Premiership Women's Rugby: Bristol Bears close gap on top three with comfortable win over Loughborough Lightning

Bristol Bears Women closed the gap on the top three in the Premiership Women’s Rugby table with a convincing 33-17 win over Loughborough Lightning at Ashton Gate.

A brace either side of half-time by Lana Skeldon, as well as tries from Simi Pam, Abbie Ward and Evie Gallagher helped the Bears bounce back from defeat to Gloucester-Hartpury last time out and move within two points of Exeter Chiefs in third.

It was a second loss in a row for Lightning, who remain fifth but now sit 14 points behind Bristol and face a tough run of fixtures.

Bears head coach Dave Ward admitted his side were a little wasteful but was pleased with the victory and eyed the upcoming clash against Saracens as a chance to make up further ground on those above them.

“We went for it tonight and scored some great tries, I’m incredibly proud of the girls,” Ward said.

“It was quite greasy in the first half, lots of little mistakes that didn’t help the flow of the game but in the second half I think both teams came to the party and there was some great rugby played.

“We need to be looking up, we need to be waiting for one of those top two teams to slip up.

“Is it beyond us? No, but we’ve got to get a few results to go our way. That Saracens game is going to be huge.”

The hosts moved 7-0 ahead in the 16th minute after Pam peeled off the back of a strong forward drive to dive over the line before Amber Reed added the extras.

Hallie Taufoo ran a devastating line to touch down as the visitors drew level before two tries in five minutes from Skeldon and Ward put the Bears in a commanding position.

Sadia Kabeya’s score for Loughborough on the stroke of half-time meant it was 19-12 at the break, an advantage Bristol quickly stretched following the restart when Skeldon crossed the whitewash for her second of the night.

Reed continued her fine form from the tee to slot the conversion and then made it 33-12 following Gallagher’s try in the 63rd minute.

With the result beyond doubt, Lightning secured a late consolation when Helena Rowland got on the scoresheet in the 75th minute, but the visitors left empty-handed after failing to secure a losing bonus point.

In the earlier game, Trailfinders picked up all five points with a 29-14 win over Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.

It was a first victory in five games for the visitors and it came off the back of a superb opening 40 minutes.

Elizabeth Crake crossed the line in the 14th minute to spark a run of three unanswered Trailfinders tries that put them 19-0 to the good after just half an hour.

Francesca McGhie responded for the hosts before Crake got her second to secure the bonus point and make it 26-7 at the break.

Hopes of a Tigers comeback were raised when Tahlia Brody scored less than two minutes after the restart but that was as good as it got for the struggling side.

Julia Schell’s penalty in the 61st minute wrapped up the win, which put the Trailfinders within two points of Harlequins above them in sixth and left Leicester below them in eighth.

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