Phoebe Murray delighted with Bristol 'cohesion' in PWR opener - 'The perfect way to start the season’

Phoebe Murray described Bristol Bears’ dominant 48-5 win over Sale Sharks as “the perfect way to start the season.”

The newly rebranded Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) competition began at Ashton Gate live on TNT Sports and it was the hosts who laid down an early marker.

Murray was instrumental in what was a clinical Bears performance and got on the score sheet in the second-half when she powered through a gap in the Sale defence at the end of a trademark wide move.

“That’s probably the perfect way to start the season,” Murray, the Player of the Match, told TNT Sports. “We had a really good training week, we had lots of new people come in, internationals back, and actually I think for us to have that cohesion so quickly was really good.

“I couldn’t have asked for more.”

There were good debuts for Holly Aitchison and Hannah Botterman, while Abbie Ward also returned with a try less than four months after giving birth.

All over the pitch there were strong performances but TNT Sports pundit and Gloucester-Hartpury scrum-half Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt picked out Murray for praise.

“She was really good,” Hunt said. “She is every week for me, she's absolutely fantastic. But what I loved about her performance today is just how clinical her passing was and how much she got those outside girls onto the ball.

“Sometimes it's the unseen work for me that you forget. I just love the hands. Fantastic finish [today], you don't see her often scoring the tries, she's normally the one that is the provider, especially with line breaks as well.

“She’s so skilful, I love to see her performing so well.”

Next up, Bristol travel to take on Exeter Chiefs in what is sure to be a thrilling contest, and Murray added that while "there’s things to work on", the manner of their season-opening victory would provide a "perfect confidence boost".

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