Gloucester-Hartpury maintain perfect Premiership Women's Rugby record with win against Loughborough Lightning

Alex Matthews scored twice as Gloucester-Hartpury moved a step closer to an unbeaten season with a 61-26 triumph over Loughborough Lightning.

The Circus have registered 14 wins from 14 Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby matches, and are already guaranteed a home semi-final. 

Matthews, Tatyana Heard and Neve Jones crossed the whitewash twice for the visitors, while Natasha Hunt, Laura Delgado and Steph Else all touched down once. 

Laura Keates, Cath O’Donnell, and a Maja Meuller brace secured a bonus point for Lightning, but that was not enough to keep their slim hopes of a semi-final spot alive. 

Wales international Hannah Jones was held up during an explosive start at Franklin's Gardens, but the visitors would not have to wait long for the opening try. 

Heard powered over from close range in the sixth minute to give her side a deserved lead. 

However, the deficit was reduced to two points when Emily Scarratt produced a magnificent line to burst through The Circus' defence before offloading to Red Roses prop Keates for Lightning's first try. 

Gloucester-Hartpury were in complete control at the scrum though, and that set-piece dominance provided the platform for Matthews to cross from close range, putting the visitors 14-5 up.

Lightning refused to give in, with Meuller touching down from the back of a driving maul to keep her side within touching distance. 

The gap was back to nine points within four minutes though as Matthews crossed for her second. 

Then Gloucester-Hartpury showed why they are the team to beat in the PWR semi-finals, taking the game away from Lightning with two scores in quick succession. 

Hunt spotted a gap at the fringe of the breakdown to make it 26-12 before Heard got on the end of a Matthews line break to score her second of the afternoon. 

Jones crossed from the back of a driving maul within five minutes of the restart to extend The Circus' lead to 28 points. 

Bo Westcombe-Evans was denied a try after claiming Scarratt's excellent cross-field kick, but Lightning had the penalty advantage, and Meuller scored her second from the resulting lineout.

Spain captain Delgado was the next to touch down for the visitors, finishing off a delightful passage of play to put her side 45-19 ahead. 

Steph Else's try took Gloucester-Hartpury over the 50-point mark, but the hosts secured a bonus point thanks to Cath O’Donnell, who completed an outstanding Lightning move to get on the scoresheet. 

However, in the closing stages, Jones became the third hosts' player to cross the whitewash twice, wrapping up a convincing 61-26 win.  

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