Leicester Tigers take a hard fought try bonus point away from a high-scoring contest at Kingsholm. Four tries from Premiership debutants and an opening score from Charlotte Fray saw Tigers well in the contest early but eventually the champions showed their mettle and pulled away in the second half.

Tigers get an early slice of luck as the hosts kick long from kick off and we have a scrum on halfway.

The early possession is all Tigers. Amanda Swartz and Zainab Alema carry well before a miss pass from Sarah Nicholas hits Jordan Russell who makes an early break.

Moments later, the same move brings the opener. Nicholas hits a lovely flat pass and Russell powers through one defender, then the covering tackle before offloading to Charlotte Fray.

The second row puts on afterburners and dives over for the first PWR try of the season.

The next ten minutes sees all hands to the pump as Tigers work hard in defence. Under relentless carries from the hosts, prop El Perry is held up well before Tigers absorb constant pressure. This is initially alleviated when Russell, exemplary on both sides of the ball thus far, rips the ball away and wins a vital turnover, giving Nicholas a chance to clear the lines.

Once again, the Tiegrs attack is fluid, slick hands finding holes in the defence and building up to halfway. Eventually winning a penalty, the ball in is misguided and a penalty sends play back the other way.

Gloucester kick long and we’re Tigers are defending on the five metre line once again. The hard work in pre-season shows as another five minutes of carries is repelled, with another try held up over the line.

However, eventually the pressure tells, a rolling maul rumbles over from short range levelling the scores.

Tigers are up for the fight though and fire straight back. Winning a turnover following kick off, the visitors break up field and keep the play tight, half-backs Amy Relf and Nicholas controlling the tempo nicely.

Eventually, from five metres out, Alema drives over for a score on her Premiership Women’s Rugby debut.

The game has firmly opened up now and it’s the hosts turn to come roaring back as they work their way to the line before a second maul try levels things again.

A Gloucester-Hartpury yellow card for a deliberate knock on gives Tigers a chance to attack and they seize it, taking the lead for the third time in this match.

It’s Evie Wills who gets the score, her second try in two matches and a score also on her Premiership debut.

Slick hands from a half-break sees Amy Relf steam through, her looping ball finding Leah Heath who offloads to Swartz to hit Wills on the touchline to run in unopposed.

The champions flex their title credentials as the half nears the end, two stylish tries from fullback Emma Sing before a final try is driven over from close range.

Half time: Gloucester-Hartpury 33 – 17 Leicester Tigers

The second half sees the hosts seize the game by the scruff of the neck.

Early penalties give the hosts the early advantage but a drive over is once again held up admirably by three Tigers players getting under the ball.

From the drop-out, Gloucester look to attack wide but Elin Beaver nips in for a canny intercept and alleviates the early pressure.

Minutes later the wing finishes a delightfully worked score, a third try today from a Premiership debutant.

This all starts from fullback as Swartz fields a high ball calmly and steps right through the onrushing defence, breaking free.

Swartz is thumped by a covering Sing but great support from the tracking forwards means Relf can pass swiftly from the base. It’s full liquid rugby now as Russell offloads out of one tackle to Morgan Richardson and then receives the ball straight back on the loop from Richardson’s offload, going wide for Beaver to touch down in the corner.

The summer signing from Worcester gets her second try of the game late into the second half, a brilliantly taken intercept (almost a mirror of her score against Loughborough Lightning two weeks prior) allowing the wing to speed over from halfway.

Between these two scores, however, the game had long been put to bed.

Four scores in succession bookended by Beaver’s double saw Gloucester-Hartpury amass the 57 points they would finish the game with.

Emma Sing, named player of the match, grabbed one and created a one more through her thunderous right boot, breaks in midfield through tiring shoulders the cause of the other double.

A well-contested final ten minutes saw neither side able to break the other down and the match finishes with a win for the reigning Champions.

Final score: Gloucester-Hartpury 57 – 29 Leicester Tigers