A gritty Leicester Tigers performance saw the side score five tries but ultimately came up short in back and forth match with hosts Bristol Bears.
Another chilly day sees Bears bring the fireworks, a plume of blue smoke greets the players.
Possession changes hands very swiftly; the kick off is short and Leicester elect for the scrum, which they win but then cede possession when a stab through is fielded well.
The rush defence has been immense from Tigers, driving the hosts back from their own 22 to the halfway line. When Bears eventually break, after several minutes, Roisin McBrien hauls down the runner before Emily Henrich makes a great shot to begin driving Bristol back again.
But a second break sees play halted as Julia Omokhuale exits the field for a HIA test which the Canadian lock sadly fails, a big blow early doors.
Finally Bears break the deadlock, their successive carries seeing hooker Hollie Phillips drive over; two minutes later, front row compatriot Simi Pam dives over after a break from deep and a pair of offloads.
Leicester have a couple of opportunities but can’t quite convert, a line out going awry and Claire Gallagher just missing out on a chip and chase. From there, however, Bears come firing back with another pair of tries.
Emily Henrich initially does really well to wrap up Millie David to prevent a certain score, but a few minutes later the league’s top scorer gets her try, first Phillips scoring her second on the right hand side before ranging passes see David score in the corner.
From here, Tigers finally gather a bit of a foothold in the game and play in the Bears half for the remaining ten minutes.
A couple of mauls are defended well but the scrum sets the tempo here, dominating the hosts on their own feed and winning a penalty.
From here, the ball is grubber kicked through but Meg Jones, although unable to get her hands on it, hits the catcher and drives her over her own line, forcing a five metre scrum.
The pack have long since established dominance at the set piece and set the platform here, Jones cannily identifying the mass of bodies ahead of her and instead firing the ball wide to wing Emily Henrich, the USA Eagle swooping in to score in the corner.
The whistle comes as Tigers are in the ascendency and we go into the break.
Half time score: Bristol Bears 24 - 5 Leicester Tigers
That ascendency continues after the break, Tigers camped on the Bristol line. Tahlia Brody starts and finishes this move, initially going close from a pick and go before, after a number of phases, picking and going from the back of a scrum to touch down.
The floodgates open here as four tries are scored in rapid succession.
Between two Bears driving mauls, Tahlia Brody scores another corker, smashing through from halfway and offloading to continental compatriot Claire Gallagher. The Canadian is stopped just short but Brody picks and goes, diving over with the line at her mercy.
The second is another beauty, another break from midfield.
From the rock solid scrum, Natasha Jones gives it early to namesake Meg.
The Red Rose vice-captain has a lot to do but eyes up the two defenders on her and steps wide into space, accelerating and drawing in the covering wing before putting Henrich into space.
Soaring down the touchline, Henrich wisely steps inside and Meg takes it on the loop, putting on the afterburners and having the pace and power to ride the tackle into the corner.
Although Bears are able to put themselves out of sight with a late score in the corner, Tigers get the final word when Charlotte Fray once again crashes over deservedly after almost ten minutes on the hosts line.
With that, the referee blows his whistle and it’s all over.
