PWR Round 11 talking points: Have Sale Sharks reignited their season?

Round 11 of the 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby season certainly brought us a little bit of everything.

Gloucester Hartpury maintained top spot in the league with a 45-22 win over Harlequins at Kingsholm Stadium, Sale Sharks picked up a vital win against Trailfinders Women, Exeter Chiefs subdued Loughborough Lightning and Saracens left it late to beat Bristol Bears.

With Round 12 on the horizon – before a one week break – there is still plenty of time to pick over the bones of last weekend’s action.

Here are three talking points from Round 11…

Sale win away to keep semi-final dreams alive

Just a couple of weeks ago Sale Sharks watched as a last gasp penalty handed Bristol Bears a narrow win at Shaftesbury.

In many ways that was the perfect snapshot of their season; lots of talent and ability, but they could not see out games.

In their losses against top two teams Saracens and Gloucester Hartpury, Sale could have plenty of pride in their performances. Against Trailfinders Women, in London, all this promise finally came to fruition.

Some 10 points adrift of their hosts just after Alivia Leatherman’s try early in the second half, it took scores from Brittany Hogan, Amy Cokayne, Charlotte Fray and a Lizzie Duffy penalty to wrap up a famous win.

There were a couple of enjoyable amendments to Tom Hudson’s starting XV. This included Holly Aitchison moving to full-back, with Lizzie Duffy going to fly-half, while Courtney Keight and Beatrice Rigoni were installed in midfield.

Winter arrivals Hogan and Asia Hogan-Rochester got their first starts. Both got over the whitewash too.

Some 13 points from the top four, the result means that hopes of reaching the top four are alive. There are still six regular season matches to go. Beating another team harbouring semi-final hopes is a surefire way to keep those ambitions kicking.

We should not oversell this though. Sale’s path to knockout rugby is littered with ifs and buts. This result has to be the catalyst to a strong end to the season and their next three matches are against Harlequins Women, Loughborough Lightning and Leicester Tigers.

This result is not catastrophic for Trailfinders. Yes, a win would have been much better for their knockout rugby cause, but hope is very much still alive. Barney Maddison’s team cannot let this game be the first domino in the collapse of their season.

Bristol scare Saracens but ultimately come up short

Saracens looked to all of their international experience to beat Bristol Bears at StoneX Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

 

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At half-time Scott Lawson’s Bears had a 26-12 lead and it was only until Zoe Harrison’s 78th minute penalty that the result was decided.

It was a, frankly, staggeringly good start from Bristol in North London. Tries from Millie David, Ruahei Demant and a Sarah Bern brace got the visitors a try-scoring bonus point by the 31st minute.

Ahead of the break Saracens looked to their forwards. Kelsey Clifford duly responded with a double of her own. It was game on at half-time. To continue their fightback May Campbell went over the whitewash twice, either side of Olivia Apps’ effort.

With five minutes to go Keira Bevan converted her own try. Honours even. Then, when Jenna de Vera was adjudged not to have rolled away, Harrison was handed the opportunity to win it from in front of the posts. She took it.

It was just about as Jekyll and Hyde a performance from Saracens we have seen all season. They had no response for Bristol’s bright start, but did rally and did find a way to win the contest. Something which Bears failed to do.

Coming back from the winter break Bristol have beaten Sale Sharks and drawn with Trailfinders. Those results put their one win in the opening block of the season well in the rearview mirror.

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With six more regular season clashes to come, reaching the top four is theoretically possible. Although just being competitive again will be a relief. Next up, a trip to Loughborough Lighting. Speaking of…

Chiefs deal Lightning confidence blow at sodden Sandy Park

Just so much as Bristol have had a positive return to the pitch in 2026, Loughborough Lightning have experienced quite the opposite.

Back-to-back losses to Gloucester Hartpury and Exeter Chiefs, with a bye week squeezed in the middle, have almost arrested the East Midlands club’s charge for the top four.

Against Exeter Chiefs in a 26-5 loss, the side failed to fire a shot. Well, aside from Kathryn Treder’s effort.

There was ridiculous weather in Devon as the hosts dragged themselves to a bonus point win thanks to tries from Francesca Granzotto, Amy Rule, Hope Rogers and Dorothy Wall.

It does not feel like long ago at all that we had billed Lightning as a top four contender. Now, honestly, you are wondering where this team’s next win is coming from ahead of matches against confident-looking Sale, Harlequins, Gloucester Hartpury and Trailfinders teams.

So far this season Loughborough have seen the performances of Haineala Lutui, Carmela Morrall and Keevy Fitzpatrick skyrocket with time on the pitch with seasoned internationals.

Two more losses in their final six games of the season could be fatal for Nathan Smith’s team, and extremely saddening after their brilliant start to 2025/26.