the Chiefs in the 84th minute, preventing a shutout. This victory allowed Saracens to leapfrog Gloucester-Hartpury on points difference, even though they have played one game more than the defending champions, who are currently on a bye week. In other matches on Saturday, Sale Sharks climbed to sixth place after defeating Harlequins 15-12. The Sharks featured Asia Hogan-Rochester making her first start. Early tries from Rhona Lloyd and Amy Cokayne, along with a penalty from Lizzie Duffy, set the pace for Sale. Despite tries from Claudia Pena and Jade Konkel for Harlequins, Sale managed to secure the win. The outcome tightened the race for the play-off spots, with Harlequins' lead over fifth-placed Trailfinders reduced to just one point. Trailfinders showcased their strength with a 40-19 triumph over bottom club Leicester Tigers, with Cassandra Tuffnail scoring twice and Niamh Gallagher contributing 10 points. Leicester's struggles continued, marking their tenth consecutive loss to start the season.
Source: BBC Sport - 2026-02-21