Gloucester-Hartpury and Saracens chase PWR history

Premiership Women's Rugby final: Gloucester-Hartpury v Saracens

Venue: StoneX Stadium Date: Sunday, 16 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT

Coverage: Watch on the Red Button, BBC iPlayer and online; follow live text commentary on BBC Sport website and app; listen to commentary on BBC Radio Gloucestershire and BBC Radio London

Gloucester-Hartpury have named an unchanged starting XV for the Premiership Women's Rugby final against Saracens as they look to win a record third-straight title on Sunday.

England captain Zoe Aldcroft starts in the second row with club co-captain Natasha 'Mo' Hunt at scrum-half and fellow Red Roses Tatyana Heard, Alex Matthews and Maud Muir at centre, number eight and prop respectively.

Saracens have brought Canadian international Gabrielle Senft in at blind-side flanker with Louise McMillan dropping to the bench, in the only change from the side that beat Harlequins in their semi-final.

The London club finished second in the table behind Gloucester-Hartpury and are chasing a record fourth league title overall and their first since 2022.

Sunday's match at the StoneX Stadium marks the end of Gloucester-Hartpury head of rugby Sean Lynn's tenure before he leaves to take the head coach role with Wales women.

PWR leading points-scorer Emma Sing - who scored a try and kicked 11 points in the 36-20 semi-final win against Bristol Bears on 2 March - starts at full-back for Gloucester-Hartpury, in a squad packed with internationals including Wales captain Hannah Jones at centre and Ireland prop Neve Jones.

Club stalwart Kathryn Buggy has been named among the replacements and is set to make her final appearance for the club before retirement, while the only change to the 23 sees fly-half Ellie Green come onto the bench in place of Millie Hyatt.

Saracens' squad is equally stacked with talent, with 15 internationals in their matchday 23.

England winger Jess Breach - who starred in the semi-final win after returning from injury - starts at 15 in an unchanged back three. Centre Sophie Bridger, who won the 2023 title with Gloucester-Hartpury, is at inside centre.

With Senft coming into the side, Wales' Georgia Evans moves to the second row from the back row. Prop May Campbell, the league's leading try scorer with 18, leads an unchanged front row.

Aldcroft said it could be the "biggest final" the league has ever seen.

"We want to go there on Sunday and we want to make that history happen," she added.

"I think the most important thing is getting this week right, how can we get back to being connected as a Gloucester-Hartpury team and train what we want to exploit in the opposition this week.

"Saracens are a super physical side, but they have also got that fast pace out wide, very similar to us. I think it depends who can get the most momentum in the game and that will be the decider."

Lynn, who has been a major part of transforming the Gloucestershire club during his five-year tenure, said he was not thinking about a possible 'three-peat' of victories, rather "making sure that we can get this final and win the PWR".

While Gloucester-Hartpury beat Saracens 47-31 in their last meeting in December, Saracens won 49-38 when the two sides met earlier in the season, also at the StoneX.

"We've tweaked a few things which we feel is going to exploit Saracens, who are a very physical side and just get excited about that," Lynn told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"From both ends it's going to be about discipline, because you don't want either team going into each other's 22. I think it's then just making sure you can gather that momentum."

The StoneX might be Saracens' home ground but it is classed as a neutral venue this weekend and, as the top seeds, Gloucester-Hartpury have access to the home changing room.

However, Saracens director of rugby Alex Austerberry said his side still want to use the fact they know the ground well to their advantage.

"I've said to the players it is a neutral venue that we know very well, it's going to have the north London crowd, it's going to have the Sarries fans in there singing, shouting and it's a pitch that we know the dimensions of," Austerberry said.

"We're pretty confident - we've got a unique chance to run out at our home in a final and that's pretty special."

Bridger said these are the games that players want to play in and they will not feel threatened by Gloucester-Hartpury.

"We know their threats but if you focus too much on those threats they become worries," Bridger said.

"We've put it on the flipside and actually see what we can get out of that and how we can best execute around their good players."

Gloucester-Hartpury: Sing; Venner, H. Jones, Heard, Hendy; George, Hunt (c); Perry, N. Jones, Muir; Beckett, Aldcroft (c), Williams, Lewis, Matthews.

Replacements: Boag, Carson, Buggy, Else, Brock, Davies, Green, Lund.

Saracens: Breach; Corrigan, Hardy, Bridger, Sharp (c); Harrison, Wyrwas; Gondwe, Campbell, Clifford; Galligan, Evans, Senft, Packer (c), P. Cleall.

Replacements: Field, Hunt, Tremelling, B. Cleall, McMillan, Sellors, McKenna, Gregson.